Show Us The Father

ByJim Stephens

Scripture: John 14:1-14 (Click link for scripture in Bible Gateway)

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do. (John 14:8–11 NLT)

Philip: “Master, just show us the Father, that’s all we’re asking!”

Jesus: “Philip, after three-plus years, us being together almost 24/7, you hearing everything I’ve said, seeing everything I’ve done, do you still not know who I am?” “Let’s go through this one more time! I’ll go slow. Stay with me now. Here we go:

1) Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. (Have you seen me, Philip?)

2) The words I speak are the Father’s words. (Have you heard me, Philip?)

3) The works I do are the Father’s works. (Have you watched me, Philip?)

4) OK, Believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. (Do you believe me?) Philip: “Yes, Master!”

Jesus: “OK, Philip, what does the Father look like?”

Philip: “Just like you, Master!”

The Father had been walking and talking with them. The Father had been teaching them, showing them his love and care, demonstrating his power, and fulfilling every prophecy ever given about coming to save his people. Yet they didn’t see him!  The truth has been hidden in plain sight all my life and I still didn’t get it!

  • God spoke it on the mountain, “This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)
  • Jesus stated it plainly to his disciples, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!” (John 14:9)
  • Paul explains it to the church, “…Christ is the visible image of God…for God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ!” (Colossians 1:15-19)

Here’s the point, friends: As you think about that picture, image, concept of God you’ve learned from the culture, from Sunday School classes, from reading through the Old Testament, from listening to preachers, from discussions with well-meaning friends: If you have an image of God that doesn’t look like Jesus, it’s not God!

Prayer:

Father, I believe that Jesus looks like you and you look like Jesus! Amen!