Please Show Us the Father

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’? ( John 14:8-9)

Today’s scripture reading ( John 14) records events of how Jesus was brokenhearted in the midst of severe conflict. When hearing the Word that they must eat “the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood” or have nothing to do with Him, the 70 disciples withdrew and stopped walking with Him (John 6:66). After this, even Judas Iscariot of the remaining 12 disciples, would go on to sell Jesus to the high priest, elders and their allies.

When a worker betrays and abandons his company, all appetite is gone and life does not feel worth living. But greater than this problem of the flesh was the spiritual problem that hurt Jesus. The One who was without sin took upon all of our sins and came as the young Lamb for atonement (Matt 20:28, 1 Cor 5:7, 2 Cor 5:21). For three years, He taught the 12 disciples the secrets of heaven, and performed numerous miracles to no one’s recognition, and three days before His death He foresaw the wretched suffering and insults He would have to suffer on the cross.

Jesus’ heart was already suffering the pain of being pierced with a knife. In the midst of this suffering, He spoke those words. They were not words spoken while eating in comfort. If we believe in Jesus, we must consider His kind of heart. Just like how we are not a couple if we cannot consider the heart of our spouse, if we say we believe in Jesus, then we must be one with Him (Phil 2:5, 2 Cor 13:5). See how He prayed on Mt. Gethsemane, offering up earnest pleas and supplication with loud crying because of mankind’s sin (Heb 5:7). What more pitiful being was there than Jesus?

Even in the midst of an ever-increasing mountain of worries, Jesus said to His beloved disciples, “Do not let your heart be troubled...” ( John 14:1) This comforting persona is recorded in today’s scripture reading. The main text of John chapter 14 is largely divided into four parts.

1. Verses 1-3 ? Jesus goes to prepare a place for us, “Do not let your heart be troubled...for I go to prepare a place for you.”

2. Verses 4-11 ? We should not have any concerns for Jesus is “the way, and the truth, and the life.”

3. Verses 12-15 ? Even if Jesus is no longer present, “ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”

Up until this point, Jesus did not say these words, but He now forewarns how He will die a wretched death on the cross as an atonement sacrifice and go to the Father.

4. Verses 16-31 ? Jesus tells them not to worry because the Holy Spirit, the Helper, who is the intermediator between God and man, will come as their advocate, and that He will be with them forever as Immanuel (God abiding with them). While he was speaking these things, Jesus said, “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” At that, Philip cut in with nonsense asking, “Lord, show us the Father...” The Common Translation Bible (Korean) says, “Philip plead, ‘Lord, if you let us meet the Father, we will not wish for more.”’ The (English) NIV Bible records it as “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

This question did not only come from just Philip. In Christianity’s 2000-year history, countless people challenged the Church: “Can God be seen with our eyes? I’d rather believe in my fist”; “Sundays are meant for going to places and spending time with family, why would I spend night and day at church?”; “Why are you wasting time at church when we can’t even live to 100?”; “Do you see God with your own eyes? If you show me God, then I can believe.”

Many Gentiles and unbelievers speak this way. “My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” (Ps 42:3). “As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, while they say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” (Ps 42:10). Japanese pastor Toyohiko Kagawa (賀川豊彦,1888-1960) when reminiscing about his childhood teacher Dr. Charles Logan, said, “I have never met God directly, but through Dr. Logan, I saw God’s shadow.” This meant that Dr. Logan was someone who: even though someone cursed at him, he covered it with love; though he knew of someone’s flaws, he pretended that he didn’t and never spoke a word of nonsense. After praying on Mt. Horeb for 40 days and nights without eating or drinking water and having received the Ten Commandments on the stone tablets which God Himself cut out, Moses came down from the mountain with radiance shining from his face. It was to the point that when the Israelites saw him, they thought they were going to die, so he had to cover his face with a veil. He was someone who experienced God and received praise from Him (Exod 34:29-35) Also, when Deacon Stephen ? who was captured while preaching the Gospel ? stood before the Council, his face shone like that of an angel(Acts 6:15).

I Must Show the Father Through expression of My Lips, Work and Actions

Dear Saints: in your lives, are you shining your light upon your neighbors, friends and colleagues? Are you emanating the aroma of Christ(2 Cor 2:14)? Is Jesus appearing through your words? Is your face testifying of Jesus? Through the Gospel, there is the hope of heaven and when you are overjoyed from understanding the Biblical Word, your face glows and shines; it brightens.

However, even if someone is a pastor, elder, eldress, or deacon, yet there is no life in their face, or there is no laughter, and their expression is dark, then that face cannot testify of Jesus. If someone is full of complaints, does not know contentment, and slanders others instead of praising them, then that person is not showing God through his/her words. An unbelieving person can work faithfully without speaking, but if a believer just pays lip service and talks carelessly, then this person is not showing God through his/her actions.

The place from where a saint sat and stood must be beautiful. If the remaining people say, “Watch out for that person. S/he is a scary person,” then it cannot be said that that person is a saint. We must be a person with whom others want to share a meal. If we are someone whom others wish would leave quickly, then we cannot say we are believers. This is not glory to God. There are many times when there is no aroma coming from the ones in charge of various departments in church. This is not glory to God. This is the same as hearing without answering the cries of the people of the world when they ask us to show them God.

