How does John 1:18 connect with Exodus 33:20 about seeing God? two complementary verses Exodus 33:20: “But He added, ‘You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.’” John 1:18: “No one has ever seen God; but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known.” what Exodus 33:20 teaches • God’s unveiled glory is lethal to fallen humanity; His holiness is absolute. • The warning is literal: a direct, face-to-face encounter with God’s essence would overwhelm and destroy. • Even Moses, “whom the LORD knew face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:10), was allowed only a shielded glimpse of God’s back (Exodus 33:22-23). • The verse establishes a fixed boundary: sinful people cannot break through to God on their own terms. what John 1:18 reveals • “No one has ever seen God” echoes Exodus 33:20, reaffirming that the Father’s essence remains invisible to humanity. • “The one and only Son, who is Himself God… has made Him known”—Jesus uniquely bridges the gap. • The Greek verb exēgēsato (“made Him known”) carries the idea of a detailed, explanatory unveiling; Jesus is the perfect exposition of the unseen Father. • By taking on flesh (John 1:14) the Son shields us from the fatal brilliance of deity while still giving a true, personal revelation of God. bridging the two passages • Old-Testament theophanies (e.g., Genesis 32:30; Exodus 24:9-11; Isaiah 6:1-5) were partial, mediated displays—glimpses, not the full face. • 1 Timothy 6:16 underscores the same truth: God “dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see.” • John identifies the Mediator: – Colossians 1:15: “He is the image of the invisible God.” – Hebrews 1:3: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature.” – John 14:9: “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father.” • Therefore: – Exodus pronounces the impossibility. – John proclaims the provision. – The unseeable God becomes knowable in the incarnate Son without compromising His holiness or our safety. why this matters today • Scripture’s unity stands—Old and New Testaments agree: God is both transcendent and, through Christ, immanent. • Assurance: because Jesus alone has seen and perfectly knows the Father, His words and works are entirely trustworthy (John 5:19-23). • Invitation: by faith we approach God confidently, yet reverently, through the only unveiled image He has given—His Son (Hebrews 4:14-16). |
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