HE HAS DECLARED HIM

Jn.1:18 – No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

This is one of the most powerful verses in all of the scriptures. In it we see the mystery of the deity and the Sonship of Jesus Christ, impossible to comprehend, we can catch a taste of this truth only by divine revelation. This passage goes on to describe how God is revealed or declared in Jesus Christ. The word John used means to rehearse, unfold, narrate, or declare. In other words the Father is seen through the life, actions, miracles and teachings of Christ. Jesus is the revelation or the radiance of the Father. We see His power and creativity in His miracles, the Father’s wisdom in His teaching, and His compassion in His works of healing. As Jesus Himself declared, “If you have seen Me you have seen the Father”. Here is how the CHRIST CENTERED EXPOSITORY COMMENTARY describes this verse.

“One could not think of the tabernacle in the OT without being reminded of the glory of God. As Israel marched through the wilderness on the way to the promised land, the glory of the Lord appearing like a cloud went with them, regularly descending on the tabernacle. In the Old Testament the glory of the Lord was the “visible manifestation of the excellence of God’s character”. In other words, the glory of God was the greatness of God seen visibly. When Jews looked at the tabernacle, they would see a partial and incomplete picture of the glory of God (this visible display of his goodness, greatness, and holiness) emanating from it. John’s point in verse 14 is that when Jesus came to earth as a man to dwell with men, the glory of God was seen in its fullness.”

In Christ we see the Father’s mercy and love for fallen man. From His birth in an animal’s feeding trough to His death on the cross replacing Barrabbas, the life and death of Jesus displays His love for fallen man. He displayed God’s power by calming the storms, His authority by casting out demons, His power over death by raising the dead, and His mercy by forgiving the worst of sins. Jesus displayed His ultimate conquest of death when He was raised up from the dead and today He still declares the greatness and goodness of God as He prays for us at the father’s right hand. Take another look at Jesus, He is still declaring the greatness and goodness of our Father.