A Revealed Truth
Communication starts because someone wants to share something with someone else. A baby is not born understanding a verbal language. Mommies and daddies are used to communicating in verbal language, but they want to communicate to their newborn child how much they love that child and how that child is to begin to grow and get along in this world, so they hold their child, they kiss their child, they show kind affection in their actions, attitudes, ways of expressing themselves so that infant begins to know them and know how much they love the child. Even before the child speaks an intellible word the parents have already begun to communicate with the child, not only their love but also security, acceptance; they will teach them how to manage in the world, how to eat and drink; they will also begin to scold them to show them what is not acceptable. There is a lot of communication that goes on long before the child can say a word.
This happens by the parents having a message they want to convey, the put it in a way that the child can understand, often by trial and error, until they discover some way that the child can understand and hopefully respond.
That is revelation. The parent is wanting to show the child who they are, that they love the child, the child can trust them and they will show them how to live well in this world. The parents are going to shape the child by showing them how live by the way the parents live.
We can only know God because God has revealed himself to us
Revelation 6 "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.
Gods revelation of himself is not rooted in any intrinsic goodness or the people themselves as though they ‘deserve’ to know God. We are each part of a wicked world and yet out of His great mercy to humanity, he chooses to disclose himself; his thoughts, actions, attitudes – himself. Eph 1:17-19;2:1-5
ESV – 6"I have manifested your name to the people…” is a better translation of the greek
Manifest – to openly, publically, in multiple ways at multiple times demonstrated. To completely disclose.
The word ‘revelation’ derived from the Latin noun ‘revelatio’ which is a translation of the greek noun ‘apokalypsis’ means “unveiling” a sense of disclosure. Theologically the term means the self-disclosure of deity to humankind.
A claim to revelation is basic to many, if not to all religions. The concept of revelation is as widespread as the idea of God. Even nontheistic religions claim that ultimate meaning or truth is disclosed or is discoverable.
God has always been about revealing himself and his ways to his creation. Just like parents who want their child to know them.
Gen 15:1 The word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:
"Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.
Revelation involves both a Revealer and the recipients. “By a revelation of himself we mean that somehow God has put himself within the range of man’s knowing powers”
The revelation of God’s name does not seem greatly different from the glorification of God on earth. God’s name embodies his character – to reveal God’s name is to make His character known
There are two types of Revelation…
- General Revelation: The disclosure of God which is available to all human beings through the created universe (nature) and in the inner nature of human beings (conscience)
Psalms 19:1-2
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
Romans 1:18-20
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 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 has been made, so that men are without excuse.
General Revelation of God…
- through the created universe
- Given to all humanity
- Reveled an eternal and powerful deity
- Unmistakable revelation ‘clearly seen’
- Accountable response
Acts 14:17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."
- Revelation through nature and in our hearts
Eccl 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
- Hunger to know God – to receive His revelation
- Sense of purposefulness
Second type of revelation…
- Special Revelation
The historical disclosure of God in Jesus Christ - Jesus is very much the channel for God’s revelation.
There is no difference between God’s revelation of himself and the person of Christ – they are one and the same.
- Jesus fulfills the prophesy
Isa 52:6-7
6 Therefore my people will know my name;
therefore in that day they will know
that it is I who foretold it.
Yes, it is I."
7 How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
"Your God reigns!"
- Jesus is the channel of God’s revelation
John 10:30 “I and the Father are one."
John 6:48 I am the bread of life.
John 8:12 "I am the light of the world
John 8:23-24 I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd
John 11:25 "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies
John 14:6 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Christianity is the affirmation that God has made a new covenant in Jesus Christ that fulfills and in some ways supersedes the Old Covenant with Israel. Jesus is specifically ‘sent’ into the world with a divine message to reveal God and his ways to humanity.
John 3:5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
A Revealed Message must be Received
In communication theory there is a Message -> encode -> decode to be understood
Jesus has wrapped Gods message up to us primarily in His words.
8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
The words Jesus gave his disciples referes to ‘rhemata’ = the actual words, ‘utterances’
The disciples may not have understood everything Jesus had told them. They may not have understood their Messiah had to die and rise again, they may not have understood how he was to embrace and fulfill in his own person Old Testament motifs of kingship, sacrifice, priesthood and suffering servant. But they had come to the deep conviction that Jesus was God’s messenger, that he had been sent by God and that all he taught was God’s Truth.
49 “For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say." John 12:49-50
Jesus decodes God’s revelation for us - This is a revelation that is discovered in a relationship. Jesus does not come to dispense information about God like God is some force or energy or a divine power that must some how be mitigated, but instead God is a person who must be known and understood. When God is revealed as a person it transforms the recipients
When we decode God’s revelation to us we discover it is a person – Jesus Christ
In communication there is what is called ‘feedback’ = When we receive a message we reply…
The Revelation requires our Response
6 you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word….
8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me
The disciples accepted and obeyed the message Jesus gave them. They may not have always understood it, but they had become so attached to Jesus that they accepted his words as true revelation from God. They believed God sent Jesus, their ‘faith’ is in their accepting and obedience.
The disciples trusted what Jesus said and obeyed it. Their obedience proves they believe and trust that God is who he says he is and will do everything he says he will do.
Everything depends on our responses
John 3:19-21
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
NIV
Reject - “NO” I am going to continue to live the way I want to live
Do nothing – we ignore the message, perhaps it doesn’t matter, or it will go away
Obey – We respond to God and live according to his ways – his light
Joy is found here
Revelation is not a onetime event but an ongoing activity
God has revealed himself to me and I am going to respond to him in trusted obedience