The God You Know
The Trial of the Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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· 11 viewsKnowing Jesus means knowing God because Jesus is One with God the Father.
Notes
Transcript
This story is told of Daniel Webster when he was in the prime of his manhood. He was dining with a company of literary men in Boston. During the dinner the conversation turned upon the subject of Christianity. Mr. Webster frankly stated his belief in the divinity of Christ and his dependence upon the atonement of the Saviour.
One said to him, “Mr. Webster, can you comprehend how Christ could be both God and man? Mr. Webster promptly replied, “No, sir, I cannot comprehend it. If I could comprehend him, he would be no greater than myself. I feel that I need a super-human Saviour.”
Later that day, the manager received word that Thomas Jefferson, who was serving as the Vice President of the United States, was in town and residing at a rival hotel. The manager immediately sent a messenger to extend an offer of the Vice President free lodging. Thomas Jefferson refused, and returned to the manager a message: “Tell him I have already engaged a room. I value his good intentions highly, but if he has no place for a dirty American Farmer, he has none for the Vice President of the United States”
Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 649). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.
Turn with me, if you will, to John chapter 14. While you’re finding your spot, I’ll remind you that you can find a link your listening guide in the thread below or on our website at flochurch.net/live. The last time that we were together in John we began chapter 14, and Jesus and His disciples were at the Last Supper. Judas had gone out into the darkness, and Jesus told His disciples that He was going somewhere they couldn’t follow, but that they shouldn’t worry.
And we were talking about how Jesus is the beginning, middle, and end of our journey to God. That Jesus is the on ramp of salvation, the roadmap of the Heavenly Highway, the road that we follow, and that He is our destination. And that if we follow Jesus, if we know Him as our intimate and treasured friend, we won’t worry about where we are going or what lies ahead in such troubled times, because we know that whatever our road looks like, it will end in the presences of our Lord.
Last week, you’ll recall that Thomas had been frustrated in the midst of our text. He didn’t understand how they were supposed to know the way to get where Jesus was going if Jesus was no longer with them. And Jesus answered in verse 6, saying
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
And we were talking about how knowing Jesus is to know the way, that the word way here means road, and that Jesus is telling us that He is the road to the Father. And as we pick back up in verse 7 this morning, Jesus is going to take us deeper into what that means. So as we read together, we’re going to start in , and as is our custom, I invite you to stand wherever you are this morning so that together we can honor the Lord as we read from His Word:
“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.
“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.
“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
“If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.
“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.
“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
“If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
John
John 14:7-15
PRAY
Thank you, you may be seated. This morning as I got here and ran through our final preparations for worship, my heart was saddened. I was saddened because as I look out over this room, I miss you! We talk about it all the time, that the church isn’t a building, it is the gathered people of God, and the pandemic has reminded us of that in very real and candid ways.
I Almost printed off some photos of you all to tape around the room, just so that I could see your faces this morning. I love you all dearly, and I miss you. And I know that you are here with me online, but I long to see you and to be with you.
I was also saddened this morning because today was supposed to be a special day of celebration. There are four people we were hoping to baptize this morning. Four people that have decided to follow Jesus and have found the forgiveness from sin that can only come from Him were supposed to get Baptized today.
But while these things sadden us, and while the world around us rages in the fight against this virus and the threat it brings humanity, we can find joy in our journey. We can have peace in the midst of this storm, because, as you get your listening guide out, we find that what Jesus is telling us this morning is that:
Point 1
Point 1
Jesus is the God you can know
Jesus is the God you can know
Last week, it was Thomas that was looking for reassurance, and as the conversation continues, this morning Philip is getting involved. And so, Jesus starts off talking to Thomas, and He ends talking to both men. Let’s look a little closer at the conversation.
Remember these verses come right after Jesus told Thomas:
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
and so, Jesus continues, telling Thomas
“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
And what Jesus is saying here is astounding, truly. Jesus is saying "You should have known me before I came. You should have known the way to God, and because you knew me, you would know the Father.”
