18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.
Jesus came to manifest God to man. No one has ever seen God for God says “no one may see me and live” (Exodus 33:20). I am reminded of Moses who, while sojourning here on this earth, most certainly had an intimate fellowship with God. Yet his desire was to see fully God’s glory – for God to somehow make His glory visible and enable him to bear the sight of it. The following was the response he received:
18 Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." 19 And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." 21 Then the LORD said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. 22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen." Ex 33:18-23 (NIV)
God denied that which was not fit to be granted – fleshly eyes cannot bear to behold the pureness and holiness of God’s full glory. Yet, He was gracious to His servant Moses. Notice the place where God in His compassion told Moses to stand: on the rock. Notice where He mercifully puts Moses as He passes by: in a cleft in the rock. That Rock signifies Christ and it is only through Christ that we have the knowledge of the glory of God.
27 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Matt 11:27 (NIV)
46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. John 6:46 (NIV)
God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen. 1 Tim 6:15-16 (NIV)
“A full discovery of the glory of God would quite overpower the faculties of any mortal man in this present state, and overwhelm him, even Moses himself. There is a knowledge and enjoyment of God which must be waited for in another world, when we shall see Him as He is. In the meantime let us adore the height of what we do know of God, and the depth of what we do not know.” Matthew Henry
Paul gives us this wonderful Doxology found in Romans:
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" 35 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?"
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:33-36 (NIV)
Our God is so totally other – impossible for mere flesh to get their arms around. Christ came to demonstrate for us the qualities and attributes of God - removing the veil, so to speak, to give us a clearer view of His love and mercy and compassion. Just as God caused His goodness to pass in front of Moses, Jesus, fully God and fully Man, came to flesh out God’s goodness to man. Filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control and robed in righteousness, compassion and humility, Jesus makes God known allowing man the glimmer of the Unapproachable Light. Just as Jesus was sent for our benefit, believers in Him are sent for the benefit of the lost. Equipped with the power of His Spirit, we are to be His ambassadors – being the aroma of Christ to a needy world. Jesus tells us:
21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." John 20:21 (NIV)
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matt 28:18-20 (NIV)
15 For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task? 2 Cor 2:15-16 (NIV)
The Irish evangelist Gypsy Smith once said, "There are five Gospels: Matthew Mark, Luke, John, and the Christian, and some people will never read the first four."
“Every hour we make decisions on whether or not to be to others what Christ has been to us.” Wales Goebel
"Character in a saint means the disposition of Jesus Christ persistently manifested." Oswald Chambers
“The Christian should stand out like a sparkling diamond.” Billy Graham