Introduction Philip makes a request that many Christians can
identify with, "Lord, show us the Father." We know that God does
not possess a tangible form. But still there are times when God
seems so remote, so untouchable, that we earnestly wish we could
see him and hear his voice in words that actually strike our
eardrums. In such moments, we believe that if we could have this
experience, then we should find it easier to live for God in an
alien world. Have you ever had such thoughts? If so, then Jesus
reply should be of great interest to you. Presentation 57
Slide 4
Knowing God Philip's question arose in the context of Christ's
teaching about knowing God. Jesus had said, "If you really knew me,
you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and
have seen him." v7. Do you grasp the meaning of that statement
immediately? No? Jesus spoke in this way in order to provoke a
discussion on this subject. He knew that when he was taken from his
disciples they would be plunged into dark despair. God would seem
remote to them. And so, he introduced the subject in order to teach
them that they had already seen God and were therefore to know him
from this time forward, whether they realised it or not.
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Slide 5
The Limitations of Seeing And so Philip says, Lord show us the
Father and that will be enough for us. The O.T. speaks of a number
of people who had some sort of glimpse of God. Philip may have been
after a similar experience. E.g. Moses asked see God's glory and
God had replied, I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of
you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. Exod.
33:19. But neither Moses, nor any other O.T. character, actually
saw God as he is in himself. Still, as far as Philip was concerned,
their experience suggested that there was a kind of spiritual wow
factor available! That was what Philip was after. Presentation
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Slide 6
The Limitations of Seeing Jesus replied by teaching what it
really means to see God, and how we see him. He began by pointing
out the limitation of the kind of seeing Philip had in mind. Philip
thought if only he could see God with his eyes he would know him.
Jesus replies, Well I have been in your plain sight for three years
and you dont seem to know me. Clearly, the kind of seeing that
Philip had in mind does not lead to a true knowledge of anyone.
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Slide 7
The Limitations of Seeing How many people believe that if they
could only see a supernatural vision or hear a supernatural voice,
they would be closer to God and could be satisfied? Oh, sometimes a
vision or a voice can help to strengthen faith. Otherwise, God
would not have given these to Moses, Elisha, Isaiah and some of the
other prophets. But visions do not necessarily help. Are we then
deprived if God does not give such visible spiritual encounters to
us? No! Philip, despite having seen Jesus in all sorts of
circumstances and over a long period of time, still did not know
him. Presentation 57
Slide 8
The Limitations of Seeing A further example of the limitations
of seeing is found in the case of Peter, James, and John, who saw
Jesus transfigured into his heavenly glory on the mountain. Here
was a spiritual experience with a real wow factor! They obviously
saw a great deal. But was this sufficient to convince them of
Christ's divinity and keep them faithful to him forever? Not at
all! Peter denied him. James was one of those who deserted him in
Gethsemane. And John, though he followed the arresting party into
Jerusalem, confessed that he did not really believe in Jesus until
after the resurrection. John 20:8. Presentation 57
Slide 9
The Right King of Seeing Jesus talks about the right kind of
seeing, which is centred entirely on himself. Jesus says, Anyone
who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the
Father'? v9. But what kind of seeing is this? This kind of seeing
is illustrated by the story of Peter and John's race to Jesus tomb
after the resurrection. Note the three different words used for
"seeing." The first is blepo, John outran Peter to the tomb, "and
looking in, saw the linen clothes lying." This is the simplest word
for "seeing." It merely means that the image of the grave-clothes
within the tomb had impressed itself upon the retina of John's eyes
- no more! Presentation 57
Slide 10
The Right King of Seeing Moments later Peter arrived, he
entered the tomb, and observed the grave- clothes. John uses a
different Greek word theoreo to describe what is happening. This
word translated as saw means to "puzzle over". Peter having entered
the tomb and seeing the empty grave-clothes begins to ask, Whats
going on why are there grave-clothes here and no body? The sight
before him puzzled him! Presentation 57
Slide 11
The Right King of Seeing Then John entered and we read, he saw
and believed. And the word translated saw is orao, which means to
see with understanding, John saw and believed. He saw and
understood that the only thing that could account for the
arrangement of the grave-clothes was a resurrection! Well it is
this third word orao that Jesus uses in John 14. Jesus says that
the one who has seen him has seen the Father. He means that the one
who perceives, understands, grasps who he is, also perceives and
grasps who God is. In English we use the phrase I see in precisely
the same way meaning, Oh, now I understand. Presentation 57
Slide 12
The Right King of Seeing In asking to be shown the Father,
Philip was asking for a demonstration. Jesus answered that what he
really needed was spiritual discernment. It is not a seeing with
our eyes but an understanding with our minds and hearts that is
all-important. Today, if physical sight were the important thing
then we are deprived since we can neither see God nor Jesus. On the
other hand, if understanding is the true seeing, then we are not
deprived at all. Indeed, we can know Jesus as well as and in
exactly the same way as he was known by his first disciples.
