The Mutual Indwelling Of The Father And The Son
JOHN 14:7-14
The context of the words remains the same:
§ Jesus is going away and the disciples are “troubled in heart” [14:1].
§ Jesus exhorts them to: “carry on believing in God; carry on believing in me” [14:1].
§ The separation is temporary: “I go to prepare a place for you…I will come again” [14:2-3].
§ Heaven is prepared for them: “in my Father’s house…I go to prepare a place for you” [14:2].
In answer to Thomas’s question, Jesus says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” [14:6].
§ The emphasis here is that Jesus ‘in his person’ is all of the above; not that he ‘builds’ or ‘prepares’ the way apart from himself; His Person is the “way…” [14:6].
§ Going or coming to the Father is the same as coming to Jesus: “no man comes to the Father, but by me” [14:6].
Practical Philip in the present context is portrayed as trying to make sense out of what must have seemed to him as Jesus’ ethereal talk about himself and God. So he asked Jesus to get practical and show the disciples the Father. If Jesus did that, they could dispense with any further discussion on the subject.
- THE PRESENT CONDITION OF FAITH
1. Jesus’ Statement
Jesus’ concluding statement in response to Thomas: “if you had known me, you should have known the Father also…” [14:7].
a. Knowledge of Jesus
The disciples’ present condition: “if you had known me…” [14:7].
§ εἰ - “if” [14:7], used with the indicative to express a condition of fact regarded as true or settled’; ‘since’;
§ ἐγνώκατέ - “known” [14:7], perfect indicative active, ‘to learn from experience’; ‘to know personally’;
i. Presence of Faith
Faith with reference to Jesus: “you believe in God, believe also in me” [14:1].
§ πιστεύετε - “believe” [14:1], present active imperative, ‘believe to the extent of complete trust’;
§ εἰς ἐμὲ - “in me” [14:1], ‘in the direction of’; ‘motion towards and into’;
§ The present imperative gives the meaning of ‘keep on believing in me’.
b. Knowledge of the Father
The consequence of knowing Jesus: “you should have known my Father…” [14:7].
§ καὶ - (“and”) [14:7], conjunction, ‘introducing a result from preceding circumstances’;
§ γνώσεσθε - “known” [14:7], future indicative middle, ‘to learn from experience’; ‘to know personally’;
i. Entrée
Knowledge of Jesus is the entrée to true knowledge of the Father: “from henceforth you know…” [14:7].
§ ἀπʼ ἄρτι - “from henceforth” [14:7], ‘from this time’; ‘from now on’; ‘assuredly’;
§ γινώσκετε - “know” [14:7], present indicative active, ‘to learn from experience’; ‘to know personally’;
§ ἑωράκατε - “seen” [14:7], perfect indicative active, from ὁράω ‘to see or to look’ and ‘to see or perceive’;
Application
God has made known his ‘gracious self-disclosure’ definitively, gloriously, and visibly in Jesus Christ.
2. Philipp’s Faith
The disciples’ faith has not yet grasped what is happening in the person of Jesus.
a. Philipp’s Request
Philipp’s response to Jesus: “Lord, show us the Father…” [14:8].
§ δεῖξον - “show” [14:8], aorist imperative active, ‘to make known’; ‘to demonstrate’; ‘to disclose’;
§ τὸν πατέρα - “Father” [14:8],
b. The Satisfaction
Such a revelation of God would satisfy the disciples: “it suffices us” [14:8].
§ ἀρκεῖ - “suffices” [14:8], present indicative, ‘to be sufficient’; ‘to be satisfied’;
§ Philipp and the disciples would be satisfied with a vision of God the Father.
Application
Philipp wanted to see the Father with his physical eyes; he wants direct access to the Father; he was asking for a theophany.
§ Philipp’s question shows the limitations of his knowledge and of his faith.
§ A question of ‘living by sight’ and ‘not by faith’.
§ What the disciples lacked was not genuine faith: “keep on believing in me” [14:1], but genuine faith in full measure.
- JESUS THE REVELATION OF GOD [14:7-11]
1. Jesus’ Rebuke
Jesus responds with a gentle rebuke: “Have I been so long time with you…” [14:9].
