0667. Christ Interpreted the Character of the Father

Christ Interpreted the Character of the Father

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (Joh_1:14).

Jesus Christ manifested the character of God because He was God incarnate. He was also God begotten. The nature begotten was a holy nature, and therefore it manifested the character of God. The angel said to Mary: "That holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God."

It might be well to compare briefly, the first Adam with the Last Adam:–

THE FIRST ADAM WAS THE LAST ADAM WAS

Created Creator

From beneath From above

A living soul A life-giving spirit

Through the first Adam, death reigned; through the Last Adam, life reigned. The first Adam was never more than a faint shadow of God; the Last Adam was the express image of God. Jesus Christ, manifested the light of the Father, in that He also was light. "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not" (Joh_1:4-5).

Jesus Christ manifested holiness of the Father because He also was sinless. "He was the Lamb without blemish and without spot" (1Pe_1:19).

"Who knew no sin" (2Co_5:21).

"Who did no sin" (1Pe_2:22).

Jesus Christ could look squarely into the face of His enemies and say: "Which of you convinceth Me of sin?" (Joh_8:46).

There is no wonder that men refused Him, for men could not bear the light of His spotless holiness.

Illustration: If you will go out into your yard in the springtime, and pick up a board that has been lying there for a long time, you will find multitudes of insects running in all directions for cover. Why? They cannot endure the light. So it was on earth. The holiness of Christ was a standing rebuke to the sinful deeds of man.

No man at any time hath seen

Our God Who dwells in light,

In glory unapproachable

In sparkling radiance bright.

Yet, in the fullness of the times,

God’s Son was manifest,

Forthshining all the Father’s might,

And with His glory dressed.

Christ came the Father to declare,

His virtues all to show,

That men might grasp the Father’s love,

And all His heart beats know.

In all things Christ interpreted,

Told out the Father’s grace;

‘Twas thus the ones who saw the Lord,

Saw too, the Father’s face.

Christ did just what the Father did,

He spake what He had heard;

His will was God the Father’s will,

His Word, the Father’s Word.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR