Words of Encouragement

Today’s blog may be a bit longer than usual. It's certainly taken me longer to write it.

I've been reading the Gospels over & over for a couple of years (so has my friend, Jerry), and now I’ve found myself parked in John 12-17 for some time. I’m not sure why – maybe this will explain.

Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature.
· Radiance of His glory – radiance, brightness, shining forth, luminary (apaugasma)
· Exact representation – the image, character, precise reproduction, stamped image (character)

In the Old Testament we witness the deeds and words of God in action with Israel. In the gospels we can watch the express image of Him walking with men day to day. With that in mind I read John 14:6-9

14:6 All who come to the Father must come through Me. This “coming” is present active of erchomai – the act of coming, as in contrast to hako – the arriving. In other words, finding the Father is a process that never ends, but the pathway is always through Jesus (no man comes … but through Me).

14:7 If you had known (egnokeite) Me you would have perceived (adeite) the Father. Both these are in the pluperfect. Pluperfect can be described as an action that happened in the past that affected something in the past or even in the present.

· A good illustration might be: “If you had saved for the last 20 years, you’d have a retirement today.” In other words, “If during the time we’ve been together, you had come to know Me, you would have already perceived the Father.” Jn 10:30 I and the Father are one (present indicative eimi).

14:8 Phillip asked “show us (deizon) the Father”

14:9 Jesus answers in the perfect tense – action that has permanence: lasting, maybe even eternal results. He says, "If you have seen me ..." or “If anyone has used discernment in observing Me, he has seen/discerned the Father.”

Jesus is making it clear that knowing the Father is predicated on knowing Jesus. If we want to know the Father we have to do it though knowing Jesus. This is why the Gospels are so cool.

How I see it:
· In the Old Testament we learn about the acts and character of God.
· In the Psalms we learn about how the man after God’s own heart & God related to one another.
· In the Epistles we learn about the Christian life – how to reckon, how to think, how to act.
· In the Gospels we learn about the person of God as revealed in Jesus Messiah

So the implication: If I want to know God – in depth / personally, I cannot get that today. It’s not like a download. It’s like an investment. I can have it in the future but I have to work on it today. To get it I must study the image of His nature, the luminary of His glory. The more I study Jesus, the more I’ll know the Father.

So, for me: Keep reading the Gospels. As I read, don’t just read what Jesus said and did, but learn Jesus. Learn the how and why of His actions, His character, His motivations, plans, way of living, way of loving.

This is why I’m drawn to the Gospels, because I’m being drawn to the person of God. As I study the Gospels I learn the Person, the Path, the Life. I believe that as I learn the Epistles I learn how to think and how to live, but if I learn Jesus in the Gospels, I learn life, I receive life. You want the life, John? He’s it. Not knowing about Him, but knowing Him. Receive it. Live it. Give it.