What does He mean? How could we have known Jesus before He came? To answer this question, we have to go a couple of places:
Remember, these verses come right after:
(verses 7-9)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
In the beginning, there was darkness and void. And then, suddenly, there was light. Light came into the darkness. And how did light come into darkness? God spoke. God begat. The word, begotten, it means to come forth from within. God begot His Words, His utterance.
And, so Jesus continures“if you really knew me the way you ought to, you would have known God the Father.
What do people know of us, but what we speak? Are not our words a massive part of our expression of ourselves? Words have immense power. They bring blessing and cursing, and here we see, they are the means by which God created.
Now, that last bit sounds familiar. Why? Well, because of ,
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.
Colossians 1:16
This verse is speaking about Jesus. That God created all of creation through Jesus. But didn’t we just say that God created everything through the spoken Word? Look at with me:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Who was with God? The Word. The Word was with God the Father. He was in the beginning with God! Is it coming into view yet? Going down to , we see:
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
we see that light came into darkness, here is the word again, the light, coming into darkness, and the darkness didn’t understand. The spoken word came into the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. and now look at
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Do you see it, friends? Jesus is the Word. He is the spoken Word of God, “begotten, not made, on in being with the Father. Through Him, all things were made. And for us men, and for our salvation, He came down from Heaven, and by the power of the Holy Spirit was born of the virgin, Mary, and became man.”
These words are in the Nicene creed for a reason. Jesus was with us all along. From the very beginning, from before there was time, He was here, the spoken Word of God was here, but we failed to see God in Him, until that moment that He became man. And how did Christ’s response to Thomas end?
“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
JOhn 14:
Now, because I have become flesh, because you have known Me in person, you have seen God.
Beloved, Jesus is telling us that He is the way because He is God, and that He is the God that we can know. But Philip was still unsure. And so Philip makes a request, a rather audacious request, Let’s see verse 8:
Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
“Show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Really? Reveal to us the Father, the One who told Moses that you can’t see my face or you’ll die. Reveal the One whose presence made Moses’ face shine like the sun, who caused Him to have to wear a veil to not scare the people. Reveal to us the Holy One, whose justice is so pure that they tied a rope around the ankle of the High Priest before he went into God’s presence, just in case the priest had sin on his heart and was struck dead. Reveal GOD to us, and that will be enough for us.”
“Show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Really? Reveal to us the Father, the One who told Moses that you can’t see my face or you’ll die. Reveal the One whose presence made Moses’ face shine like the sun, who caused Him to have to wear a veil to not scare the people. Reveal to us the Holy One, whose justice is so pure that they tied a rope around the ankle of the High Priest before he went into God’s presence, just in case the priest had sin on his heart and was struck dead. Reveal GOD to us, and that will be enough for us.”
This is what Philip asked. Not, a lot, right? The very idea that you and I would be able to stand before God, face to face, is mind boggling. It is more than any of us have the right to ask for, let alone to say to Jesus that “it is enough.” This God, we’re talking about. The one who breathes and planets are formed, Always was, is now, and ever shall be. But understanding just how crazy a request this is from Philip makes Jesus’ answer to Him resonate even louder in our ears:
Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Beloved, to see Jesus IS to see the Father. Jesus has been with God since the beginning, and is One with God. He is God’s spoken Word, made flesh. says
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
You and I can have peace in this journey because the One that we are following on this journey to God is God Himself. And maybe there are some out there this morning that are struggling with all that is going on. And you’re having doubts about the future, and doubts about your understanding of these things: But I want you to see that you’re not alone.
This is where Philip was. He was grappling for thought and words, and when he asks to see the Father, Jesus tells him “You already have!”
And then, Jesus points us to three different proofs that we have that can assure us in times like these that we are on the right road. Look at verse 10:
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.
Friends,
We know Jesus is God from His words
We know Jesus is God from His words
Jesus is the Word made flesh. He is the Living Word of God. The Words that Jesus spoke came directly from the Father, because that is who Jesus is, the Word of God.
Can you imagine, friends, if your words, if all the words that you ever had spoken, were a person? Who would that person be? Would it not be you? Are your words not your essence? Are your words not your self expression? Jesus is the Word of God, wrapped in human flesh.
