7 If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
John 14:7
Since my son was born, many have told us how much we look alike. One of the more interesting occurrences happened when my son was in college and trying to come up with a new password for one of his apps. One of his roommates suggested “walkslikedad.” When my son asked his friend what he meant, he said that after seeing my son and me together, he thought not only did we look alike, but we even walked alike.
What was Jesus’ mission when He was on the earth? Of course, His mission was multifaceted. He said He came “to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45), to call people to “repent” (Matthew 4:17), and, most of all, to show us God the Father through His words and deeds (John 8:19).
The setting for John 14:7 is Jesus’ last meal with His disciples the night before He was crucified. Jesus had repeatedly told His disciples that He must suffer and die (Luke 9:21; 17:25). Now the time had almost come, and He wanted to prepare them for what was about to happen. Jesus assured them that although He was leaving, one day He would return and take them to be with Him (John 14:3).
He then added that they already knew the way to where He was going (14:4). But Thomas, who always wanted absolute assurance and clarity, told Jesus they knew neither His destination nor the way to where He was going (14:5). Jesus quickly assured Thomas and the others that they knew both. Jesus was going to be with His Father, and He was the way, the only way, to the Father (14:6).
What Jesus’ disciples had not grasped was that Jesus was not only a God-like man, but also God. They still could not clearly see Jesus’ deity. Jesus’ answer to Thomas was so simple and direct: once they truly knew His identity, then they would be able to see both Him and Father clearly. However, that clarity would not come until Jesus died and rose again.
Because we live in light of Jesus’ resurrection, we have an advantage over His first disciples. When we see Jesus, we look through the filter of both His death and the empty tomb. And when we see Jesus, we also see God the Father.
Questions to Ask Yourself
- How does what you know about Jesus affect how you view God the Father?
- How does what you know about God the Father affect how you view His Son Jesus?
- How does understanding their relationship with each other affect your relationship with both of them?
- How is your life different because of your relationship with God the Father and God the Son?