God's Approval of His Son

More of the fireworks display from Ikano two years ago (1/1/2007)

Date: 12 Jan 2008

(These passages are good for meditating on the unique love relationship between God the Father and His beloved Son Jesus Christ.)


God's Approval Over His Son

Matt 3:17
And a voice from heaven said, "this is my Son, whom I love, with him I am well pleased."

John 6:2
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.

Phil 2:8 ff
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Heb 5:8ff
Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Jesus' Complete Submission to the Father

John 6:38
For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.


Jesus' Perfect Communion with the Father

John 6:46
No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God, only he has seen the Father.

(I believe Jesus is saying here that only He has really seen God in all His glory, in all His facets, and just as He is. Moses talked with God as a man talked with a friend, face to face; but was it really a face? Or it was Light? Or a form against the Light?)

Jesus as Source of Life

John 6:33-35
For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."
"Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."
John 6:47-51
47I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.
48I am the bead of Life.
49Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they die.
50But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die.
51I am the living bread that came down from heave. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
------> Here he refers to the work he would do at the cross - of dying and rising to life again. Without His dying and rising to life again, our Lord's Supper or Breaking of Bread is of no meaning and of no use ( no effect, no efficacy).

Jesus' Words are Life

John 6:68-69
68Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
69We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
------> Apparently, based on the chronology in Matthew (see Matthew chapters 14, 15, 16, 17) when Peter said the above, the Transfiguration had not even happened yet. And yet, Peter had that revelation. There must have been something in Jesus - his character, the miracles he did, the good works, his demeanor and of course, his words.