To ask the question, “Is God male or female?” is like asking if God is left- or right-handed. Or if his first language is Spanish or English. The questions are irrelevant, because God is not confined by our humanity. God created us in his image, but he is unlike us in many, many ways. True, he took on the form of a male when he came to earth as Jesus, but God does not exist as a material or physical being. So in that sense he is neither male nor female as we know the human sexes.
In Scripture, God has chosen to create and use imagery of himself that is both masculine and feminine. Throughout the Bible God primarily characterizes himself in masculine terms. He refers to himself as Father and Jesus as the Son of God. Yet Jesus spoke of himself in feminine imagery when he said, “How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me” (Matthew 23:37).
So while God is neither male nor female, he relates to us as men and women equally, for he loves us equally and has made provision for us all to be in relationship with him. What an awesome God!
Question: How has your relationship with your own dad deepened or hindered your relationship with God the Father?
Question: When you visualize God, what do you think he looks like?
Content adapted from Josh and Sean McDowell’s book, 77 FAQs about God and the Bible.
