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Author: Stephen Weller
780 words, 4 minutes read time

Show Us the Father

Scripture: John 14:7-11

In the previous lesson we learned that Jesus was the way, the truth, and the life. In this lesson Jesus will clearly identify with the Father.

^{Jn 14:7} “If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Back in John 8:19, the Pharisees asked Jesus where his Father was and Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” John expands on this in 1 John 2:13 – 14 ESV: ¹³ “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. ¹⁴ I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

The disciples have lived with Jesus for over three years and have listened to him teach and perform many signs and have had opportunity to come to know him, but they still don’t understand who he really is. As long as Jesus is with them they have opportunity to know the Father and see him through Jesus. Jesus tries to encourage them by saying to them, “From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

^{Jn 14:8} Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”

It looks like what Jesus said did not help much as Philip asks to see the Father. Moses made a similar request in Exodus 33:18 when he asked God to show him his glory, and God said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you” (Exodus 33:19 ESV).

Ezekiel gives an example of the difficulty for us in this life in seeing God. ²⁶ “And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness with a human appearance. ²⁷ And upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around him. ²⁸ Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.” (Ezekiel 1:26 – 28 ESV).

Ezekiel explains that such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord and when he saw the appearance he fell on his face and heard the voce of one speaking.

^{Jn 14:9} Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

This side of heaven, the best the disciples can expect is to know the Father by knowing the Son because they are one God. Jesus explains that he in in the Father and that the Father is in him. The disciples want to see the Father as they see Jesus physically, but they must see the Father by seeing the characteristics of Jesus that reflect the Father.

I have studied the gospels and written lessons for five years and as I do I continue to know more about the Father by learning more about Jesus. We heard the Father speak in Matthew 3:17 and 17:5. Again and again Jesus speaks of saying only what the Father instructs him to say and doing what he sees the Father doing or instructing him to do. The works we have seen Jesus do demonstrates that he is from the Father.

Conclusion

The disciples will continue to struggle and be frustrated over what Jesus is saying about he and the Father until they receive the Holy Spirit who will lead them into all truth.