INTRODUCTION
Does God have a “face”? Well, yes and no. A physical face He does not have, for God is spirit (John 4:23-24. However, “face” is used in the Bible as way of attributing to Him certain characteristics we can understand. A right relationship with God is expressed by the figure of God “turning his face” toward His people, or being seen (Psalm 17:5; Num. 6:22-27) His “face” is against those who do evil (Psalm 34:15; Rev. 6:15-17; 1 Pet. 3:10-12). The righteous man will “see his face” (Psalm 11:7; Rev. 22:4). “Face to face” with God denotes intimacy and understanding. (THis was taken from some cliffings which I can’t recall the source.)
I. GOD CAME TO US THROUGH HIS SON, 14-15
A. By becoming like us (And the Word became flesh…)
B. By living with us (we beheld his glory…)
• Tabernacled among us (explain the Tabernacle in OT)
• Human beings cannot meet God “face to face” or “cannot see God’s face”, that is in direct and full experience of Him (Exodus 33:20) but the “Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
• In Jesus, we come face to face with God in His glory (John 14:9)
II. GOD BLESSES US THROUGH HIS SON, 16-17
A. By sharing His fullness to us, 16
• By letting to experience His fullness in meeting Jesus
• God curses that that sins. His face is against him. He will not experience or receive God blessings.
• But through Jesus, by his death on the cross he took away our sins and curses.
• With His fullness we are no longer short of the glory of God, therefore we can now enter God’s presence and his kingdom.
And that is…
B. By revealing the system of grace and of truth to us
Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ - A system of religion full of favors, and the “true” system, was revealed by him. The old system was one of “law,” and “shadows,” and “burdensome rites;” “this” was full of mercy to mankind, and was true in all things. We may learn from these verses:
1. That all our mercies come from Jesus Christ.
2. “All true believers receive from Christ’s fullness; the best and greatest saints cannot live without him, the meanest and weakest may live by him. This excludes proud boasting that we have nothing but ‘we have received it,’ and silenceth perplexing fears that we want nothing but ‘we may receive it.’” (Albert Barnes Notes on the Bible)
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III. GOD REVEALS HIMSELF THROUGH HIS SON, 18
A. By accepting His Son’s position (Begotten Son)
• Being the begotten of God, He is the only person who has a very close intimacy with God. He knows the Father fully, without any shade of error.
B. By believing His Son’s declaration (that One declares Him—pagpapakilala sa Ama)
• He is the most superior revelator of God.
• He knew the Father intimately and completely, and was therefore fitted to make a fuller manifestation of him. See John 5:37; John 6:46; 1John 4:12; Exodus 33:20; John 14:9.
CONCLUSION
In Jesus, we come face to face with God in His glory—we see the Father in all His glory through Jesus, His one and only Son. If you want to see the Father, you need to come to Jesus. You need to confess you are a sinner in need of a Savior. You need to repent and ask forgiveness. Then, accept Jesus in your heart to have His dwelling there as your Savior and Lord.
