Each Wednesday during Lent, we are unpacking the defining traits of God one by one, discovering a God who is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and overflowing with faithful love. Tonight, we focus on the Word becoming Flesh. In John 1:18, Jesus is the one who makes God known to us. The same character you hear about in Exodus is the character trait Jesus embodies as God made man.

John 1:14-18 

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. 

Thirteen times:

John 1:18 No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known

John 6:46. Not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father

John 8:19. If you knew me, you would know my Father also

John 8:42. If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me

John 5:23. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him

John 12:45. Whoever sees me sees him who sent me

John 15:23. Whoever hates me hates my Father also

John 10:30. I and the Father are one

John 10:38. The Father is in me and I am in the Father

John 14:6. I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me

John 14:7. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him

John 14:9. Whoever has seen me has seen the Father”

John 17:3 This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent

John 14:5-11

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. 

John 10:30-39

30 I and the Father are one.” 31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came - and Scripture cannot be broken - 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.

John 17:1-3

17 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.