By Pastor Dave Farmer

Jesus Christ is the Revelation of God.

Topic #8 The Revelation Of The Logos Of Eternal Life

1 John 1:2

Furthermore this life was revealed and we have seen it and presently have a vivid mental picture of Him and we are testifying [about this life] and we are proclaiming to you [to your advantage] this life, the uniquely eternal One, that very one who keeps on being face to face with the Father and was revealed to us.

Introduction

In the last article, we saw the Hellenistic philosophers standing at the base of the Great Wall that separates us all from eternity. All anthropocentric philosophies reach this dead end. They are all left groping and are like the three blind men and the elephant. As each sought to discover, "What is an elephant?" The first blind man touched the elephant's trunk. Another found the elephant's tail, while the last explored the elephant's giant leg. Each supposed they had found the answer to the question, "What is an Elephant?" However, the elephant is greater than any explanation each gave.

The French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre summarized humanity's dilemma when he said, "The basic philosophical problem that faces us is the fact that something is there, rather than, nothing is there." ¹ In every century, a new explanation is proffered about our existence and the Universe in which we live. John's solution is elegant and simple, "this life was revealed to us." The Scripture asserts throughout its pages that eternal God has come to our aid; He has reached out to us and spoken:

Hebrews 1:1

God, after He spoke long ago [Old Testament times] to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,

Hebrews 1:2

in these last days [New Testament times] has spoken to us in His Son...".

This is the work of revelation--the work of God giving the truth to man about His Person, His Presence, and His Purpose in creating us and the universe that we live. This is the leading thought of verse two. Jesus Christ is the Revelation! He is the final and complete statement from God about who God is and what God is doing in this world. John will mention this subject again in 1 John 3:5,8 with emphasis on the purpose of Christ's entrance into this world:

1 John 3:5

You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.

1 John 3:8

"... The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil."

It is important for us to note, in light of the purpose of 1 John and the failure of eight hundred years of anthropocentric philosophic speculation of the Hellenistic philosophers, why we cannot know God apart from divine revelation. Why was it necessary for God to reveal Himself to man? ² We will explore two reasons that God gives us:

First, Our Finite Nature’s Limit Us

Our God is infinite in character; that is, His divine nature is so great and so superior to ours that this marked disparity requires revelation. David said, "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable" Psalm 145:3. When God gave David truth about Himself, David recognized his own finiteness. All David could say was, "His greatness is unsearchable." Not unknowable, but inexhaustible! David was limited. Other passages:

Isaiah 55:9

[God speaking] For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Romans 11:33

0 the depth of the riches both the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out?

The response of all those who have spoken with God is one of utter amazement and profound awe as they come to recognize His infinite glory. God must communicate with finite man because a tremendous gap exists between the Creator and His creatures. Even Adam, in his sinless state, needed the benefit of God walking with him daily in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8). God must take the initiative to meet man on man's level and speak to him in human language and human concepts. Paul illustrates this perfectly in 1 Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 2:8

the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;

Paul says there exists knowledge that cannot be discovered by reason or science, “Things which the eye has not seen and ear has not heard [the scientific method], and which have not entered the heart of man [reasoning faculty], all that God has prepared for those who love Him” 1 Corinthians 2:9.

Why is revelation necessary? Our Lord Jesus Christ came to earth and said to the rulers of this world, “I am the Son of God sent from heaven.” They rejected Him. They crucified their Creator and Savior. They listened to the gospel and said, “ridiculous.” We say the Bible is a very special book. God spoke, and men wrote. The wise say, “ridiculous.”

When compared to God, man is finite; only God is infinite. We have power, but God is all powerful. We have knowledge, but God has all-knowledge. We exist in space and time, but God is everywhere present and eternal. Only man, in his arrogance, believes himself to be more than he is. We need God to speak, for our human natures are finite, but also they are fallen natures.

Second, Our Fallen Nature’s Lead Us Away From God

The Word of God tells us that when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they hid. Their relationship with their Creator was drastically changed. Now they were separated from God and from Genesis chapter 3 on, the natural inclination of man is to hide from God. So let's look at the Scripture and document the number of ways this fallen nature expresses itself. I have already noted one, Adam and Eve after their sin HID from God, Genesis 3:8.

Isaiah says, “Man RUNS from God.”

Isaiah 53:6

All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way

The Word of God says we go in every direction but toward God. “Man goes “his own way” not God’s way. The Apostle Paul writes:

Romans 3:11

There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God;

Finally, Jesus says:

John 3:19

“This is the judgment [condemnation], that the light [Jesus is the Light of the World] has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their deeds were evil.

The darkness represents a sphere that possesses no light, and God is not there. Man would rather live in this darkness, autonomous and free from any thought of God. But not only has he HID from God, and he RUNS from God, now we learn man has a BAD HEART.

Jeremiah 17:9

The heart is more deceitful than all else; And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

If we can't know our own hearts, how can we expect to know the true and living God? When you think things can’t get worst, we find out man SUPPRESSES the truth.