§ τοσούτῳ - “so long” [14:9], ‘so many, much’; ‘to such a great degree’;
§ χρόνῳ - “time” [14:9], ‘indefinite amount of time’;
§ μεθʼ ὑμῶν – “with you” [14:9], ‘in the midst of’; ‘among’;
a. The Rebuke 1
The rebuke of Philipp’s ignorance: “yet hast thou not known me…” [14:9].
§ οὐκ ἔγνωκάς – “not known” [14:9], perfect indicative active singular, ‘to learn from experience’; ‘to know personally’;
i. Earlier Statement
The earlier, apparently positive, statement: “if you have known me…” [14:7].
§ ἐγνώκατέ - “known” [14:7], perfect indicative active plural, ‘to learn from experience’; ‘to know personally’;
§ Now Jesus is saying that Philipp ‘did not really know him at all’.
b. Rebuke 2
The second expression of rebuke: “Do you not believe that I am…” [14:10].
§ οὐ πιστεύεις - “not believe” [14:10], present indicative active, ‘to believe to the extent of complete trust’; ‘knowledge, assent, and trust’; ‘to have faith in’;
Application
If those closest to Jesus still display ignorance of who he is, despite loyalty to him, they attest their profound spiritual blindness.
§ Being “with” Jesus throughout his ministry does not guarantee the deepest insight, insight into the truth that all of Jesus’ actions and words have supported, and which he now goes on to articulate.
2. Jesus’ Self-Revelation
a. Revelation of the Father
The truth of Jesus’ actions and words: “he that has seen me has seen the Father…” [14:9].
§ ὁ ἑωρακὼς - “seen” [14:9], perfect active participle, from ὁράω ‘to see or to look’ and ‘to see or perceive’;
§ ἐμὲ - “me” [14:9],
§ ἑώρακεν · - “seen” [14:9], perfect indicative active, from ὁράω ‘to see or to look’ and ‘to see or perceive’;
§ τὸν πατέρα - “Father” [14:9],
§ πῶς - “how” [14:9], question marker,
b. Personal Agency
Jesus is proclaimed to be the agent of the Father: “I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” [6:38].
§ In the Jewish definition of agency: ‘the one sent is as he who sent him’.
§ So the Rabbinic principle: ‘a man’s agent is like to himself’.
§ That model is adequate to account for the model of discipleship: “He that receives whomsoever I send receives me; and he that receives me receives him that sent me” [13:20].
§ This ‘envoy model’ is now outstripped; we are now dealing in unique sonship language [5:19ff].
c. The Mutual Indwelling
The mutual indwelling: “I am in the Father, and the Father is in me…” [14:10].
§ ἐν - “in” [14:10], ‘withinness’; denoting ‘static position’;
§ τῷ πατρὶ - “I am in the Father” [14:10],
§ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί - “Father in me” [14:10],
§ ἐστιν - “is” [14:10], present indicative active, ‘to be’; ‘to exist’;
i. Perichoresis
The perichoresis of the Persons in the Trinity was first used by the early Church fathers.
§ pericwrhjsj – from cwra, the Greek word for ‘space or room’, plus peri, ‘to surround’;
§ The perichoresis indicates a sort of mutual containing or enveloping of realities, which we also speak of as co-inherence or co-indwelling.
§ The three Persons mutually dwell in one another and co-inhere or in-exist in one another while nevertheless remaining other than one another and distinct from one another.
§ With this application the notion of perichoresis is refined and changed to refer to the complete mutual containing or interpenetration of the three divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in one God.
Application
Formula of reciprocal immanence
3. Jesus’ Self-Revelation of God & His Ministry
a. Teaching
Jesus’ teaching: “the words that I speak unto you…” [14:10].
§ τὰ ῥήματα - “words” [14:10], ‘to state specifically’; ‘to expressly lay down’; ‘usually relates to individual words and utterances’;
i. Examples
Here are some examples of Johannine occurrences:
§ John the Baptist concerning Jesus: “For he whom God hath sent speaks the words of God” [3:34].
§ Jesus to his disciples: “It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” [6:63].
§ Peter to Jesus: “Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life” [6:68].
§ Jesus: “He that rejects me, and receives not my words, hath one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” [12:48].
ii. Divine Origin
Jesus’ words are not of human origin: “I speak not of myself…” [14:10].
