“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.”
John 1:18
How can you really know something exists if you’ve never actually seen it? If someone gives you evidence, like a picture, maybe that would be enough to believe it. A video may be even better. Otherwise, it’s hard to believe. It would require faith – that is believing something without being able to tangibly prove it. It’s the basis of Christianity. Faith is required because we cannot see God. No one can take his photo or snap a quick video of him. It makes it difficult to believe sometimes, and it’s why so many people in the world don’t have faith.
For a long time, during the Old Testament times, God’s word was revealed by prophets. His people received signs and instructions through them. This was the closest thing to “proof” of God until Jesus. But as John writes in today’s verse, Jesus came to earth and made the Father known. We still haven’t seen God, but in a way, you could say we got a photograph. While Jesus was God himself, he was God in human form. He lived on this earth among mankind for over 30 years, all the while teaching and fulfilling the words of the law and the prophets.
I say that Jesus is like our photograph of God because, though it’s not an actualy picture, we have a historical record of Jesus’ ministry on earth through the gospels. God made himself known to humanity and offered us a relationship with him through Jesus. The people alive in that time saw it themselves, and luckily they passed it on to us. Through these records, we know about Jesus’ life and his message of redemption. Through Jesus we see a reflection of God the Father. We see the love he has for us, the mercy he’s willing to give, and his disdain for sin.
Jesus’ life was meant to serve many purposes. First and most importantly, his life was spent to save mankind. Additionally, his life served as an example for our own. His life was full of teaching, to help us learn and grow. And of course, his life is the lens through which we may see God.
Prayer:
Father,
Thank you for revealing yourself to us through your son, Jesus. I pray that we will look to him and his life as we seek a relationship with you. Thank you for the scripture that you’ve preserved for our good, that we may know you more.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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