Romans 1:18

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

The Bible says that even when the truth of God is made known to his heart and mind, he sometimes suppresses it. He says, "There is no God! Psalm 14:1". What a tremendous contrast! On the one hand, there is God, whose great love and grace pursue us and it is His divine initiative that reaches out to us; and on the other hand, there is man, who is totally fallen and lost and characterized by these things:

He hides from God.

He runs from God.

He goes in every direction but toward God.

He does not seek God.

He loves the darkness.

And when the truth is known, he suppresses it.

This revelation came in various ways. Sometimes through WORDS, such as when the Father said, "This is my Son in whom I am well pleased" at Jesus baptism, Luke 3:22; or at the transfiguration when the Father said, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” Luke 9:35. The Apostle Peter recalls this in his Epistle:

2 Peter 1:17

For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”—

2 Peter 1:18

and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

Our Lord argued that His WORKS indicated who He was:

John 5:36

But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.

He said that He was the Son of God and that God His Father sent Him to earth. This was a unique moment in history. God became a man, and our Lord Jesus Christ was that man. ³ Our Lord Jesus Christ is unique because He and He alone is the God-Man. He is God manifested in the flesh. He is the only member of the human race who is eternal God, co-equal, co-eternal, and co-extensive with the other members of the Trinity. He is the only member of the Trinity that possesses a human nature. He is indeed the only true celebrity. The religious establishment was incensed by Him when He claimed to be equal with God:

John 10:30–33

30) “I and the Father are one.”

31) The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him.

32) Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?”

33) The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”

What they said was true! Jesus claimed to be God. C.S. Lewis said, "Jesus is either a Liar, or a Lunatic, or Lord" (John 10:20, 33). ⁴ The religious establishment in Israel at the time believed him to be the first two. Some like Nicodemus called attention to the miracles He performed, but the only concession he would give was, "Jesus came from God, John 3:1." Well, the Old Testament prophets performed great miracles too, but our Lord Jesus was more than God's representative. This fell short of the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ; He is the God-Man. Furthermore, the miracles that He performed revealed His connection with God the Father, who gave Him unlimited power to substantiate His claims.

One of the greatest of all the miracles occurred when our Lord Jesus Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, as recorded in John chapter 11. Jesus taught that the purpose of the miracles was to reveal the special Person that He is and the special work that He came to do. This is clear in His conversation with Mary, Lazarus' sister, who was upset with Jesus because, in her mind, Jesus had arrived too late. Her brother was dead. If He had arrived while Lazarus was sick, Lazarus would not have died. Jesus would have healed him. Now it is too late. He was dead and in the grave for four days. Nothing could be done! Nevertheless, miracle of miracles, she will learn, as well as the others that our Lord Jesus Christ is far greater than anyone then imagined. Martha had it right:

John 11:23–27

23) Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24) Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”

25) Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,

26) and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

27) She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.”

In our Lord's own words, He said, "I am glad for your sakes that I was not there [during Lazarus' sickness] so that [the divine purpose of Lazarus' death] you may believe...". They had not fully comprehended who He is. They are about to. They are about to understand that He is the God-Man and that nothing is impossible for Him. The uniquely eternal One spoke that day, "Lazarus, come forth!". The description of what happened next is stunning, indeed "a shock and awe" event:

John 11:44

The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

In Summary

Rationalism could not penetrate the Great Wall that separates Man from God. Plato and Socrates nor Descartes could see beyond the Great Wall. Empiricism could not crack the barrier to eternity. Aristotle's brilliant mind failed to cross over the impenetrable Wall of Separation. The LOGOS of eternity had to be revealed. God had to make Himself known. This is the work of revelation. It is the work of God, giving the truth to man about His Person, Presence, and Purpose. Now John, through revelation, knows what the greatest geniuses of rationalism and empiricism could never understand. He knows the Logos of Eternity who came to him and captured his heart. In his inspired words, he said:

John 1:14

And the Word [the Logos] became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only unique born from the Father, full of grace and truth.

In the midst of this great verse, John speaks of the Lord Jesus as "the uniquely eternal one." Eternal life is a theme that John will return to throughout our study. Such words require an application.

This Unique Life Reveals To Us A Unique Destiny

The Apostle John was writing this epistle to assure believers that they already had eternal life. Jesus promised us that when we trust in Him as Savior, He will give us eternal life.

1 John 2:25

This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.

John 10:27

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;

John 10:28

and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

As a believer, you are a member of the human race that possesses a unique kind of eternal life. Borrowing the words from Star Wars, "the force is strong in my family. My father has it, I have it, and my sister has it." You have that unique life in you right now.

1 John 5:13

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

What is eternal life? Most people would describe it as life which has no end. They would be half right. The problem is that when we think of eternal life, we do so from the standpoint of time and duration. The Scripture places a different emphasis on this concept, and there is a lot of confusion when we do not know this. The emphasis that Scripture places on the concept of eternal life is place and relationship. It is not quantity - a lot of days. It is quality. It is living in Heaven with the Lord in an eternal relationship.

