Passage: John 1:14, 16-18
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
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And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
Community: Pray for God to prepare buildings for us to meet in and to live in, and people for us to befriend, serve and serve with.
Sometimes I forget that one of the main reasons that Jesus came is so we could know the Father more. It comes out in verse 18 in this week's passage: no one has ever seen God, but Jesus has made him known to us. The way I see it, he did this in two major ways.
ReplyDeleteFirst, Jesus' character, words and actions reflect the Father's heart. By reading the New Testament, especially the gospels, and encountering Jesus as our friend in prayer and relationship, we learn what the Father is like.
Second, he died for forgiveness of sins so we, as sinners made holy, can come into the presence of the Father ourselves. This is huge. John 17:4 says "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God." And in John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus is the way to the Father, and knowing the Father is the point. This week, I've been struck by the Father's patience with me. He lets me learn lessons and come running back to him, and he's always there, ready to pick up right where we last left off.