December 9

Christ's Revelation Of God

Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? — John 14:8-9 BSB

Philip’s question reflected the growth of his soul. Just three short years before, Christ had found him, a young man much like others of his time—concerned about the arrival of the Messiah but with limited and narrow views. He expected Christ’s coming to mean the re-establishment of David’s kingdom and freedom from Roman oppression. But three years with Jesus had made an extraordinary difference. Now, Philip was no longer satisfied with seeing the Messiah; he wanted to know the Father: “Show us the Father, and it will be enough for us.”

Yet this request was based on a misunderstanding. Philip wanted to see the Father, but how can you make Wisdom, Love, or Purity visible except in a human life? Philip was so focused on seeking something transcendent that he missed the revelation of the Father that had been right in front of him for three years. Jesus said, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?”

Jesus revealed the Father in His works (John 14:10-11). His miracles are like pages from God’s diary. We should not simply say, “This is what Christ did,” but rather, “This is what God is always doing—healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, restoring the broken, and raising the dead.”

Jesus reveals the Father in answering our prayers (John 14:13). He is always eager to answer our petitions, so that we might come to know the nature and glory of God our Father.

He reveals the Father by giving us the Holy Spirit, who comes to live within us. No miracle can show us more of God than the Spirit does when He imparts to us the divine nature. When Jesus says that He will reveal Himself to the obedient soul, and that the Father will make His home with us, He not only shows us the Father, but He gives us the Father (John 14:21-23). Through Jesus’ life and ministry, both on earth and throughout history, we see the Father in all His sweetness, tenderness, and strength—a love that fills the universe.

Prayer

We thank You, Lord Jesus Christ, for revealing the Father to us and bringing us close to God. Make us pure in heart, both in our actions and in our inner attitudes, so that we may always see God and not be hindered by our own nature. Amen.