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Christ the Revelation of God, January 12
For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and
have believed that I came out from God.
John 16:27
.
In viewing the holiness and glory of the God of the universe, we are
terrified, for we know that His justice will not permit Him to clear the
guilty. But we need not remain in terror; for Christ came to the world to
reveal the character of God, to make plain to us His paternal love toward
His adopted children. We are not to estimate the character of God by
the stupendous works of nature alone, but by the simple, lovely life of
Jesus, who presented Jehovah as more merciful, more compassionate,
more tender, than our earthly parents.
Jesus presented the Father as one to whom we could give our confi-
dence and present our wants. When we are in terror of God, and over-
whelmed with the thought of His glory and majesty, the Father points
us to Christ as His representative. What you see revealed in Jesus, of
tenderness, compassion, and love, is the reflection of the attributes of
the Father. The cross of Calvary reveals to man the love of God. Christ
represents the Sovereign of the universe as a God of love. By the mouth of
the prophet He said, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore
with loving-kindness have I drawn thee” (
Jeremiah 31:3
).
We have access to God through the merits of the name of Christ,
and God invites us to bring to Him our trials and temptations; for He
understands them all. He would not have us pour out our woes to human
ears. Through the blood of Christ we may come to the throne of grace and
find grace to help in time of need. We may come with assurance, saying,
“My acceptance is in the Beloved.” “For through him we both have access
by one Spirit unto the Father.” “In whom we have boldness and access
with confidence by the faith of him” (
Ephesians 2:18
;
Ephesians 3:12
).
As an earthly parent encourages his child to come to him at all times,
so the Lord encourages us to lay before Him our wants and perplexities,
our gratitude and love. Every promise is sure. Jesus is our Surety and
Mediator, and has placed at our command every resource, that we may
have a perfect character.
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