February 22, 2021

John 14:8-11, “Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 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’? 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, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

Jesus makes clear here that he is God himself. You can’t get much more clear than this - “I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” And he claims that if they have spent time with Jesus, then they actually know God the Father. The Trinity is mysterious, but is undeniable in texts like this. They are one - the will of God is then the will of Jesus Christ, accomplish the same mission with separate roles. The Father planned redemption, Jesus the Son has executed the plan, and the Holy Spirit applies its to us. Jesus is clearly frustrated that his closest followers have not yet grasped the magnitude of who Jesus is, but they will learn soon in fullness, when they see Jesus resurrected. It’s surely true that Jesus gets frustrated with us and our lack of belief and understanding, and yet his mercy is so great that he would die for us anyway, as he would his disciples. We are imperfect followers, disobedient children, and a wishy-washy bunch, and yet God says, “I want you anyway. Come and reap all the benefits as a child of God.”

Prayer: Holy Spirit, make my heart burn with the right kind of fire for Christ. Apply this redemption to my heart that I would not just intellectually know it, but really feel the mercy of God. Change my heart, O God. And direct me on my way that I might not only embrace my salvation by my faith alone but then get excited by opportunities to walk into good works that you have planned for me.

40 Days of Joy: Many of you at Heights Pres. have enjoyed the writing of George MacDonald. I too am now a huge fan of this great writer, who speaks truthfully of the Christian faith in his fiction. A good place to start is Thomas Wingfold, Curate.