“No one has ever seen God. The only one, himself God, who is in closest fellowship with the Father, has made God known.” —John 1:18
Jesus came to make God known to humanity. No one has ever seen God, for God has said,
“You cannot see my face, for no one can see me and live” —Exodus 33:20.
I am reminded of Moses who, while journeying here on this earth, most certainly had an intimate fellowship with God. Yet he still had a desire to see God’s glory—for God to somehow make His glory visible.
“And Moses said, ‘Show me your glory.’ And the LORD said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before your face, and I will proclaim the LORD by name before you; I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy.’ But he added, ‘You cannot see my face, for no one can see me and live.’ The LORD said, ‘Here is a place by me; you will station yourself on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and will cover you with my hand while I pass by. Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back, but my face must not be seen.’” —Exodus 33:18–23
God denied that which was not fit to be granted—fleshly eyes cannot bear to behold the pureness and holiness of God’s full glory. Yet, God was gracious to His servant Moses. Notice the place where God in His compassion told Moses to stand: on a rock. Notice where He mercifully puts Moses as He passes by: in the cleft of that rock. That rock signifies Christ and it is only through Christ that we have the knowledge of the glory of God.
Jesus himself said:
“All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides to reveal him.” —Matthew 11:27
“No that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God—he has seen the Father.” —John 6:46
Our God is so totally other. It is impossible for mere flesh to get our minds around this concept! Christ came to demonstrate for us the qualities and attributes of God—to give us a clearer view of His love and mercy and compassion.
“A full discovery of the glory of God would quite overpower the faculties of any mortal man in this present state, and overwhelm him, even Moses himself. There is a knowledge and enjoyment of God which must be waited for in another world, when we shall see Him as He is. In the meantime let us adore the height of what we do know of God, and the depth of what we do not know.” —Matthew Henry
Just as God caused His goodness to pass in front of Moses, Jesus, fully God and fully man, came to flesh out God’s goodness to man. Filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control and robed in righteousness, compassion and humility, Jesus makes God known allowing man the glimmer of the unapproachable light.
Become More
Just as Jesus was sent for our benefit, believers in Him are sent for the benefit of the lost. Equipped with the power of His Spirit, we are to be His ambassadors—sharing the good news of Jesus with a needy world. Jesus tells us:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” —Matthew 28:18–20
The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians:
“For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing—to the latter an odor from death to death, but to the former a fragrance from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?” —2 Corinthians 2:15–16
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, each one of us is up to the task of making Jesus known to others.
“Every Christian life ought to be a force among men, a witness for Jesus and an influence for blessing and good. I know that there are few people like Billy Graham, whom God calls to do great things for Him. For men like me, and perhaps you, the best thing that we can do in the small time allotted to us in this world is to live out a genuine, simple, beautiful, strong Christian life. In our little measure we can repeat the life of the Lord himself, doing in our imperfect way a few of the wonderful things He would do if He were himself in our place.” —Wales Goebel
Further Reflections
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how unfathomable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has first given to God, that God needs to repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen.” —Romans 11:33–36
“Character in a saint means the disposition of Jesus Christ persistently manifested.” —Oswald Chambers
“Every hour we make decisions on whether or not to be to others what Christ has been to us.” —Wales Goebel