What does God look like? Over the ages many people have pondered that. Does He look like an elderly gentleman with a flowing beard, does He wear a long monk’s robe with a corded rope belt? Or is He a giant ball of bright light? In our Gospel Scripture for this week that question is asked, as one of the disciples wanted to see God the Father. Let’s look into our Scripture passage and see what Jesus answered.
Our Scripture comes from a portion of the Upper Room discourse, where Jesus was instructing and teaching some final lessons the night before He was crucified. As we begin, one of the disciples, Philip, asked Jesus if He would show them the Father (vs. 8). Jesus answered him, and it wasn’t with a “Nope, sorry, can’t do that. You’ll just have to wait until you get to heaven.” Jesus told Philip and the rest of the group an answer which might have surprised them. He said that if they have seen Him, then they have seen the Father (vs. 9-11). Jesus’ response affirms His divine unity with God, that He is indeed God’s Son and One with Him. Seeing Jesus is seeing the Father. Everything that Jesus did was an exact representation of His Father. He is the visible manifestation of God’s nature (Colossians 1:15). Now today we don’t know exactly what Jesus looked like. We don’t know His eye or hair color, His height or weight. That is not important. What is important we have, and that is His words and His actions, which are recorded in the Bible.
In this Scripture passage we see the Doctrine of the Trinity presented. Philip wanted to see God the Father, and Jesus spoke about Him. Then Jesus affirms the fact that He, the Son, and God the Father are One. Jesus is fully God, distinct yet One with the Father. Then, a little further in the passage as we will read, we see Jesus speak of the Holy Spirit, the Helper, who the Father will send to be with believers. He is the third Person of the Trinity, again distinct yet One with the Father and the Son.
Jesus continued with His teaching, telling the disciples that if we believe in Him, we can do the works He did, and even greater works, and that whatever we ask in His Name, He will do (vs. 12-14). These are mighty promises, but we have to be careful that we know what Jesus means with these words. Jesus promised that believers will do greater works than He did. This does not mean that our works will surpass His miracles, but rather the expansion of the Gospel through the Holy Spirit’s power.
The Savior also promised that He will answer prayers said in His Name. With Jesus as our Brother, we have access to the Father, and have authority to make requests to Him. If we use the Savior’s Name we must agree with God’s purposes. Our prayers must agree with His character, and we must be living obediently to Him and His will, not our own. True prayer always aligns with God’s will and is answered accordingly.
Continuing on, we read a very clear to understand verse in verse 15, that if we love Jesus, we will keep His commandments. In other words, if we love Him, we will obey Him, we will obey what the Bible says. How many people claim to love Jesus, to be Christians, yet they pick out this or that Bible verse or passage and say that they aren’t going to follow what it says, that it doesn’t fit in with today’s society or progressive thinking. Jesus said that these people do not love Him, for if they did, they would obey His Words, they would obey the Bible.
Jesus finished this segment of Scripture with the promise that He will send the Holy Spirit to believers (vs. 16-17). The Father has sent His Spirit to be with us and in us until the day He brings us to heaven. He is all we need - our advocate, guide, helper, and comforter. Recognizing His intimate presence gives us confidence in the midst of trials, and He will dwell within believers permanently. The Holy Spirit is the seal of salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14) and empowers believers to live righteously.
As we close this Scripture, we look back and see how each Person of the Trinity is spoken of here, the God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. To deny the Trinity is to deny Scripture. We also see that true discipleship involves obedience and prayer in alignment with God’s will. Finally, believers have the gift from the Father of the Holy Spirit, who guides, convicts, and strengthens us in our walk with Jesus.
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