“Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’ Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it’” (John 14:8-14, NIV).
“Lord, show us the Father…” – Have we also made the request “show us the Father”?
Perhaps, not exactly to see Him physically, for He is Spirit – but to really know Him, to have an intimate knowledge of Him.
Is it also our longing or desire to grasp as much knowledge and experience about the Father – the God, whose Wisdom, Power, Love, Goodness, or Sovereignty transcends our human understanding?
Do we really want to perceive and become more acquainted with Him?
This God, according to the Scripture, said in Isaiah 43:13: “Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?" In Isaiah 45:7, we read: “I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.” And in the same book, chapter 46, verses 10 & 11, we find these words: “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please… What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.”
He also told the ancient Israelites through Moses in Exodus 3:21-22, "And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians." He can cause other people to grant favor to His own people.
He also asserted His Sovereignty in Exodus 34:24, when He told His people, “I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the LORD your God.” He can even cause the heart of other people not to covet the possession of His people.
The psalmist described Him in Psalm 115:3, as: “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.” Also, in Ps 135:6-7: “The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.” In Job 23:13, we read: “But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? He does whatever he pleases.”
God’s Word pictured Him in Lamentation 3:37-38, “Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?” We read in The Contemporary English version: “No one can do anything without the Lord’s approval. Good and bad each happen at the command of God Most High.”
We read in Ecclesiastes 7:13, “Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked?”
In the book of Ezra 1:1, we read: “…the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation…” He can move the heart of men to accomplish His Will.
And Ezra 6:22, partly states, “…the LORD… changing the attitude of the king of Assyria, so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.” He is Sovereign of sovereigns. He can change even the heart of a powerful king on earth.
As we read also in Proverbs 21:1, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.” The Good News Translation renders it this way, “The LORD controls the mind of a king as easily as he directs the course of a stream.”
Now, let’s listen to Job, as he spoke to God, “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted” (Job 23:13). In Isaiah 14:27, we read: “For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?”
Proverbs 16:9 states, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” We read it in The Contemporary English version, “We make our own plans, but the LORD decides where we will go.” We read in Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.”
And in Proverbs 20:24, “A man’s steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand his own way?” The Good News Translation states, “The LORD has determined our path; how then can anyone understand the direction his own life is taking?”
The writer of Romans declared, “…For who resists his will?" (Rom. 9:19). We read in The Good News Translation: “Who can resist God’s will?”
Yes, this Sovereign God, as we in read Ephesians 1:11 in part: “...works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.”
And Philip wanted to see or know this God intimately. Should we also say, “Show us the Father”?
But Philip stated further, “…and it is enough for us.” According to him, if Jesus would show the Father, “it is enough” for them. In our case, what is “enough” for us?
Did it ever occur to us that we no longer desire or ask for more? or wish for any other things? When could we say that we are fully satisfied or completely contented?
Do we say it is enough only when our expenses do not anymore exceed our income? when we are healed of our sickness? when we are given due recognition? when we find the solutions to the problems we are facing?
Do we say it is enough when our denomination is earning millions, baptizing thousands and building many structures?
Do we say it’s enough when we are increasing in wealth, strength and wisdom?
God’s Word thunders in Jeremiah 9:23-24, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the LORD.”
Should we not also delight more to understand and know Him? Should we not also say “It is enough for us” when we see and perceive the Almighty God, as a Loving and Merciful Father? Should we not desire and find satisfaction in experiencing His close and intimate fellowship?
We read verse 9 of John 14, “Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”?’”
Is Jesus among us? He lives among and in every believer. Paul also said in Galatian 2:20, “… I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” He who perceives the Great Power and Goodness of the Son, experiences also the Sovereign Power and Everlasting Love of the Father.
When Job grasped a glimpse of God’s Glory, what did he do?
We read in Job 42:5-6, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." Job saw how insignificant he was, how wrong he was in his perception of God, how “dirty” he was compared to the Great Holiness of God and so he repented in dust and ashes.
In the same way, if we have encountered Christ – the Light – not only we can behold the Glory of the Son, but we can also realize how sinful, how insignificant, how incompetent we are and like Job we would also repent in dust and ashes.
Not only that, those who have faith in Christ, those who are enjoying His fellowship, according to Peter, they “are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy “ (1 Peter 1:8). In the same way, if you are in the Presence of God, David wrote: “In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever” ( Ps. 16:11, NASU).
Jesus continued, “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work” (John 14:10).
We need to believe that Jesus is not only our Savior and Lord. We need also to believe He is “in the Father.” He is not just a man. As He is in the Father, the Father is in Jesus. Notice very well He did not say, He is the Father.
Jesus said, “I am in the Father…” As if He was saying, “I am God distinct from the Father….” But they are One – “I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me.” Jesus said in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one."
Do we also believe that Jesus is the Sovereign God? The words He said were not just His own. It was the Father, living in Him, who was doing the work.
Further Jesus said John 14:11, “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.” Earlier, He also said in John 10:37-38, “Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."
We should delight and find comfort and satisfaction not only in knowing that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Good Shepherd, the Light, the Bread of Life, the Resurrection, but also to know and understand that the Father is in Him and He is in the Father – that He is God!
Jesus proceeded, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12).
No human being can exceed the quality of the works of Jesus Christ. Perhaps, the extent of what we can do – for example, in preaching the good news by using modern communication, we can bring greater impact and reach more people.
But whatever work we have to perform – as a married man or woman, as a son or a daughter, as a brother or a sister, as a preacher or missionary, as a student, as a laborer, an employer, or whatever – we can only perform it for the glory of God, if we have faith in Jesus. If we believe that He is the God who is working through us.
We read in 1 Cor. 12:6, "There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men." Also in Phil. 2:13, "...for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."
Then Jesus said in John 14:13-14, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
Whatever we ask not only according to His authority, but according to His character and will as the Sovereign God – we can be sure that He will do it.
Notice, He will do whatever we ask – not to alter, improve, transform, vary, or modify something but to BRING GLORY to the Father. He will do anything we ask Him, if it is in accord with His Immutability, Faithfulness, Purpose, Love, Mercy, Justice – in agreement with His Sovereign Plan, as God. As He would respond, it would even seem to our human perspective that He would alter His plan, but God even preordained changes. He, according to Paul, “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.”
What a great comfort and encouragement to know and understand that Jesus Christ is worthy of our trust! He is not only our Savior and Lord, He is also in the Father and the Father is in Him – He is also the Sovereign God.
If we want, then, to perceive the Father and enjoy His Presence, let us fix and focus our eyes on Jesus.
PRAYER: Our Sovereign God and Loving Heavenly Father -- we are so grateful for revealing Yourself to us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. We praise You for Your Greatness and for Your Goodness. May You continue to make Yourself known to us that we may realize also our great need for You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
