Do you remember seeing the news footage of the statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad being toppled during the conflict in Iraq in 2003? I was reminded of that over these past days as we have witnessed statues of prominent historical figures being daubed with paint and graffiti, dragged down and destroyed by protestors and others boarded up or even removed by council officials.
Men and women desire to make images or statues in appreciation of those whom they wish to respect, honour, admire, or even worship, because of who they were or what they have done. Our towns, cities, churchyards, church buildings and homes are decorated with thousands of such figures. They have been erected in places of significance and popularity, because people have not wanted the individuals to be forgotten, or what they once accomplished to be dismissed, but to be acknowledged and remembered.
But which of us is worthy of having a statue erected in our honour? For each one of us has ‘feet of clay’; not one of us is without fault. The Bible tells us that, ‘All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.’
The Lord God Almighty, and He alone, is worthy of our worship, honour and praise. In the prayer that His sinless Son, our Lord Jesus, taught His disciples to say is this phrase, “For Thine is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.” There is nothing on earth - no person, no power, no nation, no kingdom that can be favourably compared with our God and Creator and His eternal Kingdom. He is:
‘Our Father Who lives in heaven’
So how should we remember Him, praise Him, honour Him and worship Him? There are many people throughout history who have tried to do the impossible, to create an image of God before which they bow in worship. All images, statues, paintings and pictures used in religious worship are man-made, false imaginations, for no-one knows what God looks like. God Himself says, “You shall not make for yourself an idol - you shall not bow down to or worship an idol.”
But we can know God, for His Son, our Lord Jesus tells us that He came to show us the Father. God is worthy of our worship and our praise because of Who He is, what He has done and what He will do in the future, all of which are revealed to us through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
There is however, one symbol that reflects God’s love, grace, compassion, faithfulness and mercy to us: and that is the cross. That piece of wood on the hillside, on which the Lord Jesus was cruelly crucified, where He died in our place as our Saviour, is all we need to remind us of our great and loving God.
We must observe and remember, that the cross is empty; there is no longer a body nailed there. For Jesus not only died for our sin, in our place, but God the Father raised Him victoriously and triumphantly from the grave, proving that His sacrifice was acceptable, so we might know forgiveness for our sin and rebellion and be saved from an eternal separation from God’s presence, His love and His mercy.
Statues and idols will not help us overcome our sin or our disconnection from God. No idols are necessary when we KNOW Him. The Lord Jesus Himself says to each one of us, “come with Me …
I am the Way and the Truth and the Life, no-one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Do you know Him? Are you walking with Him now - and onwards into a secure, glorious eternity?