Daily Seedings: The Revelation of God’s Character
The Revelation of God’s Character
“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world.” — John 17:6
In the ancient East, proper names had a special significance. The name of a person often presented some characteristic of that person. This is true also of the names of God. In His names, He reveals His character and His manifold relations to His creatures.
Jesus’ life and ministry were revelations of the Father. He came into the world to manifest the Father in all His manifold character. The disciples would naturally know Jesus as a man after the flesh—as a Nazarene, the son of Joseph and Mary. To come to know Him as the Son of God, they had to have a revelation.
Additionally, each New Testament character differed from the other in natural traits and characteristics, so Jesus had to be manifest to each one in some special way in order for each to actually know Him as the Son of God.
Thomas’s unbelief, for example, had to be surmounted before he could know Him. Thrusting his hand in the riven side, he cried, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).
The woman of Samaria was startled by the knowledge Jesus had of her past life. Then, He carefully unfolded to her what the living water was and who it was that was offering it to her. Afterward, she had to exclaim, “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” (John 4:29).
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“…one of the early 20th Century’s prophetic voices still speaks today…” — Jack W. Hayford
Reprinted with permission from Daily Seedings: A Devotional Classic for the Spirit-Filled Life by Ivan Q. Spencer (selected and edited by Edie Mourey), Furrow Press, 2008.
For more about Ivan Spencer, see “Following in His Steps” by Edie Mourey.
Category: Living the Faith, Winter 2020
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