Jesus just keeps showing his face everywhere. Even today, there were two accounts.

The first comes from Kingsville, Texas where a report says the image of Jesus showed up on a light pole in an alley way.

The second story comes from Palm Springs, where the image of Jesus has shown up on a doggy door. What did the owner do with this pearl of great price? Put it on E-Bay, of course - with a starting bid of $990.

As odd as these "Jesus sightings" seem to me, it does bring to mind a really interesting sermon I listened to last week by one of my favorite pastors, Alistair Begg.

Pastor Begg was preaching on the second commandment:

You shall not make for yourself an idol
in the form of anything in heaven above
or on the earth beneath
or in the waters below.
You shall not bow down to them or worship them;
for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,
punishing the children for the sin of the fathers
to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
but showing love to a thousand generations of those
who love me and keep my commandments

In my simple mind, I always thought this commandment simply prohibited the worship of any carved idol (as in another god). But in reading the Heidelberg Catechism and listening to Pastor Begg, I'm learning that it's much, much more.

Listen to these Catechism questions from the Heidelberg:

96. What is God's will for us in the second commandment?
That we in no way make any image of God nor worship him in any other way than he has commanded in his word.

97. May we then not make any image at all?
God can not and may not be visibly portrayed in any way.

Although creatures may be portrayed, yet God forbids making or having such images if one's intention is to worship them or to serve God through them.

98. But may not images be permitted in the churches as teaching aids for the unlearned?
No, we shouldn't try to be wiser than God.

He wants his people instructed by the living preaching of his Word --
not by idols that cannot even talk.

In G.I. Williamson's commentary on the Second Commandment in the Westminster Confession, he addresses the issue of pictures of Jesus (pg. 292).

The Bible presents no information whatever about the personal appearance of Jesus Christ, but it does teach that we are not to think of him as he may have appeared "in the days of his flesh," but as he is today in heavenly glory, in his estate of exaltation.

Inasmuch as the Bible presents no data about the personal appearance of our Savior, all artists' pictures of him are wholly imaginary and constitute only the artists' ideas of his character and appearance.

And this was a point of Alistair Begg.

How can a created man - with limits to his creativity, understanding and knowledge - capture the essence of God? The artist may render his interpretation of Christ as a compassionate man or a determined man or a loving man or a teaching man. But would any of these pictures be able to describe to the viewer who God is?

The most striking point Begg made in his sermon was his observation that many believers identify themselves as Christians with the symbol that best describes Christ - The Cross. But he goes on to remind us that as absolutely wonderful as the cross is to the Christian, the story didn't begin there and it doesn't end there. Christ, who gave his life for us on the cross, was also present at the creation of the world, and is, as we are speaking, sitting right now at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, ruling the world and interceding on our behalf.

Is there any way that any picture or symbol can properly express our God?

Begg's ending point was a strong reminder that the great "I AM" describes himself to us in words and He's given us a a great book in the Bible to show us what He's like.

A much better view of God, if you ask me, than a light pole or doggy door.