2 Corinthians 4 gives us such a beautiful picture of the relationship between the Father and Jesus.
The “light of the gospel” is “the glory of Christ.” The “light of knowledge” is “the glory of God.” And “the glory of God” is found “in the face of Jesus Christ.” The light of the gospel is the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus. Jesus is the manifestation of the glory of the Father to the world… to us!
(2Cor 4:3-7 ESV) And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
This is sweet picture of the relationship between Jesus and us and, by extension, the Father and us.
(John 14:15-18-20 ESV) “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. … In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.”
We experience this intimacy with the Father through faith in Jesus and the presence of God’s Spirit. Jesus said, ” I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.” Now, through God’s Spirit, we experience intimacy with the Father that was previously limited to those in direct contact with Jesus. When Jesus returned to His Father, the intimacy of fellowship was freed from the limits of Jesus’ human existence.
(John 14:25-28 ESV) “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
God’s Spirit will glorify Jesus, and Jesus will glorify the Father. Perfect harmony!
(John 16:7,13-15 ESV) “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. … When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
Jesus received honor and glory from the Father; “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
(2Pet 1:16-18 ESV) “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.”
All glory originates from and returns to the Father… The Majestic Glory!
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