Throughout the Gospels, Jesus makes it clear that people only recognize Him as the Messiah if the Father has revealed it to them, but in John 17:25-26, Jesus makes a different statement as He prays:
25"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
So, I kind of see it like this: upon profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the Father has revealed the identity of the Son, and the individual is justified; and through sanctification, the Holy Spirit guides the individual into all truth as Jesus continuously reveals the Father to the individual.
In John 18, the switch occurs where Jesus allows Himself to be subjected to the hard-hearted wickedness of the Jewish leaders. It always drives me nuts when I read this part of scripture because so many injustices occur.
One of the really fascinating "coincidences" of today's reading was Jesus's identity statements in John 18:5 and Revelation 22:13 and 16.
John 18:5 - "I AM" (clearly a direct reference to God's Old Testament Name.
Revelation 22:13 - Alpha and Omega, First and Last, Beginning and End
Revelation 22:16 - Root and offspring of David, Bright Morning Star
Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for revealing the identity of the Son. Jesus, thank you for continuously showing me more of Who the Father Is. Jesus, I thank you for following the Father's plan and submitting to the wickedness of man. Jesus, I praise you for being "very God," Creator and Completer, and my Bright Morning Star. How I eagerly hope for the day when I will see you face to face, and I will drink the water of life. "Amen. Come Lord Jesus."
No comments:
Post a Comment