John 1:1-18, Special Revelation (4)

As we think about God speaking through His Son, note that God often spoke through historical events.  We don’t mean sending rain on the just and unjust, or placing men within national boundaries; these are General Revelation.  Two things distinguish SR from GR: SR is redemptive (all His works contribute to the story of redemption), and SR is usually miraculous.  To illustrate, consider the judgment of the flood and the salvation of Noah (Gen. 6-8), the destruction of Sodom and preservation of Lot (Gen. 19), the burning bush, plagues, cloud and fire and the other aspects of the Exodus (Ex. 3-15), and Israel’s entrance into Canaan (Joshua). 

The prophets also brought God’s speaking and future “historical events” together.  One of Ezekiel’s favorite phrases is, “then you/they will know” (43 times).  For example, in Ezek. 17 the prophet predicts the coming Babylonian victory in Jerusalem.  He says “thus says the LORD” (v1,3,9,11).  Then he states that when Jerusalem falls “you will know that I the LORD have spoken.”

When it comes to God’s condescension, miracles, and “historical event,” the greatest of all is the Incarnation.  God appeared many times in the OT.  But none of those were as loud and detailed a message as the event in which God Himself came to earth (John 1:1,14: the Word was God; the Word became flesh.)  He took on the form of a man (Phil. 2:5-8).  That is why we can say, that everything Jesus said, felt, did was the revealing of God.  Everything!

Rene Pache said it this way: "All of the preceding communications were only indirect and fragmentary...Jesus Christ is God incarnate, the eternal Word made flesh. He does not simply bring us a new revelation; He is Himself this revelation."

Furthermore, Christ is both the “revelator” (Mt.11:27: no one knows Father but those to whom Son reveals him) and the revelation (Lk.2:32: a light for revelation to the Gentiles).

There are several important passages on this in the NT.  Let’s consider today’s passage for reading.  John’s “prologue” tells us so many critical truths about Christ.  Consider each of these as we seek to see how it is that the Son could be the complete and perfect revelation of God.

·       v1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  Jesus is called the “Word,” a title that is all about “communication.” 

·       v2: He was with God in the beginning.  There has never been a time that the Son, the Word, was not with God the Father.

·       v3: All things were made by Him.  He is the Word by which God spoke all things into existence,

·       v4: In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.  He is the light within men that is shed on that which God reveals.

·       v5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.  The revelation of God in Christ was to the whole world.  It is the darkness of the world (sin nature) that keeps men from comprehending Christ’s revelation.

·       v14: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  Christ was fully man.  Yet, He revealed His glory (only God has glory) throughout His life and John, the apostle, says he and the other witnesses of Christ’s resurrection saw this revealing of glory.

·       v18: No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.  Jesus Christ is the only one in all history that is capable of revealing God, because He alone is one with the Father.