Monday: Revealed by the Son
Talking about the Father, John says: No one has ever seen God (John 1:18, NIV). Since the Fall of Adam and Eve, sin has hindered us from knowing God. Moses wanted to see God, but the Lord explained to him: You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live (Exod. 33:20, NKJV). Nevertheless, our priority should be to know God, because eternal life is to know the Father (John 17:3).
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
What do we especially need to know about God? See Jer. 9:23-24. Why are these things important for us to know?
In the great controversy, Satan’s main attack has been against the character of God. The devil made every effort to convince everyone that God is selfish, severe, and arbitrary. The best way to meet this accusation was for Him to live on this earth in order to demonstrate the falsehood of the charges. Jesus came to represent God’s nature and character and to correct the distorted concept that many had developed about the Godhead. The only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known (John 1:18, RSV).
Read John 14:8-10. Notice how little the disciples knew about the Father after being with Jesus for more than three years. What can we learn for ourselves from their lack of comprehension?
Jesus was sad and astonished to hear Philip’s question. His gentle rebuke actually reveals His patient love toward His dull disciples. Jesus’ response implied something like this: Is it possible that after walking with Me, hearing My words, seeing My miracles of feeding the crowds, of healing the sick and of raising the dead, you do not know Me? Is it possible that you do not recognize the Father in the works that He does through Me? The disciples’ failure to know the Father through Jesus did not mean that Jesus had misrepresented the Father. On the contrary, Jesus was sure that He had fulfilled His mission of revealing the Father in a fuller way than had ever been seen before. Therefore, He could say to the disciples: If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; . . . He who has seen Me has seen the Father (John 14:7-9, NKJV).
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Jesus wants to emphasize that he came to this earth in place of his father and every thing he does was directed by the father in heaven so through him and the thoughts directed by the father you will get salvation
Jesus and the father are one. Knowing and Seeing Jesus means Knowing and seeing God in humanity. We should seek to know jesus more and more and His character revealed in us for us to see the Father when Christ comes for us.
It's like Philip was saying, "Okay Jesus, enough of this love stuff, what's God really like?" But Jesus made sure that they were clear about the love of the Father, that the love of God was not an attribute but that God is love. They must understand, believe and live in this love. John 14:23-24 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. [24] He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
This is the central truth of our religion that is very difficult to grasp. (At least it was for me):
God the Father is like Jesus.
We are conditioned from birth to see God the Father as the harsh one and Jesus as the nice one. Even some of our salvation language can perpetuate this: eg. the idea that we hide behind Jesus whenever the Father looks in our direction.
It was Romans 8 that really opened my eyes to accept that "The Father and I are one".
Do we know Jesus better? or asking the same question as the deciples did? our character should prove to people that Jesus is our brother, friend and everything. And this will lead us to Matheww 6:9 where we with Jesus can say "Our Father ...." God bless us all. Amen!
Jesus came to reveal the father since the devil had misrepresented him,But the mindset of the disciples had to be transformed to receive heavenly things.Through the spirit.
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Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief...that was a request made by someone who was determined to remove all doubt from his mind. I believe that I was born even though I did not see my birth, but, I am here. All the evidence of other births convinces me that I exist because of this cycle of life. On the other hand, if there are no other experiences of birthing, should I not believe? Trust and obedience comes into the picture. Believing in the infinite power beyond our comprehension and obeying without proof, other than the WORD of the holy scripture will center our hearts on and in the Almighty Power of His Love. Plus the One who would give up His only Son for formed 'dust and dirt' is a manifestation of LOVE that we will ever be discovering throughout ETERNITY...
When Jesus comes to take us home, what we will learn will be beyond the limits
of our comprehension.....All of our God given senses will be beyond the limitations of our present world. Praise God. (vjf)
I think Jesus is simply telling desciples that I am the father revealed in flesh!
Sometimes I wonder if we don’t think Jesus was just putting on a show in a kind of hypocritical way. That He was just showing us what He wanted us to see, but then wouldn’t that be bearing false witness?
To me Jesus was doing what he naturally does. That simple point is what makes God’s victory in the great controversy so amazing. It wasn’t a victory by argument but by God being Himself, doing what He always does and allowing Satan to do his thing. It was a victory by demonstration!
Brother Tyler, I think you get it!
John 14:10, "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works."
Jesus is trying to make it very clear that the Father totally approves everything He has said and done. This is part of the mystery of the three in one.
I John 5:7, "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."
I agree with you Veronica Farrell that faith is key to knowing and understanding God. For "without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Heb. 11:6.
Jesus rebuked the two men traveling to Emmaus for lack of faith: "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!" Lk 24:25.
May God anoint our eyes with eye salve that we may see (understand, spiritualy) who He is and love Him for who He is. Rev. 3:18.
“Christ alone was able to represent the Deity. He who had been in the presence of the Father from the beginning, He who was the express image of the invisible God, was alone sufficient to accomplish this work.” (RH June 25, 1895)
Could this mean that the Father is visible to us only through the "face of Jesus Christ" and that Jesus is the full representation of the Godhead bodily--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?