 |  |
flesh". He became "the Light of the world" and the believer was able to see the glory of
God in the face of Jesus Christ. He told His disciples that "he that hath seen Me hath
seen the Father", and so the Apostle, looking up to the right hand of the Father, could say:
"He hath declared Him."
The word "declare" here is exegeomai (giving our word "exegesis"), and means
literally "to lead out". The word occurs six times in the New Testament, including the
passage in Luke 24::
"And they told what things were done in the way, and how He was known of them in
the breaking of bread" (Luke 24: 35).
The other occurrences are in Acts 10: 8; 15: 12 & 14; and 21: 19.
It is not surprising, seeing that in this prologue John has taken up the language of
philosophy, to find that this word "declare" was a technical term much used in
connection with speaking by oracle, and interpreting things regarded as being Divine.
Christ is the true Interpreter of God to man. He came from heaven, not to demonstrate
His own Deity, but to show us what the invisible God was like. Those who have rightly
"seen" Christ, have "seen" the Father. We know what the love of God is, because we
have seen it manifested in Christ. We know His patience, His peace, His power,
His mind, His will--we know Him, for the "Only Begotten Son" has given Him a
complete exposition. He is our Interpreter, our Mediator, our Daysman. He has "shown"
us the Father "and it sufficeth us".
The prologue has now accomplished its purpose. The Gospel itself now await us, and
from first to last we shall discover that in it the Son of God is manifesting, revealing,
interpreting the Father to His children. It must now be our delightful task to endeavour to
open up these treasures and exhibit them for the blessing and comfort of the believer, and
to the glory of the Lord.