Living in the country and working around farmers and cattle ranchers a lot, you hear people, all the time, refer to "The Man Upstairs." It may not be a rural-specific term, but it's widely used here. But who is this Person? They seem to think He has authority. Maybe it's their boss or landlord? They also seem to act like He sees everything. Do they mean "big brother" (you know, whoever that is!)? Most importantly, they seem to think that "The Man Upstairs" is a good guy. This vague reference to a mysterious Person always seems to perk my ears up, and I guess that's because I know this Person! May I introduce you to "The Man Upstairs"?
I don't typically like hearing God referred to as "The Man Upstairs." Part of this is because, well, He isn't just a man. He's God! And He is God in the flesh! But make no mistake. This mysterious Person which they speak of is fully man! Though being in the form of God, He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped (Philippians 2:6). Now on to why this "Man" is such a great friend of mine...
Well, when they say that He's "upstairs", they're right. But more importantly, He came downstairs to walk among us, then went back upstairs. He lived here for just a little while. One of His best friends on earth said, "The Word [another name for this Man] became flesh, and dwelt among us..." (John 1:14). But why, if He had such a beautiful home upstairs, did He come and live down here?
Here's the cool part: in His own words, He came "to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10). That's us! He came downstairs for us! How amazing is that? Part of seeking and saving the lost was the requirement of Him dying. Yikes... But He knew that was going to happen. He told His closest friends that He "...must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, and the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed... and after three days, rise again." You see, He knew that He was going to live again after He died!
Hebrews 12:2 says, "...For the joy that was set before Him, [He] endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." He did it for joy, and, dare I say, both His and ours! Shortly before He died, He prayed, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, since you have given Him all authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." He came to bring eternal life, but it's only through knowing Him.
The Man's name is Jesus Christ. You see, the man upstairs might just be what you call your landlord, your boss, or just the grumpy old man that lives upstairs. But Jesus Christ is our friend, our savior. He wants to be known by us, and He wants us to love Him as we love our closest friends and family—even more than them!
I hope that if you know "The Man Upstairs," you will introduce everyone you know to Him. Next time you hear someone talk about "The Man Upstairs," make sure they know who He really is!
—John Raz
John Raz is a diabetic who enjoys writing, playing guitar, and photography. He rarely knows what to put in his own bio because he's not good at talking about himself, but he would love to talk to you about Christ!
