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Author: Bruce Yocum, from the Servants of the Word, an international, ecumenical brotherhood of men living single for the Lord.

John writes, “Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”?’” (John 14:9)

The disciples of Jesus were eager to see the Father. Jesus spoke so reverently and so lovingly of the Father that they naturally had a longing to see this “Father.” As Philip said to Jesus in this passage, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” (John 14:8)

This was surely a confusing moment for Philip and his companions. Jesus had all along spoken about his “Father,” that is someone other than himself. He had even said, “the Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28)

How then could seeing Jesus, who was not the Father, be seeing the Father? But Jesus tells them more. “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 authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me…” (John 14:10-11)

Here they were confronted simultaneously with the mysteries of the Incarnation and the Trinity. There is no explaining these mysteries, they are known through revelation and not reasoning. Jesus was giving them that revelation at that moment. Jesus simply said, “Believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me.”

In the Incarnation we too are confronted with a mystery. Let us receive it in faith.

Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.