Disciples Digital Library

The Bible speaks of the “ mysteries ” of God, His ways that are hidden from human wisdom and defy our expectations. In his teachings, Jesus declared that not everyone can understand the “ mysteries of the kingdom .” It is God who reveals the deep and obscure things to whomever He pleases. And in His Son, He has done so for all who have “eyes that can see” to behold.

The prologue of  John  introduces key themes of his gospel -  Life, Light, Witness, Truth , and  Grace . Jesus is the Light of the world, the source of Grace and Truth, the True Tabernacle, the only born Son of God, and the only one who has seen the Father. It concludes by declaring that he is the only one who is qualified to interpret the unseen God.

All God’s mysteries are revealed in Jesus, so, are we looking for revelation in the right places? - Romans 16:25.  In the contemporary church, there are discussions and even claims about discovering new “revelations” of God by accessing the “spirit realm” via visions, dreams, and the like, insights into things beyond what is recorded in the New Testament.

The letter to the Hebrews exhorts believers not to abandon Jesus when difficult times come. It does so by emphasizing the superiority of what God has done in His Son, especially by comparing the old Levitical system with its imperfect provisions to the perfect priesthood and sacrifice of Jesus, and the new covenant he inaugurated by his death and resurrection.

The power and wisdom of God have been revealed in the proclamation of the Messiah who was crucified on Calvary.  Jesus performed miracles, exorcised demons, and taught with great authority, for a time, attracting large crowds. Nevertheless, his contemporaries failed to recognize who he was despite supernatural displays of power. In the end, only the Roman centurion on duty at Golgotha perceived him to be the “son of God” when he breathed his last.

The letter to the  Hebrews  next demonstrates the superiority of the sonly word by comparing it to Moses. Implicit in its argument is the priority of the “ word spoken in the Son ” over even the Mosaic legislation, and at this point in the letter, the comparison is most appropriate. Moses certainly was the Great Lawgiver and the greatest of the prophets. Nevertheless, Jesus surpasses even him in status and glory.

Jesus is the true and only way of access to the Father, the Greater Bethel, and the House of God  – John 1:47-50.  The gospel of John presents Jesus as the  True House of God  and the means of access to the presence of God. He is the Greater  Bethel , the “ house of God ,” and from now on, heaven is open to all men, and angels are “ ascending and descending ” on the “ Son of Man .” What Jacob saw in an ancient vision has become a concrete reality in Christ.