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This year, I have had the opportunity to lead and teach our church’s Kids 4 Truth class, where our focus has been on Bibliology (the doctrine of the Bible). In one lesson, I guided the kids in thinking about the difference between general revelation (points to the existence of God) and special revelation (who God is and what He expects of us).

As I explained to the kids, the Bible is certainly a clear example of special revelation; yet Jesus Himself is also special revelation. This is precisely what we see in John 1:18, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he [Jesus] has made him known.”  As was noted, the Greek word behind “made him known” is the same word we use for “exegesis,” (which, in preaching, means to explain the original meaning of a passage). Quite literally, Jesus “exegetes” God, explaining who God is and the plan God has for mankind.

This has very practical implications when considering evangelism. When people ask, “who is God?” you can point them to the life Jesus. As the Gospels reveal, Jesus is caring and compassionate, but He is also just; so too is our Heavenly Father. As we gather with loved ones these next weeks, we will likely have opportunities to teach/remind others about the character of our great God. My encouragement is that we do so by sharing how Jesus reveals God.

Because of our sin nature, we are prone to doubt that God is who He says He is. This is especially evident when God brings different trials into our lives. Rather than doubting God, we can choose to trust that we worship a caring God, as demonstrated through Christ’s obedience in going to the cross.  The Christmas season is a time of great joy and happiness; however, I also recognize that, for many, Christmastime can be a trial.  No matter what difficult thing you are facing this holiday season, you can trust that God cares for you. Believe what Jesus reveals about the Father in verses like Matthew 6:26-30,

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”