Knowing is more than being introduced...

Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?” (John 7:25–31)

In the past few days I’ve heard some unusual statements about the identity of Jesus. In a European country, a Christian told a resident about Him and heard this: “Who is Jesus? Is he a friend of yours?” This person had no knowledge of Him at all.

Another person on a social media site said Jesus is the true God that everyone should worship Him and not Jehovah. He had no idea of the deity of Christ and that He is Jehovah who came in human flesh to save us from our sin.

Many think that this name is just a swear word. They also do not realize the truth of His claim: 

“I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.” They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” (John 8:18–19). . . .  But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:55–58). . . .  I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)

He told them if they did not believe His words, then believe His deeds, but that didn’t convince them either. This is one reason that I believe the identity of Jesus must be revealed by God to the human heart and mind. Otherwise, we don’t get it, at least not in a way that changes our destiny. This is why God says:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9)

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Luke 10:22)

These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. (1 Corinthians 2:10)

The Holy Spirit searches me too. Many times I’ve not realized reasons for my problems, or the puzzles of life, but in seeking Christ, the answers are revealed, mostly in the Bible, sometimes through others, even the odd time in dreams. Key is to keep looking and being open to what God says.

Jesus, You know everything. You are God in human flesh, God who can answer all my problems and meet all my needs. You know what it is like to be human, but without sin. I marvel that Your goal is to transform me to be like You. This can mean being misunderstood, even rejected, yet what a glorious hope. You revealed who You are to me, and that means no turning back or forgetting who You are. Praise Your holy Name! Amen!

 

Seeing His Glory

The biblical test for a prophet is strict. If they claim what they say is from God and it does not come to pass or winds up being false, then that person is a false prophet. Only true prophets are 100% all the time. This is important. The Scriptures claim to be revealed to us from God. Those who misread them can find seeming contradictions but even the ability to understand what God is saying comes from God. If He does not reveal truth, I could read the Bible over and over (and did for many years) and not have a clue what God is telling me.

In the OT, the words translated REVEAL are used several hundred times, some of them for when God reveals Himself or what He plans to do. He did this in several ways, including through dreams. When the Pharaoh of Egypt had a dream, Joseph was called to interpret it. In Genesis 41:25, Joseph said, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do.”

Most of His revelations helped God’s people understand His will: Deuteronomy 29:29: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

1 Samuel 9:15–16. Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel: “Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel. He shall save my people from the hand of the Philistines. For I have seen my people, because their cry has come to me.”

The most important revelation in both OT and NT is that God revealed Himself and His salvation plan to humanity. The psalmist speaks as if it had already been done:

Psalm 98:2–3. The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

The prophet declared about preparations made — a highway in the desert — for the coming of Jesus, speaking about a future revelation of God to the world:

Isaiah 40:5. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” and Isaiah 56:1. Thus says the Lord: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness be revealed.”

Daniel 2:22;28. Also says, “He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him” and “There is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries . . . .”

In the NT, Jesus is God’s ultimate revelation of Himself. All that He did and said reveals God as Hebrews 1:1–3 says:

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Jesus understood that the power of God to reveal truth was vital in His salvation plan. He said in Matthew 11:25, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children” and in Luke 10:22, “All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Even His disciple were clueless without revelation from God. John 21:1 says, “After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way . . . .” and this is verified again by 1 Corinthians 2:10: “These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.” This passage later adds, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

This is why Paul says God “was pleased to reveal his Son to me” and encourages us that if we were not mature and need to think differently, “God will reveal that also to you.”

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. All revelation comes from God. He can use thoughts, dreams, or other people, but verification is through His Word. For that reason, I gaze at its pages and ask Him every morning to reveal His glory that I otherwise would never be able to see.

 

What happens when I obey God?

In “Moving Mountains” author John Eldredge says that there is a way that all things work. After using several examples, he applies this to prayer. I am reading several other books on prayer and his thoughts tie in with the principles presented by the other authors.

For instance, one of them uses Scripture to point to the way I can hinder God’s answers to my prayers. Prayer works in surprising ways, but usually not when I am harboring sin and refusing to give it up.

Chambers’ subject for today is the way God works to reveal His nature. He points specifically to our obedience as His method, but I’m not sure this can be dogmatically stated, even using the passage he selected . . .

And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” (Genesis 22:15–18)

God had already revealed to Abraham that He could be trusted. Otherwise Abraham never would have obeyed the command to sacrifice his only son. This man knew the promises of God and that He is faithful to keep them. God promised that through the boy Isaac the nations of the earth would be blessed. Abraham believed Him and God confirmed Abraham’s faith after stopping the sacrifice.

He blessed this man and in this situation and this time, His blessing came through obedience. However, the whole earth has been blessed through the sacrifice of another “only Son” and for an entirely different reason: not one person was being obedient! In that most remarkable event, God revealed Himself and His great love without anyone doing anything to deserve it: “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

Sometimes God’s blessing comes through answered prayer: “You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.” (2 Corinthians 1:11)

Sometimes God’s blessing comes through faith: “In Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:14)

Sometimes God’s blessing comes because of repentance: “For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.” (Hebrews 12:17)

Yet forgiveness, salvation and eternal life, which are the greatest blessings, are neither earned nor deserved. We cannot do anything to make this happen: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8–9)

As for the revelation of God to me through obedience, sometimes I become more aware of what He is like by obeying Him, but not always. He takes great care that I am not operating on a ‘do this and be rewarded’ basis. Obedience is an act of faith and love, not a carrot on a stick or a game of hide and seek.

Instead, I believe God reveals Himself to me so I am able to obey Him: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29)

The reality is, God makes the decisions. Obey or not, He reveals Himself according to His choice, just as Jesus said: “All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Luke 10:22)

It is never wrong to obey God, but I cannot determine whether He will bless my obedience by revealing more of who He is — He may say “Well done” or He may not say anything at all.