Accept No Imitations
In his Commentary on John’s Gospel, the great theologian and Bible scholar of the early church, Origen of Alexandria (c. 185-253 AD), wrote the following amazing paragraph.
To the extent that the Son was not known to the world (for “he was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not” – John 1:10), he was not yet glorified in the world. . . . This was no loss to Christ for not being glorified, but it was a loss to the world for not glorifying Christ. But when the heavenly Father had revealed the knowledge of Jesus to those who were of this world, the Son of Man was then glorified in those who knew him; and by the same glory with which he was glorified among those who knew him, he gave glory to those who knew him. For those who behold the glory of the Lord with unveiled face are changed into his likeness (cf. 2 Corinthians 3:18).
In this magnificent passage, Origen is referring to the words of Jesus in chapters 13 and 17 of John’s Gospel. But consider how powerful are his comments in the above paragraph, and how totally biblical he is in what he says, thoroughly rooted in the words of Jesus in John and Paul’s writing in 2 Corinthians. This is what is missing in practically all that passes for Christianity today. We use the words of Jesus not to glorify him and the Father, but to glorify human ambitions; even ambitions that are the exact opposite of what Christ taught.
John said it clearly and completely in chapter 1 verse 10, in the quote with which Origen began the paragraph quoted: “he was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not”. We still do not know Jesus Christ, and many are drifting ever further apart from who Jesus Christ is and what he brought into the world, the world which he created: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God… All things were created through him… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father…” (John 1:1-14) It’s all there, isn’t it? He is the Creator of the universe (as the Word of God who spoke everything into existence, Genesis 1). He came into the world that he created – but the world knew him not. And so also today: Many who think they know him know nothing of him.
As Origen says, this was no loss to Christ 2,000 years ago, when the world first refused to know him. And it is no loss to Christ today, when we still do not know him. But it is loss to us, who refuse to see that Jesus came to glorify us and to change us into his likeness, as Paul said clearly in 2 Corinthians 3:18, which Origen incorporates into his statement. He glorifies us, he changes us into his likeness, through the Holy Spirit. When we prefer to glorify ourselves or glorify others, we are shutting out the Lord. And it is no wonder that so many Christians are being diverted into many variations of the temptations (see Matthew 4:1-11) with which the Devil tried to divert Christ from that transformational mission he came to accomplish.
In the Bible Study series that is scheduled to begin on November 15th, we will aim to give glory to Jesus Christ and honor him only – not any of the human imitations that clutter our daily consciousness. Let us draw near to the real Jesus. We accept no imitations!