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The Scriptorium

See Jesus, See the Father

What is it to know Jesus? To see Him? And the Father?

The Gospel of John: John 14.1-14

Read and meditate on John 14.7-9.
Jesus is as much of the Father as we can bear to see.

                                                                           7“If you
had known Me, you would know the Father, too.
And from now on you know the Father; you
have seen Him, too.” 8Then Philip said, “Lord, show
the Father to us; grant that we might know
Him. That will be sufficient.” 9Jesus said,
“Have I been so long with you, Philip, yet
you have not known Me? He who has seen Me
has seen the Father. Do you say to Me,
‘Show us the Father’”?
 

- John 14.7-9

Reflect
1.  Meditate on John 1.18 and Hebrews 1.3. Our purpose in life is to know God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and to glorify and enjoy Him forever. Why is Jesus so absolutely critical to our realizing this purpose? Complete this prayer: Lord, there is no way to know God except through You. And today, I want to know You better, so that…

2.  In what sense did Jesus use the word know in verse 7? What does it mean to know Jesus? How does knowing Jesus enable us to know the Father? In what sense should we expect to see the Father in Jesus? Lord, this is more than just head knowledge, more than mere information. To know You means…

3.  Philip’s comment in verse 8 reminds me of Moses, asking to see the glory of God full-on (Ex. 33.18-23). He does not seem to understand what he’s asking. The verb, “it is sufficient,” means “to be sufficient or adequate for a particular purpose, with the implication of leading to satisfaction – to be sufficient, to be adequate, to be enough” (Louw & Nida). In what sense was Philip right, and in what sense was he wrong in his thinking? Lord, You are never merely“sufficient” for us; You are always…

4.  There’s a sense in which Jesus’ entire mission to earth is summarized in what He says in the second part of verse 9: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father…” Why is this so? Why did Jesus come to earth? What are the effects of His “declaring” the Father to the world? Jesus, show me the Father by showing Yourself to me, so that I…

5.  Suppose you shared verse 9 with an unbelieving friend, and your friend responded by saying, “What do you mean, ‘see’ Jesus?” How would you answer that? What are we to see of Jesus, so that we might see the Father? How can we see this? What are the results of seeing God in this way? Bring together into one prayer the prayers you wrote for questions 1-4.

Summary
“It was not the carnal body that he had received by birth from the Virgin that could manifest to them the image and likeness of God. The human aspect that he wore could be no aid toward the mental vision of the incorporeal God. But God was recognized in Christ by those who recognized Christ as the Son on the evidence of the powers of his divine nature. And a recognition of God the Son produces a recognition of God the Father. For the Son is in such a sense the image as to be one in kind with the Father and yet in a way that indicates that the Father is his origin.” Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD)

“Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.” What is involved in this being true of every now of your life?

Closing Prayer
“I will declare the decree:
The LORD has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.’”
Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

Psalm 2.7-12

Psalm 2.7-12 (Agincourt: O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High!)
Proclaim the message far and wide, that God has exalted the Crucified!
From heav’n He sent us His only Son, Who has for us salvation won!

To Christ the Lord be given all who humbly embrace Him and on Him call.
Be wise, be warned: His judgment comes to break the prideful, sinful ones.

Rejoice with fear in Jesus’ grace, and worship before His exalted face!
Beware His anger and judgment grim: How blessed are all who rest in Him!

T. M. Moore

Each of us has a Personal Mission Field in which we are called to be disciples and make disciples. Watch this brief video (click here), then download the worksheet and map out your calling to follow Jesus.

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We are happy to offer each week’s Scriptorium studies in a free weekly PDF, suitable for personal or group use. You can download all the studies in our series on the Gospel of John by clicking here. Please prayerfully consider sharing with The Fellowship of Ailbe through your giving. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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