Point of Inspiration: Devotionals for Personal and Corporate Worship
The Divine Consciousness of Christ
Robert D. Pace
Years ago, while contemplating the divine consciousness of Christ, I wondered how Jesus, the mortal man, discovered that he was also the divine Son of God? At some precise point in his life, Jesus realized that Jehovah, not Joseph, was his Father. But how did he sort and settle this mystery? This can be perplexing and I’ve heard numerous responses:
One says, Mary told Jesus he was a special child. She told him of his virgin birth and that God was his Father. However, many adoring moms have told their child, “You are special!”
Others may speculate that Jesus experienced “Divine Consciousness” when he explored his ancestry at the Temple in Jerusalem, where the Jews kept genealogical records. This could have “officially” documented that he was the “Son of David” born in Bethlehem, just as the Old Testament prophets predicted.
And then others may suggest that Jesus knew God in Heaven was his Father because his miracles validated he was divine and more than mortal! But here again numerous Old Testament prophets had worked miracles.
So what is the answer? How did Jesus resolve that the Almighty God was his Father? In my reflection of this, it has become clear that Jesus discovered his divinity because his Father was no ordinary father!
Imagine for a moment the perfect nature of our Heavenly Father. He is infinite in knowledge; complete in wisdom; and ever-aware of what his children need. As such, it was more important for the perfect Heavenly Father to disclose himself to Jesus than for Jesus seeking out the nature and identity of his father. This means, in some compelling and convincing manner, God manifested himself to his son Jesus and disclosed full awareness of fatherhood. No doubt, this is why Christ exclaimed, “No one has seen the Father except the Son!” And when the Father gave his son this divine disclosure of himself the perfect Son of God accepted the revelation of his divinity!
Now, how does the divine consciousness of Christ speak to you—personally? It can be applied this way: God is your perfect Heavenly Father too! And it is your Heavenly Father’s highest ambition to lead, care, and reveal himself to you. This doesn’t mean that we can live in wanton and reckless ways and leave it to the Heavenly Father to reign us in. Like Jesus, it is imperative that we fully submit to God. In so doing, we too will experience the perfect nature of our Heavenly Father manifested to us.