The Revealing | We Have Seen His Glory Series

THE WORD BECAME FLESH | BIBLICAL CHRISTOLOGY FOR CHRISTMAS

THE REVEALING – WE HAVE SEEN HIS GLORY

JOHN 1:14c

[INTRODUCTION]

- It has been said, (and I believe, correctly said), that the best of men are men at best. Think about some of the great men and women of history. What names come to mind? If we were to look at American history we might think of names such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, or Abraham Lincoln. World history might yield names such as Julius Caesar or Alexander the Great. The philosopher among us might think of Aristotle, Plato, or Socrates. Biblical history would no doubt bring to mind Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, and Paul.

- Some of those men we would greatly admire; others we may not. Some knew the grace and favor of God and are no doubt living with him in glory; others surely are not. Some were great warriors, others great thinkers. They were all great in some sense, but they were all men in every sense. The best of men are men at best.

- There is one historical figure, however, that breaks this mold for us. There is one man who, we believe, was more than a man. It is, of course, Jesus of Nazareth. We call him today: Jesus Christ; Jesus the Messiah.

- Why do we believe that he was and is more than a man? Because of the testimony of Scripture concerning him. If the words we read in this book are true, the man we call Jesus was not a man at best. If, as we have been studying, Jesus is the λόγος of God (the Word of God), who became flesh and dwelt among us, then we are dealing with a man who was the human manifestation of God. We are dealing with a person who reveals God to the world, because he is both God and man. Here again is what John says:

[READ JOHN 1:14]

- Since we believe the words of this book are true, we believe exactly that about Jesus: he reveals God to us, because along with being truly human, he is God. Listen to the words of John just a few verses later in 1:18: No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. In the person of Jesus, God is made known to his creatures. Now the questions I want us to answer today are this: What about God does he reveal to us? And how does he reveal it?

- The answer to that first question is found in the words of the latter part of 1:14: and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. Let me simplify that for you. The Word became a human and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, glory that shows us he is the only Son from the Father. So what about God does Jesus reveal to us? Among other things, he reveals God’s glory to us; and he does so in such a way that he shows us that he has come straight from God; and is, in fact, God.

- I want to look at three ways, from Scripture as a whole, that Jesus reveals different aspects of God’s glory to us. And I want to do this in sort of a big picture format as we wrap up our look at John 1:14. These are by no means exhaustive, but are chosen with the season in mind. So, appropriately, here is the first way:

[WE HAVE SEEN THE GLORY OF GOD’S LOVE IN CHRIST’S BIRTH]

- The birth of Jesus Christ, which entailed the God of the universe coming down to be a human being, reveals so many things about God. It reveals that God is self-sacrificial. The God of the universe had no need to experience human pain, or sorrow, or weakness. Yet he subjected himself to those things by coming to this world.

- It reveals that God is humble – which is amazing when that is seen in light of his perfection. God is the only being in the universe who is right to glorify himself. And this he does; yet he also humbles himself to the point of becoming a man and dying on a cross.

- It reveals that God is concerned with having a relationship with his creation. He doesn’t just want to wipe us from existence, even though that’s what we deserve. And if there is one word that sums all of those things up, I think it is this: love. The birth of Jesus shows us the love of God.

- Galatians 4:4-5 says: when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.