We have seen his glory
We have seen his glory
The PROCLAMATION of Jesus as the REVEALER who manifested God and preached the gospel of eternal life.
We now return to the three opening verses of John chapter one. In this lesson we think of Jesus as "the Word". This title for Jesus seems a little strange, and has an air of mystery about it. But the very name suggests, as we shall see, that Jesus was the one who explained the greatest mystery of all, and bore witness to its truth.
There are five terms in the introduction above, which help us to understand Jesus as the Word. These terms are: Explainer, Revealer, Witness, Proclaimer, Manifester. Their meanings overlap, of course, but nevertheless it will be helpful to take them one at a time.
It isn't easy trying to understand God. But it would be so much more difficult if God had not become one of us, and lived among us, explaining himself to us through his own human lips and life. John wrote,
"No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained him" (Jhn 1:18).
We may think of Jesus as the Word of explanation --not only in his teachings, but in the way he lived. In Jesus we find the best explanation of the nature and wisdom of God, and of our own right relationship with God.
The R in GLORY stands for REVEALER. There were things that were once veiled in mystery that have now been revealed through Jesus. He is the Word in the sense that he brings to us the word of revelation from God.
Paul describes what Jesus Christ proclaimed (and what is proclaimed about him) as "the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began, but now has been made manifest..." (Rom 16:26).
The early Christians and their apostles were very conscious that they had been blessed with a new knowledge and understanding that God's people had long awaited, "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants..." (Revelation 1:1)
Peter says that the prophets of old "enquired and searched diligently" to understand the things of which they prophesied. Even "angels desired to look into" these things, but did not understand. Today, through the Spirit sent by Jesus, the past mystery has been disclosed. The essence of that revelation is "the sufferings of Jesus and the glories that would follow" (1Pe 1:11) .
We may think of Jesus as the Word of revelation through whom the world's greatest mystery, the eternal purpose of God, is now a mystery no longer.
Jesus claimed to be an eyewitness of what he has told us. "As my Father taught me, I speak these things... I speak what I have seen with my Father" (Jhn 8:28,38) .
For a testimony to be made a basis for judgment, it must be given by two or three witnesses, and the Father's clear witness has backed up the testimony of the Son (Jhn 8:18 Luke 3:22) .
Who could speak on earth with higher authority and surety than The Word who was in the beginning with God (Jhn 1:1) ? No wonder he often used the expression, "Truly, truly, I say to you..."
We may think of Jesus as the Word of witness who declares to us what he has seen in the bosom of his Father in glory.
Part 2, Jesus the Proclaimer and Manifester