Morning Thought 2

John 1:17-18, "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."

This morning, we visit one of my favorite subjects in all of inspired Scripture: the eternal Sonship of Jesus Christ. When considering what the world thinks of our Dear Redeemer, one might wonder how they can begin to call Him just "a good man" that has "some
good life lessons." If one came to you declaring to be something that he is not, would you likely consider him a good man that was telling you good things to live by? John's gospel account is unique in that it declares the eternal aspects of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Many phrases in John's account tell us that Christ is one with the Father (John 10:30) and that Christ was before Abraham (John 8:58). John further describes Jesus as David's root AND offspring. (Revelation 22:16) So, if Christ has a being before David, Abraham, and is one with the Father, we must
conclude that He is eternal and the Lord of glory. Now, knowing that He is both eternal and God's only begotten Son, let us see some of the things that qualifies Him for while walking this earth.
There is a large distinction to make between the Son of God and Son of man in reference to our Lord and Master. As God's Son, He is timeless and without a beginning of days or end of life. However, as the Son of man, there was a start, which we understand to be the incarnation some 2000 years ago. So, the Son's divinity is eternal, but His humanity began at the conception in the womb of the virgin Mary when the body that was prepared came into fashion. Knowing this distinction, we avoid the error that comes in thinking that Christ was just a man (or that He laid aside His divinity), but we also avoid the error that Christ was not a man at all but just "looked" like one (had a figurative body). The fact remains that His glory (not divinity) was laid aside, and the form that He took was literal flesh and blood (sin excepted).
So, as a man, He is acquainted with our grief and sorrows, but as the eternal Son of God, we find that He has a testimony that none else have. John, in opening his gospel account, not only declares the timelessness of the Son of God (also known as the Word of God), but he also puts notable characters next to Christ to show forth His superiority. The first one mentioned is John the Baptist, but John also declares the superiority of Christ to Moses. What is interesting is that John's discussion of Christ's superiority (in relation to His Sonship) is that He supersedes their most notable characteristics. We will look at verse 18,
and then back our way into verse 17 in the parallel discussion between Moses and Christ.
Since Christ is the eternal Son of God (only begotten of Him), He is qualified to testify to things that He has both seen and heard in the heavenly portals. He tells Nicodemus later in John 3 that His witness is true as He declares literal things that He has beheld. Now, what does Christ testify to? He testifies that He has seen God and that He is God. John declares that the Son is in the bosom of the Father (closest form of fellowship that our tongues could describe). Therefore, the fact that Christ has seen God, has fellowship with the Father, and testifies of the reality of heaven, there should be no doubtful disputations as to His testimony and what He declares. Now, one might say, "I thought Moses could say that he had seen God. Does not Moses have this right?"
John plainly declares that no man (save Jesus) could
make such a claim. Now, we read in the Old Testament that Moses was granted a special blessing. God told Moses that his request to see God's face could not be honoured without Moses' life ending at the sight. So,
God put Moses in the cleft of the rock and put His hand over Moses as the glory of the Lord passed by. Then, Moses was able to view the hinder parts of God's glory (afterglow), which produced the effect of having Moses' face to shine. Later, we read that Moses spoke
with God face to face, but the language reads that the expression "face to face" was "as a man would speak with his friend." (Exodus 33:12-23, 34:29-35) So, even Moses did not see God in the sense that John describes Christ as the Son of God. Moses had fellowship with God as a man communes with his friend, but Christ abode in the bosom of the Father (closer fellowship).
Therefore, Christ as the eternal Son of God far outshines even Moses who beheld more of God's glory than any other man. But, also consider that another of Moses' qualities is outdone by Christ. We read in verse 17 that Moses was given the blessing and privilege of bringing the law unto the people. God blessed Moses to carry tablets that were written upon by the very finger of God. What a great blessing to be able to carry what God wrote upon. However, we read that this ministration (while glorious) was still the ministration of death. (II Corinthians 3) Even though it was a good law that God wrote, it was weak through the flesh. Due to this quandary, God sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. (Romans 8:3) So, if the law came by Moses, what came by Jesus Christ that ended our problems under the law?
Since the law would not admit of one flaw (fail in point - fail in all of it), we needed someone that could fulfill the law. True fulfillment of the law requires perfect truth. Truth is a term today that is
bantered about but rarely understood. If you have 99% truth + 1% error, what is the end result? The end result is death in the pot as the whole of the true part gets diminished by the part that is flawed. When
Satan deceived the woman, he told her many true things, but they were all muddied with the lie "ye shall not surely die." Therefore, our Redeemer that redeemed us must fulfill perfect truth. We read from
John's account that our Saviour was FULL of truth. This language denotes that there was not some truth left out, but He was full of truth. This declares that He could and did fulfill all that the law required.
But, even the fulfillment of the law by one does not
guarantee that his righteousness would be bestowed upon one that could not fulfill the law. Should a man live spotless and be truthful, he is still not required to show mercy on someone less fortunate. But, thanks be unto God that His Son was not just full of truth, but He was full of grace as well. So, in the fulfillment of all that the law required, He doled
out grace above measure in the form of mercy to impute His righteousness unto us. Moses could only point to God's law that brought death. Jesus could point to the fulfillment of the law (in Himself) while at the same time declaring the grace and mercy that He brought as a Divine gift. (Romans 6:23)
So, Christ, as the eternal Son of God, is far superior to anyone else that we could bring forth. The Pharisees brought Abraham and Moses into focus. Christ is before them in authority, glory, and purpose. Others brought forth the prophets (see Matthew 16), but Christ fulfilled all that the prophets wrote about and declared. Finally, Christ Himself declared what none of them could. He has seen the Father, He knows the Father, and He is one with the Father. In all of this, we today can take great consolation in the fact that He is a faithful witness, has redeemed us from the curse of the law, and ever liveth as our High Priest that knows both God and everything that we face and endure. Truly, mercy and truth met together with righteousness and peace kissing each other in the Person of our Lord and Saviour. (Psalm 85:10) May we rest in this knowledge that our Lord endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself for us.