His Father and our Father.

The Lord Jesus has seen the Father and knows the Father. He always does the Father's will.

Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" John 20:17)

The above verse is very meaningful to me. It seems to put everything in perspective as far as our relationship to Christ and the Father is concerned.

First, Jesus refers to us as His brothers. I don't believe He was speaking here of his physical brothers but of His disciples.

"I am returning to My Father." How can theologians maintain that Christ and the Father are one Person; that Christ is the Father in another form? Can the Father return to the Father? This is ridiculous, as I see it.

"I am returning to your Father." God is the Father of Jesus and the Father of us. Therefore Jesus and we are true brothers.

"I am returning to My God." The Father is God. Jesus is the Son of God. The Father has made Jesus God in His own right, but obviously Jesus is not the same Person as the Father. The Father is the God of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ worships the Father and obeys the Father. Let us once and for all have done with this foolishness about Jesus being the Father.

"I am returning to your God." Jesus and we worship the same God. In the midst of the Church, Jesus sings praises to God. I saw in vision one time the Lord Jesus turning to worship the Father.

No human being has ever seen the Father. Jesus Christ has seen Him. Our hope is that one day we too will be able to see the Father. I believe we shall. And why not? He is our Father. Why shouldn't we see our Father?

I am not certain many of us have grasped the fact that God is so pleased with the Lord Jesus, God is raising up brothers for His Firstborn Son. Oh I suppose we know this in a way, but I mean really grasp this fact. God has predestined us to be changed into the image of Jesus Christ that Christ might be the Firstborn among many brothers.

What an awesome fact this is! Brothers are brothers. They have the same Father. It is true that Jesus Christ came from eternity and has created all of us. But from the time He rose from the dead, a whole new world came into existence. Christ is the Firstborn of the new world of righteousness. He has paid for it with His blood.

And now we come along. We may be tiny now and of little consequence in the spirit world. But we are growing. The Divine plan is that one day we will be mature sons. Then the Lord will be able to be with us and have genuine fellowship with us. Just think of that!

It reminds us of Joseph and his brothers, doesn't it? Joseph was lord of Egypt. But Joseph truly cared for his brothers and took care of them. Although Joseph was greatly exalted, I imagine there were times when he sat down with his family and was one of them, playing with the grandchildren and so forth.

It is difficult for us to imagine ourselves being a genuine brother of Jesus Christ and being able to have fellowship with our Father. But I truly believe this is where it is all going.

To be continued.