“MANIFESTED”

6 “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.” 

John 17:6

How is Jesus' name tied to His nature and mission? 

John chapter 17 is a heartfelt prayer known as Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer.” After delivering His Farewell Discourse, Jesus now prays for Himself, the disciples, and future believers. This moment is also the start of Jesus’ “time.”

I want to emphasize two things about this verse. 

First, Jesus showed the world who God is and what He’s like. 

In verse 6, Jesus describes the work He has done, which is manifesting the Father’s name to the disciples. The Greek word for “manifested” is “phaneroo,” meaning “to manifest, whether by words or deeds.” Jesus did not manifest the Father’s name by way of blinding glory, but by gradual revelation through His teaching and deeds. 

The Jews knew God’s name as “Jehovah,” “the great I AM.” And Jesus used this name to refer to Himself when questioned by the religious leaders in chapter 8, causing them to pick up stones, ready to stone Him to death. Moreover, He used “I AM” to describe His work, i.e., the Bread of Life, the Light of the World, the Good Shepherd, etc. To the Jews, using “I AM” was the same as claiming equality with God. 

To a Jew, a name is more than just something a person is called. It is tied to his nature. A name describes his or her character. For example, Abram’s name was changed to Abraham because he was going to be “the father of many.” Simon’s name was changed to Peter because upon this “rock” Christ’s church would be built. Jesus’ name means “Jehovah saves,” because He came to seek and save the lost. 

So, when Jesus said, “I have manifested your name,” He meant that He revealed the true nature of God. He demonstrated God’s beauty and perfection to humanity. Because Jesus came down to earth, we know who God is, what He’s like, and what He can do. 

3 “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature,” 

Hebrews 1:3a

Jesus showed divine wisdom during His earthly life. But more than wisdom as a divine attribute, Jesus personified the divine Person who came to earth to save sinners. In other words, because Jesus came to earth, we now know that God isn’t just full of wisdom, but He is also filled with love because of His sacrificial death to save us. Who is God? He is our Savior. What’s He like? He is loving.

Pursue the Savior today!

Photo by Tom Hauk on Unsplash