§ λέγω - “speak” [14:10], basic meaning of ‘to gather’; ‘to narrate’;
§ ἀπʼ ἐμαυτοῦ - “of myself” [14:10], ‘from myself’; ‘sourced from me’;
b. Works
The Father’s work: “the Father that dwells in me…” [14:10].
§ πατὴρ - “Father” [14:10],
§ μένων - “dwells” [14:10], present active participle, ‘to stay or abide’; ‘to remain in a place or state’;
§ ἐν ἐμοὶ - “in me” [14:10],
§ ποιεῖ - “does” [14:10], present indicative active, ‘to perform an action’; ‘to carry out a task’;
§ τὰ ἔργα - “the works” [14:10], ‘action or deed’; ‘assigned task’;
Application
In the depths of the being of God there exists a koinwnia, a “fellowship”, between the Father and the Son that is beyond all compare, a unity whereby the speech and action of the Son are that of the Father in him, and the Father’s speech and action come to finality in him.
§ Jesus’ teaching should have brought this home to Philipp: “the words that I speak…” [14:10].
- THE MEDIATORIAL ROLE OF JESUS
1. Jesus’ Mediatorial Role
a. The Invisible God
God is the unseen God: “no man has seen God at any time…” [1:18].
§ οὐδεὶς - “no man” [1:18], negating a referent, ‘not even one’;
§ πώποτε - “any time” [1:18], ‘an indefinite point of time’; ‘not ever’;
§ ἑώρακεν - “seen” [1:18], singular perfect indicative active,
i. Moses’ Request
Moses made a similar request: “I beseech thee, show me thy glory” [Exo.33:18].
§ dei/xo,n- “show” ]Exo.33:18], aorist imperative active, ‘to make known’; ‘to demonstrate’; ‘to disclose’;
§ do,xan- “glory” [33:18], ‘outward manifestation of’; ‘unveil and show what was previously hidden’;
ii. God’s Response
God’s response to Moses: “You cannot see my face…shall no man see me and live” [Exo.33:20].
§ ouv dunh,sh|- “cannot” [33:20], indicative future middle, ‘to have the ability or power to carry out an action’;
§ zh,setai- “live” [33:20], indicative future middle, ‘to have physical life’;
§ A theophany or Christophany: “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord…” [Exo.33:19].
b. The Revelation of God
i. The Unique Son
Jesus is the visible representation of God: “the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him” [1:18].
§ μονογενὴς - “only begotten” [1:18], ‘unique’; ‘one of a kind’; from μονο, ‘one’, and γενής, ‘birth or source’;
§ ὁ ὢν - “is” [1:18], article plus present active participle, ‘to be’; ‘to exist’;
§ κόλπον - “bosom” [1:18], ‘the lap area’; ‘to be closely associated with’; figuratively ‘to express an inward relationship’: “he then lying on Jesus’ breast…” [13:25].
ii. The Revelation
The unique Son is ‘in his person’ the revelation of God: “he has declared him” [1:18].
§ ἐξηγήσατο - “declared” [1:18], aorist indicative middle, ‘to make full known’; ‘to provide detail about’; ‘to expound’;
iii. Revealer
God is not known apart from Jesus: “All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knows who the Son is but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him” [Luk.10:22].
§ Matthew: “No man knows the Son, but the Father; neither knows any man the Father but the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him” [Mat.11:27].
c. The Eternal Mediator
The Son’s role as mediator is an eternal office: “the Lamb in the midst of the throne shall shepherd them…” [Rev.7:17].
§ Eternal Mediator: “shall lead them into living fountains of waters…” [Rev.7:17].
§ The sphere of Mediatorship: “a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb” [Rev.22:1].
Application
Jesus is the unique, once-only, never-to-be-repeated, revelation of God: “he that sees me sees him that sent me” [12:45].
§ Positionally, there is no place nearer to God than to believe in Jesus: “no one comes to the Father but by me” [14:6].
§ Intellectually, there is progress in our understanding of who God is, and we progress for all eternity in our knowledge of God.
- JESUS & THE EXERCISE OF FAITH
1. Faith
Jesus draws out the different levels of faith found in the disciples.
§ There is the personal aspect faith; faith is trusting in a real person.
