Week #1: You Were Made to Reflect God
Blog Series Intention Recap
This four-week series for Christmas series helps people to understand the incarnation and the good news of Christ’s birth. Over the course of four weeks, people will learn what it means that they are made in God’s image. Then they will explore what it means for Jesus to be the image of God revealed. Finally, they will have a chance to rehear the Christmas story and learn why the good news involves God coming from heaven to earth in Jesus Christ.
This post is the main page of the series “Heaven to Earth: The Incarnation” Click here to see the rest of the posts.
Let’s jump into Week #1:
You are not random. You were made in God's image to know Him, reflect Him, and live like Him.
Why it Matters:
God created people in His image to reflect His character.
Being made in God’s image gives every person value and purpose.
Sin damaged this image, but it was not destroyed.
Jesus came to restore what we were created to be.
Go Deeper:
What It Means to Be Human
In the beginning, God made everything. He made the sky, the seas, the stars, and every animal that moves. Then He made something different—He made people. Genesis 1:26–27 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’ ... So God created man in his own image.”
This is the most important truth about who we are. People are not just smart animals or random chance. We are made on purpose by a good God. He made us to be like Him in many ways—not as gods, but as His image-bearers.
What Does “Image of God” Mean?
The Bible doesn’t give a list, but from Scripture, we can understand that being made in God’s image includes:
Relationship – God made us to know Him and love Him. He also made us to love others. We are not meant to be alone.
Reflection – Like a mirror reflects a face, we were made to reflect God’s ways. We can think, speak, plan, and choose what is right. God wants us to show His goodness to the world.
Rule – Genesis 1:28 says God told people to take care of the earth. That means we have a job. We are to use creation wisely and lead with care.
Responsibility – Being made in God’s image means we are not our own. We belong to Him and live under His rule.
The image of God is what gives every person value. Rich or poor, young or old, strong or weak—everyone matters because everyone is made in God’s image.
What Went Wrong?
Something happened that changed everything. Adam and Eve, the first humans, disobeyed God. They listened to a lie and turned away from their Creator. Sin entered the world.
Sin did not erase the image of God in people, but it did damage it. Now, instead of reflecting God’s goodness, we reflect our selfishness. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That means we don’t live the way we were made to live.
We still have minds that think and hearts that feel. But now, our thoughts and feelings are often pointed the wrong way. We still make choices, but many of them are sinful. We still long for relationship, but we often hurt each other.
The image is cracked, but it is not lost.
Why This Matters at Christmas
At Christmas, we often focus on a baby in a manger. But that baby is more than a sweet story. Jesus is God in the flesh. Colossians 1:15 says, “He is the image of the invisible God.” That means He shows us what God is like—and also what true humanity looks like.
Jesus was born into the world to fix what sin broke. He lived the way we were meant to live. He loved God fully. He loved people perfectly. He never sinned. When we see Jesus, we see the image of God without cracks.
But Jesus didn’t just come to show us something. He came to save us.
The Good News About the Image of God
The good news is that Jesus came not only to reveal God, but to restore us. Colossians 3:10 says believers have “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”
This means that when we trust in Jesus, God begins to change us from the inside out. He makes us new. We begin to love like Him. We begin to serve like Him. He teaches us to forgive, to speak with truth, to care for the weak, and to live with purpose.
This is why the Christmas story matters so much. Jesus didn’t come to give us warm feelings. He came to make us whole again.
How does this help me understand, “Heaven to Earth?”
Living as an Image-Bearer Today
So what does this mean for you? It means you matter. It means your life has meaning—not because of what you do, but because of who made you. You reflect the Creator.
It also means the people around you matter. Every person you meet is made in God’s image, even if they don’t know it. This should shape how we speak, how we serve, and how we love.
As Christmas approaches, here are three ways to live as an image-bearer:
Honor God – Spend time with Him. Worship Him. Obey His Word. You were made to know Him.
Love Others – Speak with kindness. Serve with joy. See the image of God in everyone.
Follow Jesus – Let Him renew you. Learn from Him. Let Him restore what sin broke.
The Image of God Leads Us to Jesus
The story of the Bible begins with people made in God’s image. It moves through sin, pain, and struggle. But it leads to a manger where God came near.
Jesus came to do what we could not do. He came to fix the image. He came to make us whole.
So when you see the Christmas lights, remember the Light of the World. When you hear the carols, remember the song of the angels: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14)
You were made for God. You were made to reflect Him. And Jesus came to make that possible again.
