“Jesus saith unto him, ‘Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father.'” John 14:9
The whole of Christ’s life spent in the presence of His disciples, before the crucifixion, was one of revealing who He truly was, and providing a knowledge of God’s ways, and the inspiration and exhortation to believe Him. Perhaps the greatest problem facing the disciples in understanding who truly was before them was Christ’s lowly appearance. Here is One who by His works and deeds affirmed time and again that, as Nicodemus put it, “…we know that Thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him.” (Jn. 3:2) The assessment of Jesus by Nicodemus is one where he goes only part of the way in declaring that Jesus the Messiah, God come in the flesh, is the Savior of the world. There were moments, in particular with regard to Christ’s miracles, that the disciples and those around Him were overwhelmed, and awe-struck by what they saw of His power to forgive, cleanse, heal, and calm the wind and raging sea. And yet, still there was the issue of not fully grasping the enormity of who Christ was. It would be one day, when Jesus was conversing with Philip, that He very quietly, and yet firmly, confronted Philip with this matter of grasping the truth of His nature, calling, and work. Philip asks the Lord Jesus on that day, “Lord, show us the Father.” (Jn. 14:8) The Lord responds to Philip by saying: “…he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father.” (v.9) How can this be? Again, the matter of Jesus’ physical appearance, with all its limitations, is a problem for Philip. What is the Lord Jesus seeking to do for Philip? He desires to teach him that just as real as is the humble appearance of Christ in the flesh, so is the spiritual union that He has with the Father, and that the Father with Him by the Spirit. His call to Philip is to go beyond what he sees, to trust in what the Father has said. This is why He says to Philip, “…the words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works.” (v.10) The call of Christ to Philip is one to come up higher, beyond the limitations and littleness of earth, to grasp something of the enormity of Christ’s union with the Father. The Father’s words and works are revealed through the Son. The same principle, and calling, is true for Christ’s disciples today. If they are to rise to God’s highest, then they must come to grips with the greater reality of that which is spiritually true in their union with Christ. Christ, by His Spirit is in them, thus all things are possible to Him. It is as Charles Wesley wrote in one of his great hymns: “All things are possible to God; To Christ, the power of God in me; Now shed Thy mighty self abroad, Let me no longer live but Thee; Give me this hour in Thee to prove the sweet omnipotence of Love.” But how does this knowledge work out in the life of the believer?
Although the Lord Jesus was sinless, there would come a day and a time, when He would come to the Jordan River to be baptized by John the Baptist. That day the Spirit would come upon Him in a very singular, particular way. Also, that day, He would receive by the Spirit that anointing for the accomplishment of his mission, work, and ministry. In the book of Isaiah, we find a remarkable statement of the Spirit’s anointing: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me; because He hath anointed Me to preach good tindings.” (61:1) The Lord Jesus received the anointing, embracing the invisible, yet absolutely true and certain.
Dear Father, Abide in us today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.