The face of the Father

JESUS IS…

Throughout the Old Testament, the cry is to see the face of God. To know His presence.

The Hebrew word for ‘presence’ conveys the meaning of being ‘face to face’ with someone.

SHOW ME YOUR FACE

‘But still, since he (man) is a part of your creation, he wishes to praise you. The thought of you stirs him so deeply that he cannot be content unless he praises you, because you made us for yourself and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you.’

(‘Confessions’ Book 1.1. page 21, Penguin Classics)

ST AUGUSTINE & THE GOD SHAPED HOLE

Romans chapter 1 verse 20

‘For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what was made, so that men are without excuse.’

“General revelation is given to all people of all times. It is the fingerprint of God left on the works of creation”. “The brushstrokes of nature are designed to introduce us to the artist’. (Bruce Shelley, ‘Christian Theology in Plain Language’)

GOD IN CREATION

2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16

‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…’

“The Word has the unique ability to bring a person face to face with the living God and to hold him accountable for His life before God”

(Bruce Shelley, ‘Christian Theology in Plain Language’)

GOD IN THE WRITTEN WORD

FACE RECOGNITION SOFTWARE

John chapter 1 verse 1-2 & verse 14

‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.’

‘The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.’

GOD IN THE LIVING WORD

John chapter 1 verse 18

‘No one has ever seen God, but God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known’.

“Jesus is as essential to God’s self-communication as words are to our self-communication. A revelation of the Father without the Son would be like speaking without words”. (Ken Blue – ‘Authority to Heal’)

JESUS IS…THE FACE OF THE FATHER

John chapter 14 verse 9

‘…Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father…’

Hebrews chapter 1 verse 1 – 3

‘In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…’

JESUS IS…THE FACE OF THE FATHER

John chapter 8 – The Woman caught in adultery

‘Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”“No one, sir,” she replied.“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

(John 8 verse 10-11)

IN JESUS THE FATHER IS…FORGIVING

Luke chapter 15 – The story of the waiting Father

‘But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.’

(verse 20)

IN JESUS THE FATHER… WELCOMES YOU HOME

Acts 10 verse 38

‘…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.’

‘doing good’ = that which benefits another

IN JESUS THE FATHER IS…GOOD

Acts 10 verse 38

‘…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.’

IN JESUS THE FATHER IS…HEALING

Bertrand Russell the atheistic British Philosopher sums up the atheist belief concerning God and meaning to life in the following words – “Man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving...his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; ...all the labour of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast solar system.”

BERTRAND RUSSELL

Matthew chapter 11 verse 27

‘…and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him’

WHO IS THE FATHER TO YOU?