John 14:9-11 — Seeing the Father — Aneel Aranha
Hello and welcome to the Bite-Sized Gospel. Today, we will reflect on John 14:9-11. Listen.
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 I do not speak on my own authority. 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 works themselves."
In this passage, Jesus responds to Philip’s request to see the Father. His answer reveals a profound truth about his identity and his relationship with the Father.
Jesus expresses surprise that Philip doesn't recognize who he is, even after spending so much time with him. He makes a stunning claim: "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." In other words, Jesus is the perfect revelation of God the Father.
This is not to say that Jesus is the Father. Instead, Jesus is so intimately connected with the Father that to see Jesus is to see the very character and nature of God. As the apostle Paul later wrote, Jesus is the "image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15).
Jesus goes on to explain that he is in the Father, and the Father is in him. This speaks to the deep unity and mutual indwelling of the Father and the Son. It's a unity that is so profound that Jesus' words and actions are not merely his own but the very words and actions of the Father.
Jesus calls his disciples to believe this truth. If they struggle to grasp it, he urges them to at least believe in the evidence of his works. The miracles that Jesus performed were signs that pointed to his divine identity and his unity with the Father.
As we reflect on these verses, let's ask ourselves: Do we see the Father when we look at Jesus? Do we recognize the profound unity of the Son and the Father? And does this truth shape how we relate to Jesus?
May we, like Philip, seek to know Jesus more deeply and, in doing so, come to know the Father.
God bless you.