“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” (Heb. 1:3 NIV)
When the Lord Jesus Christ was physically present in the world, He did not merely radiate or manifest God’s glory, nature, or character; He was the brightness or radiance of God’s glory and the express image of God’s person.
The Scripture clearly states this truth.
Hebrew 1:3 – NIV
3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
The Lord Jesus was God manifested in the flesh. While Jesus was in the world, He was not less than God, except that He was God veiled in the flesh.
The Lord Jesus said, “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30 NKJV).
The Scripture testifies that Jesus was God manifested in the flesh.
1 Timothy 3:16 – NKJV
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
Jesus Christ is God’s ultimate or supreme revelation to humanity; “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” (Col. 2:9 NKJV).
The patriarchs, saints, or prophets of old manifested or reflected God’s glory in varying degrees. God manifested Himself in and through them in diverse and undeniable ways.
When Moses returned from God’s presence after spending forty days and forty nights on Mount Sinai, his face shone with God’s glory (Exo. 34:29). But that glory never lasted throughout his life; it gradually diminished and vanished over time.
Whatever glory, character, wisdom, or power of God the patriarchs or prophets of old manifested is infinitely minute compared with God manifested to us in the flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ.
Unlike the saints or prophets of old, Jesus Christ did not just manifest God’s glory and character; He was the glory and person of God manifested to us. It was only in and through Jesus Christ that all the fullness of the Godhead was made known to us.
The Scripture refers to Jesus Christ as “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.” (Heb. 1:3 NIV).
Only in Christ Jesus was God’s glory perfectly revealed to us!
Similarly, Jesus Christ did not simply manifest God’s power and wisdom to us; He was the power and wisdom of God manifested to us.
Paul explains to “those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Cor. 1:24 NKJV).
Jesus Christ did not just manifest God’s grace to us; He was the grace of God that brought salvation to all men.
Titus 2:11 – NKJV
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
Jesus Christ did not just bring us eternal life; He was the eternal life with the Father and manifested to us in due time.
1 John 1:1-2 – NKJV
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life–
2 The life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us.
While in the world, everything that Jesus Christ said, taught, and did was a perfect revelation of God’s person, mind, will, nature, or character. This cannot be said of any of the patriarchs, prophets, or saints of old.
All the supernatural manifestations of God seen in the lives of the saints of old or the ministries of the prophets of old are infinitely or immeasurably minor compared to Jesus Christ—the very image of God’s substance, person, or essence.
Jesus Christ is the ultimate revelation of God’s love, glory, wisdom, truth, power, nature, and character to humankind. His lifestyle, mindsets, values, attitudes, words, and teachings are God’s perfect standard for us.
Whether living or dead, no one else is God’s perfect standard or example for us to measure up to or follow in everything.
Therefore, you must ensure that you are not mindlessly following any religious, church, or spiritual leader. Whatever any leader says, teaches, or does that is not consistent with that of Christ must be vehemently rejected. The Scripture admonishes you to withdraw from a heretical and rebellious person or people (1 Tim. 6:3-5, Jud. 1:3, 2 John 1:9-11).
While it is true that every scripture, whether in the Old or the New Testament, is inspired by God and undoubtedly profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, there is a significant difference between the Old and the New Testaments.
The difference is much more than a blank page that separates them in your Bible. Unfortunately, many believers and preachers today still don’t recognize the remarkable differences between the Old and New Testaments.
The Old Testament is an accurate Word of God. All that it reveals or teaches about God is the truth, but not the final, complete, perfect, supreme, or ultimate truth and revelation of God.
Until Jesus Christ came, we did not have a perfect or complete revelation of God’s person, nature, character, mind, will, and truth to humanity. None of the saints or prophets of old had a complete revelation of God. All they had and documented for us was a partial revelation of God.
This does not discredit the Old Testament or diminish the validity of the divine inspiration and authority of any of its scriptures. However, caution is called for today in interpreting and applying the Old Testament.
Knowing that the Old Testament is not a complete, final, or supreme revelation of God’s person, glory, power, wisdom, nature, or character, you must, therefore, be careful not to practice, adopt, follow, or abide in any of the teachings or truths written in the Old Testament if it does not entirely conform to that taught by Jesus Christ and His early apostles written in the New Testament.
As a New Testament believer, you are called to abide in Christ’s word, teaching, or doctrine and not that of any patriarchs, prophets, or saints in the Old Testament.
Therefore, the Lord Jesus told those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.” (John 8:31 NKJV).
While we can learn many good lessons from the patriarchs, prophets, or saints of old, they are not God’s perfect standards, models, or examples for you, for they were not and did not have a perfect or supreme revelation of God.
The Lord Jesus Christ is God’s only supreme revelation or manifestation to humanity. Therefore, He is the only true standard, model, or example to follow.
The entire body of teaching, taught and delivered personally by Christ or through the Holy Spirit to the early apostles, is the divine, authoritative, perfect, supreme, ultimate, or final truth about everything. It is God’s mind perfectly revealed to us on every issue or subject!
While it is true that God in times past has spoken to us in various ways, through multiple prophets and saints of old, in these last days God has spoken to us through Jesus Christ, His Son, who was the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person.
Hebrews 1:1-2 – BBE
1 In times past the word of God came to our fathers through the prophets, in different parts and in different ways;
2 But now, at the end of these days, it has come to us through his Son, to whom he has given all things for a heritage, and through whom he made the order of the generations.
The word or teaching of Jesus Christ on every issue or subject is the final, supreme, or ultimate truth or authority on the topic or subject.
Therefore, whatever truths about God that Moses or any of the great prophets of old had and taught, written in the Old Testament, must be examined or judged in light of Christ’s character, word, or teaching. They must be cast aside if they contradict Christ’s character, word, or teaching!
Beloved, why would you still want to hold fast to or seek to conform to imperfect truths when Christ has brought you God’s perfect truth or revelation? If you hold to, follow, or abide in any teaching or doctrine different from Christ’s, you don’t know or have God (2 John 1:9).
Prayer:
Dear Holy Spirit, teach and help me discern and shun all distractions so that I may constantly behold the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in the mirror of God’s Word, in Jesus’ name. Amen.