Our Vision of the God-Man

The scope of this writing will not allow for a full development of the Deity of Jesus Christ.  Suffice it to say that Jesus Christ is the only true God.  John 10:30 and I John 5:7 clearly teach us that Jesus and His Father are one.  What this study will yield is how we are to approach our Savior.

Yes, Jesus Christ is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother.  Yes, Jesus called His disciples friends.  Yes, we can and should consider Jesus Christ our Friend as long as He is first our Savior.  The question is, “Does this friendship allow our treatment of Who Jesus is to be casual?”  Should we speak to and of Christ casually?  Is He simply a “buddy-buddy” type of fellow, or does He remain the only true Creator-God?  For answers to these questions, we will review the life of John, the disciple of Jesus Christ.

John, the Disciple

First, lets consider the credibility of this disciple.  John surrendered to the LORD’s call.  Of John A.B. Bruce says, “It must be remembered that Jesus, unlike most men, could love a disciple not merely for what he was, but for what he should become…Then, further, we must not forget that John, even when possessed by the devil of resentment, was animated by a purer and holier spirit.  Along with the smoke of carnal passion there was some divine fire in his heart.  He loved Jesus as intensely as he hated the Samaritans.”[1]

John was also unique in that he could be considered one of the inner three.  Peter, James, and John were those three disciples who were able to see things the other nine disciples could only hear accounts of later.  For example, these three saw the raising of Jairus’ daughter.  These three saw Jesus transfigured.  Finally, in the Garden of Gethsemane, these three were the only ones to go a little further with Christ to see his sorrow and heaviness.  They were very close to our Lord.

At the Passover, John is the disciple who was noted to be very close to the Lord.  He was so close that he was the only one noted to have laid his head upon the chest of our Lord.  This not only shows that closeness he had with our Lord, but this also shows the compassion between the two.  It would be safe to say that John was more than a disciple.  John was a friend of Jesus Christ.

There is no question that John was a compassionate disciple.  In the books he was inspired by the LORD to write, he speaks of love toward God and toward each other.  Here are just a few references in I John: 2:10, 3:1, 16, 18, 4:7 – 21, 5:3.  They appear as follows:

¨      I John 2:10 – “He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.”

¨      I John 3:1 – “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.”

¨      I John 3:16 – 18 – “Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

¨      I John 4:7 – 21 – “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”

John as a disciple was loving and affectionate.  He was faithful throughout his life.  He understood that the call to discipleship would cost much, but he was willing to give up all and follow Christ.  He denied himself, took up his own cross, and followed the LORD.  This is the call to everyone one of us who will be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  It is not a call to assimilate and be like our surroundings.  It is a call to love Christ preeminently and to give up all for Him.  He alone is worthy!

John, the Dedicated

Not only was John a compassionate and surrendered disciple, he was also dedicated to his LORD.  There are two main deeds seen in the life of John that teach us what level of dedication he had.

First, at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ, John is the only disciple that Scripture teaches us was present.  Jesus gives the care of Mary to John.  Do we not see a tremendous amount of dedication to Christ in this single act?  While Peter wept bitterly and Judas prepared for his suicide, John was at the foot of the cross.  While other beheld from a distance, and while the other disciples are scattered, John was there.

The second deed that proves dedication can be seen in Revelation 1:9 where the Word of God says, “I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”  Traditionally, John was said to have been dipped in a cauldron of hot oil and then exiled to the Island of Patmos.  In this verse, we see a man who was dedicated to his LORD no matter what trials or circumstance accompany the preaching of the Word of God and the “testimony of Jesus Christ.”  To say the least, John truly loved Jesus.  John knew Jesus very well.  John was surrendered to Jesus.  John spent time with Jesus.  John was dedicated to Jesus Christ!  How much more familiar could one get with Jesus?

John, the Docile

Revelation 1:17 says, “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead…”  In spite of John’s friendship and apparent compassionate relationship that he had with Jesus, he still responds in a way that does not seem to be very casual.  As a matter of fact, John responds contrary to how most friends respond to each other.  John fell at the feet of Jesus.

You see, John was very conscious of the honour and glory of Christ.  He never lost sight of the fact that Jesus is God.  Though there was familiarity, there was a boundary that John never crossed.  He did not become too casual in the presence of Jesus Christ.

We would do well to take note of the docility of John.  The “Christ” that much of today’s popular teaching promotes is a Christ Who is casual.  As a result the approach of many to worship Christ is nothing shy of carnal.  My friend, Jesus Christ is high and holy.  We are to worship in spirit and in truth; but we are to do so with bowed heads.  Understand that when we come before Christ one day, there will be no difference in our response than what we see in the life of John.  We will fall before Christ and worship Him.  He is the Worthy Lamb!