Why should we recognize Jesus as God’s Son? Because He taught like only the Word of God can teach. He explained Scripture like only the author would be able to explain them. Why do the Words of Jesus have such power to burn within us and stir our innermost soul to shake or weep or rejoice? Because He is our Creator.
This is why Jesus points us to His words as evidence as to who He is:
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;
and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
Jesus is the Word made flesh. He is the God you can know, and You can test His identity by the truth of His words and their alignment with who God has revealed Himself to be. And when we test His Words, and we find in them the truth of God, we can believe in Him. We can rely on Him.
You and I can test the Scriptures and find that Jesus is who He claims to be. And by studying the Bible, you and I can truly know Jesus because Jesus is the Word made flesh. There is no greater way for you and I to grow in our understanding of Jesus than to study His Word, because that’s who He is. And as we come to know Him, our trust in Him grows all the more because in Him, we see the Father.
The words of Jesus are a tremendous proof that, regardless what life may fling at us, following Jesus puts us on the right path. And in times like this, that is Good News indeed, for the Word of God brings great comfort to His people. The Word of God tells us we have nothing to fear. The Word of God, tells us that we are coheirs with Christ to the Kingdom of heaven. That, right here in this chapter, that God has prepared a place for us, and that death is not the end, and we can trust Him because we see that His word is true!
But as great as the Words of Christ are, there are still more proofs that you can believe in Him. Look at verses 10-11
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.
“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.
We know that Jesus is God from His words, but also,
We know Jesus is God from His works
We know Jesus is God from His works
Now, I know that there are many who simply refuse to believe in the miracles of Jesus. They do not believe that the supernatural is possible, and so they throw out the miracles of God. But can I ask you: If Jesus did not do them, why does He point us to them as evidence of His identity?
Why did men leave profession and family to follow after Him? Why did no witness of the day, even among the Jews that crucified Him, stand up to deny or refute His miracles? Why are his miracles recorded, even in the secular historical writings of the Roman Historian Josephus?
Why? Because they actually happened. And if the works of Christ actually happened, there is no recourse but to believe that He is who He claims to be. For, what man but God can make a lame man walk and a blind man see, and a deaf man hear, and a dumb man speak, and a sick man well, and a dead man live? Who among us but God can still the raging sea or walk upon it? Who can feed 5000 men with a few loaves and a couple of fish?
Jesus’ mighty works reveal His mighty power, for there is power in the spoken Word. All of creation was made by the Spoken Word. Many of Christ’s miracles were worked simply by Him speaking. And what is it that He tells His disciples in verse 14?
“If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
Ask it. Speak it. Why? There is power in the Word of God. There is power, power, wonder working power in the blood of the Lamb. There is power in the Name of Jesus. We can look upon the mighty miracles He has done, and believe in His power to save us. We can believe in His power to cleanse us from our sin. We can believe in His power to bring healing to us.
And we can look at problems like what we face in the world today, and we can know that whether through healing or protection or through bringing us home, that Jesus has the power to get us through this current circumstance. We have nothing to fear, because we serve a God with mighty power.
We serve the God you can know, and we can have faith in who He is because of the power of His mighty word and the wonder of His might works. But that’s not all. That’s not all. Jesus gives us another reason we can stand strong in believing Him. Look at verses 12-14 with me:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.
“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
“If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
What does Jesus promise to His followers in these verses? He says that the works that we will do, and the things that we will witness that glorify the Father coming from the hands of the saints of God will be greater than the works that Jesus did. That you and I are going to do great works in Jesus’ Name because Jesus is with the Father, and Him working through us is how He is going to be glorified.
And the success of these works among God’s people will be proof that Jesus has gone to the Father. In other words,
We know Jesus is God from His witnesses
We know Jesus is God from His witnesses
Do we not see this in the book of Acts? the followers of Jesus work healings and mighty miracles. They cast out demons, survive the bites of poisonous vipers with no effects, speak in foreign tongues so that others can hear the Word. Do we not see the dead raised to life?
Now, I can see the wheels spinning in some of your heads all the way from this side of the camera. I see you. You’re thinking, pastor, none of us are working miracles here today. None of us are healing folks. None of are raising the dead. We’re not doing mighty things. And I have two responses to this thought for you.
