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NOTES
Jesus Unfiltered
“What is God Really Like?”
Pastor Carl Nichols
John 1:15–18
15 John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, ‘This is the one I spoke about when I said, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.”’ 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
Who gave you your picture of God?
What if the picture of God you’ve been living with needs correcting?
If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus and let what you see change how you live.
John 1:15–18
15 John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, ‘This is the one I spoke about when I said, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.”’ 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
“The Word became flesh” — God the Son entered human life.
“Made his dwelling among us” — He came near and lived among us.
“Full of grace and truth” — Jesus reveals God’s kindness and faithfulness without compromising what is true.
Jesus brings God’s grace into full view
John 1:16–17
16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
“Has made him known” — Jesus reveals the unseen Father.
John 14:6–11
6 Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’ 8 Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ 9 Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.
QUESTION - So what do we actually see, and what should it change?
WATCH…HOW JESUS TREATS PEOPLE
Watch Him touch someone others avoid - Mark 1:40
Watch Him welcome children others consider an interruption - Mark 10:13–16
Watch Him cross ethnic barriers others accept - John 4:4–10
Watch him make a Samaritan the example of neighbor-love his hearers must follow - Luke 10:25–37
Watch him rebuke disciples who wanted to call down fire on a Samaritan village - Luke 9:51–56
Watch him send his followers to make disciples of every nation - Matthew 28:18–20
Watch him stop for a blind beggar the crowd tried to silence - Mark 10:46–52
Watch him weep beside the grave of someone he loves - John 11:33–36
Watch him affirm a woman’s place at his feet, learning his words - Luke 10:38–42
Watch him restore a suffering woman and defend her dignity - Luke 13:10–17
Watch him stop for a woman who hoped to go unnoticed—and call her “Daughter” - Mark 5:25–34
Watch him entrust a woman with the news that he had risen - John 20:11–18
WATCH… HOW JESUS HOLDS GRACE AND TRUTH TOGETHER
Watch him confront sin and provide hope to this sinner - John 4:16–20
Watch him confront a rich man about his greed, yet offer him hope - Mark 10:17–22
Watch him forgive a woman others reduced to her reputation - Luke 7:36–50
Watch him enter the home of a man everyone called a sinner - Luke 19:1–10
Watch him restore the disciple who denied him - John 21:15–19
Watch him meet Thomas in his doubt and call him to believe - John 20:24–29
Watch him confront traditions used to avoid honoring parents - Mark 7:9–13
Watch him correct his own disciple when Peter resists the way of the cross - Matthew 16:21–23
Jesus loves people too much to leave them with a lie.
WATCH… WHERE JESUS TURNS UNDER PRESSURE
Watch him withdraw and pray when demands increase - Luke 5:15–16
Watch him withdraw and pray before a demanding day - Mark 1:35–38
Watch him answer temptation with Scripture instead of negotiation - Matthew 4:1–11
Watch him love a wealthy man enough to confront what owned his heart - Mark 10:17–22
Watch him refuse to soften hard teaching when followers walk away - John 6:60–69
Watch Him bring His anguish to the Father and choose obedience even when it hurts - Mark 14:32–36
Watch him refuse a crown when the crowd’s plans conflict with his mission - John 6:14–15
Watch him obey his Father even when obedience leads to the cross - John 14:30–31
WATCH… HOW JESUS SERVES OTHERS
Watch him wash the feet of the very men who would deny him and betray him - John 13:1–17
Watch him define serving as giving his life for others - Mark 10:45
WATCH… HOW FAR JESUS LOVE GOES
Watch him willingly lay down his life for sinners - John 10:17–18; 19:16–30
Watch Jesus long enough, and you’ll see
…love that reaches the rejected
…truth that refuses to excuse sin
…and obedience that goes all the way to the cross.
That is the heart of the Father made known to us.
What should we change?