Interpreting the Father
John’s Gospel contrasts Jesus with the Mosaic legislation. Ture light, life and truth are found in Jesus who now interprets the Father – John 1:18.
The Law was given through Moses, but “grace
and truth came to be through Jesus Christ.” In John’s time, that statement
would be perceived as a direct challenge to claims about the Mosaic Law. Regardless,
in the New Testament, Jesus becomes the “word” or logos
by which God made all things, and in whom He now reveals His true glory and
nature.
- (John 1:14-18) – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth. John bears witness of him, and cries, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that comes after me is become before me: for he was before me. For of his fullness, we all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he interpreted…”
“Interpreted” translates the
Greek verb exégeomai, meaning, “to lead out, explain; to
interpret.” In the Greek sentence, there is no direct object after the
verb, it is used intransitively, and the declaration is open-ended. Jesus is
the final and ultimate interpreter of everything that relates to or comes from his
Father.
The “only-born Son”
expands on the statement, “we beheld his glory, a glory as of an only-born
from a father, full of grace and truth,” and this figure is identified
explicitly as “Jesus Christ.” Thus, he is the one who reveals the Unseen
God. “No man has seen the Father, except he who is of God, he has seen the
Father” - (John 6:46).
Likewise, Jesus declared to his followers “that
which I have seen with my Father.” Anyone who knows him “knows the
Father also…and has seen him.” He who has seen Jesus “has seen the
Father.” He is not just another in a long line of prophets, but he is the ultimate
expression of God, and it can be seen and understood only in His Son - (John
8:38, 14:7-9, 15:24).
The gospel of John was composed in the
latter half of the first century. Accordingly, its pages reflect the conflicts
between the early church and the synagogue. Its negative references to the “Jews”
are not ethnic slurs but references to the religious establishment that
rejected Jesus and opposed the Church - (John 1:19, 2:18-20, 3:25, 5:10-18,
6:41-52, 7:1-15v 7:35, 8:22, 8:48, 8:52-57).
Many devout Jews viewed the Mosaic Law as the
center of the faith, the perfect revelation of the will of Yahweh for all time.
According to the rabbis, God created the universe by the Torah. His
presence dwelt in the inner sanctum of the Tabernacle, and Moses was the one
who “saw” His glory on Sinai and revealed His Law to Israel.
John’s prologue contrasts Jesus with that earlier legislation. All things were made according to the “Word” or Logos, and not according to the Torah. Light and life are found in the “Son.” The “Word” became flesh and revealed God’s “glory” to one and all.
Moses was only permitted to see the “backside”
of Yahweh’s glory, all while being hidden in the hollow of a rock. In contrast,
Jesus dwells in His very “bosom,” therefore, he is the only one who can
“declare” and reveal the unseen God - (Exodus 33:20-22, John 1:18).
Jesus is the true Tabernacle in which God now
dwells and reveals His glory. Moses certainly gave the Law, but “grace and
truth” only came through Jesus Christ - (John 1:14-17, 2:19-21, 4:20-24).
John’s purpose is not to denigrate Moses or
the Law, but to stress that God’s full and final revelation is found in Jesus, and
not in Moses, the Law, the Temple, or anywhere else.
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