God in nature has revealed Himself, as it were, inarticulately and indistinctly; but, in His Son, He has revealed Himself as a man declares his inmost thoughts, by distinct and intelligible speech. Jesus is to the Father what speech is to us; He is the unfolding of the Father’s thoughts, the revelation of the Father’s heart.¹ So says, Spurgeon. Along with this line, Jesus asked his disciples a compelling question. The answer required revelation from God. Do you know the answer to this question?

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The Start of All Revelation

Matthew 16:13–18 (KJV) — 13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

• All revelation in a person’s life starts with having the correct answer to this Jesus question in verse thirteen, ‘Who do men say that I am?’
• It is fundamentally important to know Jesus true identity.
• Is He just a man or is He the Son of God who came as a man?
• Religions all over the world differ on this exact question.
• It’s not water baptism formulas or differences in belief concerning the Great Tribulation which separate religion from Christianity.
• The main question which must be addressed is ‘Who is Jesus to you?’
• If you don’t know Him in saving grace, how can you have a revelation in walking grace?

How Can You Have a Revelation of His Kingdom?

• The Pharisees of Jesus day had their own opinion of Jesus.
• Pharisees believed in the doctrine of the Metempsychosis, or transmigration of souls.
• It was upon this ground that they believed that the soul of the Baptist, or of Elijah, Jeremiah, or some of the prophets, had come to a new life in the body of Jesus. ²
• The religious leaders of Jesus day had a high regard for His ministry to classify him with such Jewish heavyweights as Elijah and Jeremiah.
• The sad part of the Pharisees belief system is that Jesus did so many miracles in their presence and yet they didn’t have a clue who He was.

John 5:36–40 (KJV) — 36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. 37 And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. 39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

Revelation and Miracles

• One day the Spirit of God said these words in my spirit.

“Don’t downplay miracles for they are a tremendous display of my ability and my love. People can receive revelation by means of these tremendous works if they will have open hearts instead of closed minds.”

• Closed minds are the real issue, a willful refusal to hear.
• It’s more that than working through who Jesus is.
• The gleaned principle here is that if your heart is not open to His Word, your not going to have heavenly revelations from Him.
• It’s our open honest hearts, it’s our great desire to know Him which are the foundations for learning the precious things of God.
• In verse seventeen Jesus said to Peter, ‘Flesh and blood has not bought you this revelation.’
• Flesh and blood never will.

Men Can Never Impart Spirit Truth

• You can yearn for family members to see Jesus truth as you do.
• You may wish to open their heads and pour in your knowledge of God.
• But, every man has to acquire God’s wisdom in the same way.
• They have to first answer the question, ‘Who is the Christ?’
• Jesus is the Rock, the foundation cornerstone of the church.
• This truth can only come to us by means of revelation.
• It came to me that way when I heard the truth of the gospel some forty years ago.
• The gentleman that the Lord used to witness to me ministered the Word faithfully to me and my heart came alive.
• Revelation is the very foundation of any Christian life.

Call to Action:

You can pray for a family member who is not seeing the truth of God’s Word. Ephesians 1:16-23 is the pattern prayer you should pray. Take Paul’s prayer and insert the name of your loved one and watch the Holy Spirit unveil Jesus to them.

Question: Detail a specific revelation you received from God. How did it change your life? Please share your thought in the comments section below.