The Father Revealed
“No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known.”
John 1:18
For many believers, there is an unspoken struggle in the heart. We feel at ease with Jesus. He is gentle and approachable. We imagine Him sitting with sinners, healing the sick, speaking peace over storms and shame alike. But when we think of the Father, something shifts. He feels distant. Unmoved. Stern. Almost... disappointed.
We may never say it aloud, but we live as if the Father is the angry one and Jesus is the one who steps in to soften Him. As if Jesus talks the Father into loving us, into forgiving us, into holding back His wrath. But John puts that idea to rest in a single sentence.
“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son... has made Him known.”
Jesus didn’t just come to rescue us. He came to reveal the Father.
“He is the image of the invisible God.”
Colossians 1:15
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact representation of His nature.” Hebrews 1:3
You want to know what the Father is like? Look at Jesus. He is not a different version of God. He is not the gentle counterpart to a harsher divine personality. He is the image of the invisible God. The exact representation of His nature. To see Jesus is to see the Father.
When Jesus heals the leper, that is the Father’s heart on display. When He weeps at Lazarus’ tomb, that is the Father’s compassion. When He draws near to the broken, welcomes children, and dines with sinners, He is not acting apart from the Father. He is revealing Him.
So do not be afraid of God.
He is not distant. He is not moody. He is not waiting to strike. He sent the Son not because He had to, but because He wanted to. It was the Father’s plan to rescue you. It was the Father’s heart that initiated salvation. It was the Father who loved the world so much that He gave His only Son.
Jesus did not talk the Father into loving you. The Father sent Jesus to prove that He already does. That means you do not have to tiptoe around God. You can come boldly. You can confess honestly. You can pray confidently. Because when you approach the Father, you are coming to the same God who stooped to wash His disciples’ feet, who embraced the prodigal, who hung on a cross and said, “Father, forgive them.”
There is no division between Jesus and the Father. They are one. And they are united in love for you.
John 1:18
For many believers, there is an unspoken struggle in the heart. We feel at ease with Jesus. He is gentle and approachable. We imagine Him sitting with sinners, healing the sick, speaking peace over storms and shame alike. But when we think of the Father, something shifts. He feels distant. Unmoved. Stern. Almost... disappointed.
We may never say it aloud, but we live as if the Father is the angry one and Jesus is the one who steps in to soften Him. As if Jesus talks the Father into loving us, into forgiving us, into holding back His wrath. But John puts that idea to rest in a single sentence.
“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son... has made Him known.”
Jesus didn’t just come to rescue us. He came to reveal the Father.
“He is the image of the invisible God.”
Colossians 1:15
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact representation of His nature.” Hebrews 1:3
You want to know what the Father is like? Look at Jesus. He is not a different version of God. He is not the gentle counterpart to a harsher divine personality. He is the image of the invisible God. The exact representation of His nature. To see Jesus is to see the Father.
When Jesus heals the leper, that is the Father’s heart on display. When He weeps at Lazarus’ tomb, that is the Father’s compassion. When He draws near to the broken, welcomes children, and dines with sinners, He is not acting apart from the Father. He is revealing Him.
So do not be afraid of God.
He is not distant. He is not moody. He is not waiting to strike. He sent the Son not because He had to, but because He wanted to. It was the Father’s plan to rescue you. It was the Father’s heart that initiated salvation. It was the Father who loved the world so much that He gave His only Son.
Jesus did not talk the Father into loving you. The Father sent Jesus to prove that He already does. That means you do not have to tiptoe around God. You can come boldly. You can confess honestly. You can pray confidently. Because when you approach the Father, you are coming to the same God who stooped to wash His disciples’ feet, who embraced the prodigal, who hung on a cross and said, “Father, forgive them.”
There is no division between Jesus and the Father. They are one. And they are united in love for you.
Posted in The Word Made Flesh
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