Only when I encounter God first, I can show God to others.

How can we encounter God? In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). Luke was an eye-witness of the Word (Luke 1:2). First John says, “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life” (1 John 1:1). When we encounter the Word, it is the same as having encountered God. But are we reading the Bible?

Some say that they believe in Jesus but put a lock on it and keep it in a prison during the entire year. Only when you read the Bible, you can release it from the prison. Blessed is he who reads and hears the words of the prophecy, and heeds the things which are written in it (Rev 1:3). When you hear the Word, your faith grows. How will you encounter God if you don’t hear the Word or read the Bible? If you encounter the Word, your face lights up and brightens. You will have hope and become confident in all you do. This is a blessing of prosperity. Job used to say, “Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God” ( Job 19:26), but after encountering the Word and being blessed by God, he confessed, “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You” (Job 42:5). Jesus came to this world as grace and truth (John 1:14), so if you understand the Word of truth, it means you have received God. Only then can you show Jesus who is in you.

In Korean language, the word “to see” is bonda and it is used for all senses. Not only is the word used for sight but is also used when you touch with hands, “manjeobonda” or smell, “matabonda”. A saint can smell the fragrance of Christ. This signifies that there are many ways to know the Bible. Helen Keller, who had lost sight and hearing, managed to read with her finger. The world seen with eyes is limited but the world seen spiritually is limitless as from the beginning of creation till now. With spiritual eyes, we can even see the heaven given by God. God lies deeply in all eternity. Sing hymn number 469. It will be very helpful.

Countless churches are newly established everyday, but so many churches are criticized because they cannot demonstrate God. Do not judge others. Guard your mouth. Blessed is a man who does not talk about others (Matt 12:36-37). God told us to love our enemies. But how can we love those who have made us fail, blocked our ways and ravaged our houses? Yet God tells us to love them. It is Jesus who forgave Pilate who crucified Him and said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” If we believe in Jesus, we must also have His mentality and love. Abraham, the father of faith lived 175 years, his son Isaac lived 180 years and Isaac’s son Jacob lived 147 years and each of them showed God through their faith, obedience and deeds. Prophets like Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah and Habakkuk also demonstrated God. John the Apostle encountered God by revelation on the island called Patmos and revealed God to us. Parents of today need to demonstrate God to their children. Saying things to the children like, “Hush, don’t tell them I am here,” is the same as making them lie. The nature of lying is evil ( John 8:44). We should not make people wonder why you go to church and how you can possibly be an elder. Jesus is eternally consistent and unchanging. If we believe in such a Jesus, we must also live in a timeless world like Jesus. But we change. One day we say, “Let’s work well together as we are brothers in faith,” and shortly after we won’t talk to each other, avoid each other and not even say hi to each other. This is very upsetting.

You can show God only when you hear people say that you have truly changed and they go tell others, “If you believe, you need to believe like him.”

Why can we not meet God?

It is because we have not borne fruit in keeping with repentance. If your sins separated you from God, you cannot meet God (Isa 59:2). John the Apostle reprimanded the religious leaders and the Pharisees, “to bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt 13:7-8). Even if God tries to bless us, our sins withhold good from us (Jer 5:25). Whether big or small, if you have sin, you cannot be saved. If you wish to show God to your family, relatives, friends and colleagues, get rid of your problem of sin.

You need to be acknowledged by people that you have changed from your past, that you have become a totally different person now after attending the church and studying the Bible diligently, and that you have become honest. People should say that they need to believe in Jesus like you. Only then you can show the world of God to others. Faith needs to follow with works. Faith without works is dead (James 2:26). “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt 5:16). This is an order from Jesus. He told us, “If you love me, show your works through love just as I love you.” If you enter the kingdom of God, God will give you fine linen (Rev 19:8). This fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints (Rev 19:7-8). The righteous acts of the saints are works. These works must be done with faith not with force. I have read the Bible over 1,700 times. Among 66 books in the Old and New Testaments, I was surprised to see that there was one book where the word “God” is not found anywhere. It is the book of Esther. From the first chapter to the last chapter, chapter ten, the word “God” does not appear even once. However, the book showed God the Father through works instead of words. This is truly amazing. Faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected. Faith and works are not two different things. These two must marry.

Most blessed is a man who loves God deeply, understands deeply and lives according to God’s will. Such a man will receive blessings in his going out and coming in (Psalm 121:8). For such a man, there is only Jesus (Matt 17:8). There must be “Only Jesus” in family, in marriage, with kids, and at work. Saints, please have great faith and live well. How weary is our life! Please be comforted by the blessing of believing only in Jesus, and through the Word. God is the God of all comfort (2 Cor 1:3-6). Put down your worries before God and pray as God comforts us and takes care of our husbands, wives, children and jobs. I pray in the name of Jesus that you receive the Spirit that makes you think only about evangelizing the moment you wake up, and that you will pray when you sit and evangelize when you stand up.

December 3rd, 2006 (Sunday Sermon at Green Hill Church, Orlando, USA)