§ There is an intellectual aspect of faith; faith examines the facts presented to the mind and is followed by the conviction that the “words” are truth.
§ There is the evidential aspect of faith; faith looks at the visible evidence that surrounds the person in real life situation.
2. Faith & The Words of Jesus
a. Call to Faith
Philipp is called to faith: “believe me that I am…” [14:11].
§ πιστεύετέ μοι - “believe me” [14:11], present active imperative, ‘to believe to the extent of complete trust’; ‘knowledge, assent, and trust’; ‘to have faith in’;
§ ὅτι - “that” [14:11], ‘referring to the content of what is to be believed about Jesus’;
b. Faith in Jesus’ Words
The words of Jesus: “the words that I speak unto you…” [14:10].
§ ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ - “I am in the Father” [14:11],
§ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί - “the Father in me” [14:11],
3. Faith & The Works of the Father in Jesus
a. Call to Faith
The alternative: “or else believe me for…” [14:11].
§ εἰ δὲ μή - “or else” [14:11],
§ πιστεύετε - “believe” [14:11], present active imperative,
§ διὰ - “for” [14:11], spatially ‘through’; ‘on account of’;
b. Faith in the Works
The alternative is: “for the very works’ sake” [14:11].
§ τὰ ἔργα - “the works” [14:11],
i. Signs
In this Gospel the “works” [14:11] are signs: “many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples…” [20:30].
§ σημεῖα - “signs” [20:30], ‘sign, characteristic, mark’; connected with shmainw, ‘to signify, indicate, make known’; it is not an end in itself but points people beyond itself’; ‘Its character is in the last analysis technical and functional’.
§ John knows and uses σημεῖον in the sense of “sign,” “pointer,” “mark” in such a way as to do justice to the formal character of the word’; the “sign” is the means of teaching spiritual truth, and specifically pointing them to God.
§ The “signs” take their origin from God: “he does the works” [14:10], and point people to God: “that you might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” [20:30].
c. The Significance of Signs
The purpose of the signs and the purpose of this gospel: “but these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you might have life through his name” [20:30-31].
§ The first part of the purpose is to proclaim Jesus’ messiahship: “that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ…” [20:30].
§ The second part of the purpose is to proclaim the sonship of Jesus: “that you might believe that Jesus…is the Son of God” [20:31].
d. Examples of Signs in Chs.1-12
Examples of signs in the gospel of John:
§ Wedding at Cana: “This beginning of signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him” [2:11].
§ The healing of the nobleman’s son: “this is again the second sign that Jesus did…” [4:54].
§ The feeding of the five thousand: “Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did…” [6:14].
§ The raising of Lazarus: “For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle” [12:18].
e. The Messianic Age
In general they are the kind of “signs” expected with the dawn of the Messianic age:
§ Isaiah: “in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined…he will swallow up death in victory…” [Isa.25:6-8].
§ Isaiah: “then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing…” [Isa.35:5];
f. The Signs of Chs.13-21
The greatest signs of them all we have in the second half of the gospel:
§ Jesus’ death: “they parted my raiment…” [19:24]; “it is finished…” [19:30]; “a bone of him shall not be broken...they shall look on him whom they have pierced” [19:36-37].
§ Jesus’ resurrection: “they have taken away the Lord…” [20:2]; “touch me not; for I have not yet ascended to my Father…” [20:17]; “Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said unto them, Peace be unto you” [20:19].
Application
It is also true that faith is not a blind credulity. Faith has an intellectual content.
§ So here Jesus calls Philipp to “believe him” [14:11] not only to “believe in him” [14:1]. Faith includes the recognition that what Jesus says is true.
§ Faith that there is a mutual indwelling of the Father and the Son is part of the faith whereby one commits oneself to Christ
§ The Gospels are clear that before the resurrection, the disciples had incredible difficulty imagining that Jesus could truly have been a divine-human agent of God.
§ The supreme revealing event when God displays himself in Jesus with most startling glory lies in the glorification of Jesus, the death/exaltation of Jesus, now immediately ahead.
As Carson indicates, the miracles “are nonverbal Christological signposts.” They are, from my view, hermeneutical acts that provide keys to understanding who this Jesus really was when he was on earth.