It is an improper evangelistic approach to say to an unbeliever, "Do you want to live forever? Or if you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, you will live forever." While this is true, it is misleading, and we should know better. There are two things we know right now about every unsaved person we meet: First, they are going to die physically, Hebrews 9:27. Secondly, they are going to live eternally. At their conception, God imputed to them human life, Isaiah 57:16; Job 33:4. They became a living soul, Genesis 2:17. Soul life is permanent. The person will live after their physical death, regardless of whether they accept Christ or not. The issue is place and relationship. Would you rather live out your eternity under the wrath of God, under condemnation, forever separated from God in Hell? The issue is where are you going to spend eternity, one with or without Christ. Only believers have a spiritual life; that is, they share the life of the uniquely eternal one.

1 John 5:12

He who has the Son [by faith alone in Christ alone] has the life [Christ's unique life]; he who does not have the Son of God [rejects Christ] does not have the life [Christ's unique life]. ⁵

Amen and praise be to God!

ENDNOTES

¹ Schaeffer, Francis A. (Francis August) Works. 1982 The complete works of Francis A. Schaeffer: a Christian worldview. Westchester, Ill. : Crossway Books, c1982, (1983 printing) Vol. 2, p.10.

² This is an excerpt from the study of revelation from the Doctrine of the Scriptures found in the archives.

³ The Hypostatic Union is defined as:

1. Definition: In the Person of Christ are two natures (two beings, actually), inseparably united, without mixture or loss of separate identity, without loss or transfer of properties or attributes, the union being personal and eternal (John 1:1-14; Romans 1:2-5; 9:5; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 2:14).

This means that our Lord Jesus Christ is the God-Man now; He has been the God-Man since the virgin birth; He will be the God-Man forever. He is the UNIQUE PERSON OF THE UNIVERSE!

2. The incarnate Person of Christ includes undiminished deity. Jesus Christ is God, coequal, and coeternal with the Father and the Spirit.

3. The incarnate Person of Christ also includes true humanity, with body, soul, and spirit. Through the virgin birth, Jesus avoided both spiritual death and the old sin nature. His humanity was different from any other because it included deity, and because He did not sin personally. His deity was different in that it included humanity.

4. The two natures of Christ are united without transfer of attributes. The attributes of deity never became humanity or vice versa — the attributes adhered to their corresponding

Natures. The essence of deity cannot be changed; it is immutable. The infinite cannot be transferred to the finite. To rob God of a single attribute of His essence would destroy His deity. To rob, the humanity of Christ of a single attribute of His humanity would destroy His humanity.

5. In the Incarnation, no attribute of essence was changed. In fulfilling the purpose of the Incarnation, certain attributes of deity were not used; but this does not imply that they were either surrendered, diminished, or destroyed, as in the false doctrine of Kenosis.

6. Therefore, the union of the divine and human natures of the incarnate Christ must be considered HYPOSTATIC AND PERSONAL.

The Greek noun HUPOSTASIS means “substance, essence, standing under, taking a thing upon oneself.” Christ took upon Himself true humanity. HYPOSTATIC refers to the whole Person of Christ as distinguished from His two natures — divine and human. The fact that Christ will be true humanity forever indicates that humanity CAN live forever — but not in the original body which comes into the world through physical birth; that body is subject to death. The resurrection body is never subject to any death — another unique characteristic of Jesus Christ — and we will have the same kind of body (Phil. 3:21). No believer has a resurrection body yet. Christ is the Firstfruits of resurrection.

PERSONAL refers to the emergence of the unique Person of Christ. As God, He is coequal and coeternal with the Father and the Spirit. As a man, He is superior to all humanity, both from the standpoint of human impeccability and deity.

7. This union does not imply that deity POSSESSED humanity or that deity INDWELT the humanity of Christ. The union was more than harmony or sympathy. It was PERSONAL. Two natures were combined in one hypostasis or essence forever — a unique hypostasis.

In Genesis 6, the angels tried to duplicate this by taking on bodies. They tried to start a new hypostasis, which would have destroyed the distinction between angels and human beings. For this reason, God took away the angels’ ability to materialize.

8. The God-Man has one essence forever. Therefore, the attributes of both the divine and human natures belong to the Person of Christ. The characteristics of one nature are never attributed to the other. This means that during the First Advent, Christ could simultaneously be omnipotent and weak, omniscient and ignorant. However, the ignorance of His humanity was overcome by His study of the Word of God, His daily meditation and recall of the Word of God through His moment by moment fellowship with the Father. (Luke 2:40, 52).

⁴ Lewis, C. S. (Clive Staples), 1898-1963. Mere Christianity; New York, Macmillan, 1952, pp 55 -56.

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. . . . Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God.

⁵ This is one of the many blessings of grace: The believer is the recipient of eternal life - John 3:15; 10:28; 20:31; 1 John 5:11-13.