“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” John 1:18
Do you want to know God? Do you want to see the Father’s face? But how can sinful human beings like you and me know or see the almighty and holy God?
Moses saw the form of God and beheld His glory after the LORD passed by Him (Ex. 33:17-23; 34:5-8). God also spoke with Moses face to face (Num. 12:6-8). Yet, no man has ever seen God’s face (Ex. 33:20).
But Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who is in the bosom of the Father — being God Himself, one with the Father and the intimate companion of the Father — He has declared and revealed God the Father to us.
And so, do you want to know God the Father? Do you want to see Him as He really is? Look to Jesus, for He is God the Son in human flesh. He is in the bosom of the Father. To see and know Jesus is to see and know God the Father (cf. John 14:8ff.).
In Jesus, we see and know God’s great love for us sinners. God’s Word says to us: “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10); and, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).
Through the Word of God, we learn of Jesus. He died for our sins and rose again, removing the enmity between God and man caused by our disobedience to God’s holy commandments (cf. Col. 1:19-23; 2:9-15). Jesus took our punishment so that we might have forgiveness for all our sins and life eternal instead of condemnation and the eternal torments of hell.
When we look at Jesus as He is revealed to us in God’s Word, we see the great love of God the Father toward us sinners. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). When the paralyzed man was let down before Jesus, He said, “Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matt. 9:2). When the woman caught in the very act of adultery stood before Jesus, He told her, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more” (John 8:11).
Through the teaching of the Scriptures, we see God the Father sending His Son to die in our stead, bearing the just punishment for our sins. We see Him reaching out to us sinners through His Son, offering to us forgiveness and life in His name. We see Him desiring nothing more than that we would repent of our sinful ways and turn to Jesus for forgiveness and life! Cf. 2 Peter 3:9; Ezekiel 33:11; Matthew 23:37, Acts 3:19-21.
Do you want to know God? Do you want to see the Father’s face? Look to Jesus, for in Him the Father reaches down to us in love, provides atonement for our sins, and offers to us forgiveness and everlasting life through faith in Jesus’ name.
It is as Jesus said to His disciples in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
O God the Father, grant that we may see and know You through the Son, Jesus Christ, and place our trust in Him. In His name, we pray. Amen.
[Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.]