At the beginning of January, the Christian church celebrates Epiphany – the revealing of Jesus Christ to the world when the Magi (or ‘wise men’) visited Mary, Joseph and Jesus bringing presents of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Christians see the life of Jesus as one of the most significant ways in which God has revealed himself to us. When asked by one of his disciples “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us”, Jesus replied “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”. (John 14:8-9)
The idea that, as mortal men and women, we can in any way know the God who created and sustains the world is utterly amazing. If God wanted to remain completely hidden from us then that would be completely within his power to do. But the experience of many people from Biblical times down to the present day is that God wants to reveal himself to us. God does not force himself on those who are unwilling – but loves to reveal himself to anyone who is open to the possibility of knowing him.
If we want to get to know God today through Jesus then a good place to start is by reading about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in one of the four gospels included in the Bible. The whole Bible is God’s word through which he reveals himself to people – some parts are harder to understand than others – most people find the gospels at the beginning of the New Testament section are much easier than starting at the beginning.
To help us understand the Bible and get to know God through it, it is really useful to meet with others who are also seeking to get to know God better, by attending a church. You would be very welcome at any of our church services – whether you know God already or are just wondering whether he is really there at all.