(verses 12-14)
First, if the church isn’t seeing these kinds of things, it isn’t because God can’t do them. More likely, it’s because of our lack of faith. God still can do these things. He still is doing miracles in many places around the world. But you and I have learned to depend on different things. God is still in the miracle business! Maybe you and I need to learn to rely on Him for them. Do you think that Demon possession just stopped? Do you think that there is no room for hearts to be turned through miracles? Jesus said if we had the faith the size of a mustard seed we can move mountains. Maybe we need more faith.
Secondly, if you don’t see the mighty works He is referring to, you aren’t paying attention. The Gospel is spreading to the ends of the earth. People are turning their hearts to the Lord in places of great darkness. New translations of the Bible are coming to people who have never had one. Every single person that is watching this live stream is a testament to the great works that Jesus has done through His witnesses. And many of us have miracle stories in our lives of the things that God has saved us from.
Countless stories of the defeat of addiction and forgiveness and depression and brokenness that the Living Word has brought you out of. There is no heart He can’t reach, there is no soul He can’t heal, and we know that it is true because we are proof of it. You might deny the miracles of Scripture, you can’t deny Christ’s miracle in me. Because I lived it. I know it, and it is beyond your reproof.
The transformed life of the followers of Jesus are, perhaps, the greatest proof that He is exactly who He says that He is. And because we believe. Because we can see the truth of who He is in His words, in His works, and in His witnesses, we are brought to a place of response. Verse 15, quickly:
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Beloved,
If we know and love Him, we will do what He says
If we know and love Him, we will do what He says
This verse almost seems out of place, doesn’t it? Here we are in a passage that echoes perfectly the peace and heartfelt care of our Lord for His children and our need for His reassurance in a time of great turbulence and trial. Jesus has just given us powerful and wonderful reasons to believe in who He is and to trust in Him even as the world around us is falling apart.
So why, all of the sudden, does He turn it to a word about obedience? Well, you have to remember the context of this conversation is how we, His followers, can know the way. The context is how you and I will know that we are on the right road.
And we have to circle back to Jesus’ response to Thomas: I am the road. I am the only road to the Father. So, if you know me, you know the road. And if you want to go to the Father, you have to go through Jesus. It’s not enough just to see the road, and point to the road. I could go out here to I-10, and I could point you to it and tell you, that’s the road to Jacksonville. But looking and pointing, and Identifying is only half of the solution.
To get to where we’re going, you have to get on the road, and follow where He leads. Jesus has pointed us to the proofs of His identity as the Son of God. And here He tells us that our proof of our belief and love for Him is seen in what we do. He has shown us why we can walk in confidence, even in the midst of a stormy sea. And now, He is calling us to do it.
We started this morning, talking about my lament to not be able to celebrate baptisms today. Baptism is a party. It is one of the two greatest celebrations in a Christian’s life. Baptism is first, as we celebrate, together, the decision to believe in Jesus as the Son of God, and to walk with Him on the road to the Father. The second is a funeral. The funeral of a believer is the celebration of God’s child reaching the destination. And while we are saddened by that separation brought by death, we celebrate both our joy for their arrival with Christ and our hope that, one day, we too will arrive before Him.
Unless Jesus returns, all of us will have a funeral. Will yours be a celebration? This morning, Jesus has shown us the road to where we are going. He has revealed to us the God we can know. Would today be the day that you believe it? Would today be the day that you follow?
Let’s pray together: “Lord, Jesus, we are living in the midst of a mighty storm. the waves seem too high, almost insurmountable, and we wonder if we’ll make it though it. And maybe, Father, we find that we are like Philip. And we’re just looking for a sign, some sense that we are heading in the right direction. But thank you, Father, that you have sent us Jesus. Thank you for the Word made flesh, that revealed to us what we had not seen in who You are. Thank you that we can know You, that we can have a relationship with You. And this morning, Jesus, because we love You, we are asking You to help us to put our trust in you. And regardless of what may lie on the path before us, would You help us to continue walking forward in the power that can only come from the God we know. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
