SEEING THE SON
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
This is not speaking of physical sight! Masses of humans saw Jesus of Bethlehem while he was on earth and were not spiritually affected. Roman officials such as Pilate, and Jewish High Priests such as Caiaphas visibly saw him, but as far as we know, never received regeneration. Consider these verses: 1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
The true believer is a Spirit-born, entirely new creature in Christ Jesus. He therefore is birthed into a whole new realm of awareness and existence. Due to his new birth he can now both see and enter into the kingdom of God which is not visible to those born only of the flesh. John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
For it is only those who have been made pure in heart by the new birth who can “see God” with their vision of faith! Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 1 John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Ephesians 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
At the very outset of God’s dealings with Moses, he clearly sets forth the law that no visible image shall be tolerated in the approach and worship of Jehovah! Exodus 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
This was also personally stressed unto Moses as he sought to know this invisible God, with whom he was communing. Exodus 33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. 20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. 21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: 22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: 23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
For the system sustained by the blood of bulls and goats would not support a clear revelation of the God of glory! It would only be after the Holy Lamb of God would shed his blood, (Lev. 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.), in order that the glorious Light of life should shine forth from the face of God in Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? 9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
And as the true believer, with his spiritual vision gazes by faith upon the Lord Jesus Christ he is progressively raised to higher and higher degrees of sanctification. 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. – That is, continuously matured from his present degree of glory to a higher degree of glory. 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Glory is required in every degree of salvation! For the glory is required to be seen by the elect of God for both regeneration, sanctification, and of course, glorification! For simply believing in the historical fact of Jesus’ crucifixion at Calvary has no saving affect. Even the demons know that as a historical fact. For it is said that they believe and tremble! Both they and the unbelieving individuals of humanity cannot see the glory of the cross.
John 2:11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
Romans 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, (God will give) eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, (God will give them) indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: 11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are highly privileged to have recorded for us the communion between God the Son to God the Father, by God the Holy Spirit at the most important hour in human history. Carefully consider these word of holy communion at the very hour when the Holy Son would accomplish the heretofore secret and eternal purposes of the Holy Father. Everything would be changed! Nothing would hereafter remain the same! Satan and his fallen angels would be defeated. The Father would be satisfied. The redemption of those chosen by the Father in Christ Jesus would be sealed. The Son’s public ministry would be over. Not a single unregenerate person would ever SEE HIM again! John 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. (See the list given by the Apostle Paul as to those who only saw the resurrected, but as yet not ascended Lord in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.)
John 17:1 ¶ These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
John 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
John 17:24 ¶ Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
Where was the invisible God before anything was given existence in distinction from himself? HE WAS IN HIS GLORY! For it is only in his glory that eternal existence can be sustained. That’s why your sainted grandmother, whose body you placed in the earth, has been living in His presence from the moment her spirit was called back to God. She has no teeth to chew. She has no throat to swallow; no stomach to digest; no blood flow to provide nourishment and oxygen. All that is in decay in the earth.
So how is she presently existing? And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; She, along with every believer who has ever been given the spiritual life of the new birth by the Holy Spirit, is also living in the eternally sustaining glory of the life of God! 1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. Unlike Moses who could not look upon Him, we have seen the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ! 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:9 For if the ministration of condemnation (that is, Moses’ law) be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness (provided in Christ’s atonement), exceed in glory. 10 For even that which was made glorious (the dispensation of the law), had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
Colossians 3:1 ¶ If ye then be risen with Christ, (the first resurrection is regeneration) seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
God walked face to face with the first Adam. But that was only in the realm of innocence. Adam fell that where sin abounded, grace might much more abound even unto glory! Romans 5:17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. For grace is the bud which comes to be the blossom of glory!
Pastor Gene Breed
March 30, 2023