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Slide 13
Believing is Seeing We should not be surprised to discover that
the discussion of knowing and seeing gives way to a discussion of
belief or faith. Why? In spiritual things belief must always come
first; it is then followed by a true seeing or understanding.
Earlier in the Gospel, Jesus had said of the crowd, "Unless you
people see miraculous signs and wonders you will never believe"
4:48. Jesus goes on to turn the "Seeing is believing" dictum, upon
which this world operates, on its head. It is faith that enables us
to access spiritual realities. Presentation 57
Slide 14
Believing is Seeing Faith is not to be confused with wishful
thinking. And for this reason Jesus continues to talk about belief
on two different levels. The first level is belief in his words;
the second is belief in his works. In other words, belief is not an
airy fairy thing. It is as objective and tangible as the words and
works of Jesus. Faith includes a recognition that what Jesus says
is true. Jesus does not call for blind faith or a leap in the dark
faith. He calls for a thinking faith. He calls on us to test his
claims on the basis of the things said and the deeds done.
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Slide 15
Believing is Seeing If I were to hold before you one of my
wifes chocolate cakes and say, this is the best chocolate cake you
will ever taste. You might think, Well hes biased. He would say
that about his wifes baking. All husbands are the same. But if I
were to cut you a slice and encourage you to eat it; then that is
an entirely different situation. You are able to test my claim. You
can prove its validity for yourself. In exactly the same way the
faith that Jesus calls upon us exercise involves putting his claims
to the test. In this way we are able to make sure of their
trustworthiness. Have you tested Christ's words? Presentation
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Slide 16
Believing is Seeing An old man was dying and a Scottish
minister by the name of Innis came to see him. He asked about his
spiritual state and was told, "Mr. Innis, I am relying solely on
the mercy of God; God is merciful and he will never condemn a man
forever." When he became worse and was nearer death, Mr. Innis went
to him again. This time the man said, "Oh, Mr. Innis, my hope is
gone; for I have been thinking that if God is merciful, God is just
too; and what if, instead of being merciful to me, he should be
just to me? What would then become of me? I must give up my hope in
the mere mercy of God; tell me how to be saved." Presentation
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Slide 17
Believing is Seeing The minister then told him of Christs words
and deeds. He told him how Christ had come into the world to save
sinners. He told him how he had promised to do this by going to the
cross to die in their place, how this had been done, and how Jesus
had promised that none of those who had been given to him by the
Father should ever be lost. "Ah," said the man, "Mr. Innis, there
is something solid in that; I can rest on that. I have found that I
cannot rest on anything else." There is nothing else. Belief is
meaningless unless it rests on the words and works of Jesus.
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Slide 18
Conclusion But perhaps even now you feel that your faith is too
small and that you will therefore never come to see God. If this is
the case, notice that before he moves on to other subjects Jesus
stops to say a word just to you. You may not be able to believe on
the basis of his teaching alone, he argues. But you can surely
believe on the basis of what he has done. 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 miracles themselves v11. To believe
on the basis of the miracles is not the best kind of faith, but it
is true faith regardless. It is better than no faith at all.
Presentation 57