Beholding the Father in Jesus Christ

The Character of the Father Revealed

“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” — John 1:18

Before the coming of Jesus Christ, humanity possessed glimpses of God’s dealings through the Law, the prophets, and His mighty acts. Yet the fullness of the Father’s heart remained concealed until His Son entered the world. In Jesus Christ, the invisible God was made known. The Father was no longer hidden from mankind, for His character, His will, and His purpose were perfectly revealed through His Son.

To declare is to unfold, reveal, explain, and make fully known. This is precisely what Jesus Christ accomplished. Every word He spoke, every step He walked, every miracle He performed, and every act of compassion He displayed revealed the true nature of the Father.

Jesus Christ left no room for uncertainty when Philip desired to see the Father: “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father… Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.”  John 14:9–10

To behold Jesus Christ is to behold the Father’s heart. His words revealed the Father’s truth. “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.”  John 12:49

The compassion of Jesus revealed the Father’s mercy. “When Jesus saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” — Matthew 9:36

His forgiveness revealed the Father’s desire to restore sinners. “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”  Luke 19:10

Jesus’s obedience revealed the Father’s righteousness. “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.”  John 4:34

And finally, the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ revealed the immeasurable love of the Father, who desired to redeem fallen mankind and restore them into fellowship with Himself. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  John 3:16

Through the ministry of Jesus Christ, every miracle testified to the Father’s authority. Every act of mercy demonstrated the Father’s compassion. Every word of wisdom revealed the Father’s truth. Every act of forgiveness displayed the Father’s grace, and everything Jesus Christ did was the faithful expression of the Father.

Jesus Christ never acted independently. He never sought His own will, His own glory, or His own purpose. His entire earthly life was lived in complete dependence upon, submission to, and union with the Father. Jesus Himself declared: “The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” — John 5:19

Again Jesus testified: “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” — John 8:28–29

The life of Jesus Christ therefore becomes the perfect revelation of the Father. Anyone who desires to know Almighty God’s character, His heart toward mankind, His righteousness, His mercy, His love, or His purpose must look steadfastly at Jesus Christ. There is no clearer revelation of the Father than the Son.

The challenge for every believer is not merely to admire Jesus Christ, but to behold Him continually until the Father’s character is formed within. The more Christ is known, the more the Father is understood.  The more His words are believed, the more the Father’s will becomes established in the heart. The more His example is followed, the more the Father’s life is expressed.

Those who truly behold Jesus Christ do not simply gain greater knowledge about the Father; they are called into deeper fellowship with the Father Himself. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” — John 14:6

To reject the revelation of Jesus Christ is to remain ignorant of the Father. But to receive the Son, believe His words, obey His teaching, and follow His example is to behold the very heart of Almighty God, for the Father has chosen to make Himself fully known through His beloved Son.