Theological Chiropractic Adjustment

As I opened my Bible to where I was reading yesterday, the following verses grabbed my attention this morning - John 14:6-7 NIV:

[6] Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. [7] If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

The first sentence of verse 7 is my real focus this morning, at least to start.  This is such a critical thing for us to understand.  Jesus, in His ministry and life represented the Father to us.  He showed us what the Father is like, spoke the words the Father gave him, did what the Father showed Him to do (see John 5:19–20 & John 14:24).  The author off the Letter to the Hebrews calls Jesus the “exact representation of His being” (see Heb 1:3 NIV).  One of my favorite authors, Bill Johnson, calls Jesus perfect theology.  

As I understand it, this means that everything Jesus said and did is what the Father was saying and doing!  If we want to know what the Father is like, our first source should always be Jesus!  He is the only one who could perfectly represent Him!  

The whole Old Testament, is the history of the revelation of hte character of God, through the eyes and understanding of the people who ex[experienced these encounters.  God in His mercy, allowed for more and more of His character to be revealed over time, for what man was ever capable fo fully understanding His Holiness and Glory? It is so important that when we read Old Testament accounts of God, that we read them through the lense of Jesus’ representation of the Father.  In other words, if Jesus never said or did something, then the Father wasn’t saying or doing that either!  And if Jesus extended mercy, love and compassion, then that is what the Father was doing!

I know that there are people who stumble over the portrayal of God in the Old Testament, and these words of Jesus are meant to be our corrective adjustment.  Much of Jesus' ministry was providing that same corrective adjustment to the Jewish idea of the Father, and their expectations of the Messiah.  We are not the first to misunderstand God!  I guess we could say Jesus is providing a theological chiropractic adjustment. :-)

My strong encouragement this morning is for me to spend as much time in the Gospels as I can, so that I might know Jesus, and thus know the Father!  I am also encouraged to spend as much time in prayer, in communication with the Lord so that I might know Him more, and better represent Him to those around me! 

Oh Lord, help me to know You!  Help me to represent You!  Help me to point to You, the Way, the Truth and the Life!

Amen and Amen!