Knowing The Father

“Knowing the Father”

John 14:7-14

Jesus was preparing His Disciples for that time when He would no longer be with them physically; after His death, resurrection and ascension. Jesus has just told the Disciples that He is going away and that could not go with Him. He told them He would come back for them someday and insisted that they knew the way to the Father. But they were not so sure. As Jesus spoke to them, they must have been thoroughly confused and filled with anxiety. How is one to maintain a relationship with someone who is no longer physically present. If Jesus is leaving and they cannot go with Him, how then are they to remain in communion with Him? I am sure that their hearts were full of questions such as:

• What will become of us?

• How are we supposed to use what we have learned?

• Why is He going away? Why won’t He stay with us?

• How are we going to survive without Him?

• Have we wasted the last three years…what is going on?

First, The Confusion of the Disciples. (14:3-7)

Jesus had just told His Disciples that, He is going to prepare a place for them and that He will come again for them. He then says, “…that where I am there may you be also (4) And where I go you know and the way you know.” That statement plainly confused Thomas, and he responds, prob-ably for all the Disciples when He said to Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where you are going, how can we know the way.” (v. 5) Even after Jesus responds to Thomas by saying, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (v. 6) he obviously is still puzzled. At the very time that the Disciples may feel that God is deserting them Jesus tells them to trust Him. Then Jesus says, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” (v. 7) Jesus explained why He was the only way to God; because He was and is the perfect representation of God. To know Jesus is to know God.

The fact that the Disciples misunderstood what Jesus said about the Cross and all of them failed to stand with Him show that they really did not know Jesus fully. But that is about to change. Jesus says, “from now on” (v. 7) pointing to a new understanding by the Disciples.

The Disciples certainly had learned and known much about God in their three years of apprenticeship under Jesus. Yet Jesus understood that since they had not yet seen the full revelation of God’s love at the cross and His power at the resurrection, there was a sense in which they would only now know and see God. They missed the sign!

Have you ever missed a sign? I have. On our first trip to Washington D.C Debbie and I proved what Country bumkins we are. When we arrived at the Subway station, we could not figure out the procedure for obtaining a ticket at the automated machine. So, we went through the turnstiles with the expectation of getting some help. Boy did we, as soon as we did an alarm sounded and people start-ed rushing toward us with guns drawn like we had robbed a bank. Somehow, we had missed the sign. Signs matter. That’s why John in his gospel account does not call the works of Jesus miracles; he calls them signs. A miracle can impress you. A sign directs you. A miracle can make you stare. A sign makes you move.

For the Confusion of the Disciples we see..

Second, The Reassurance of Jesus. (14:8-11)

• The Request (v.8)

Now it is Philip who verbalizes the confusion of the Disciples and who formulates the question on behalf of all the Disciples and is very important that we understand just what Philip is asking. “Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” (v. 8). What Philip is asking for is for a vision (deiknumi) a demonstration of God the Father. Perhaps Philip was thinking about the Old Testament saints who had been granted an immediate revelation of God’s being. Moses had asked God, “please show me your glory” (Ex. 33:18). God’s response was, “I will make my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name. “The Lord” (Ex. 33:19)

Philip is expressing the belief that if he and the other Disciples could just see God visibly with their eyes, “It would be enough.” Philip thought that such a vision would clear away any doubts that they might have. This is of course a request that most Christians can identify with. There are times when each of us wishes to experience what Philip asked for.