The Consistent Nature of God and the Faith to Believe For More
John 14:7-12
7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” (John 14:7-8)
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 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, but the Father, as He remains in Me, does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. (John 14:9-11)
12 Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:12-14)
7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” (John 14:7-8)
“They did know the Father and had seen him because they knew and had seen Jesus who was one with the Father and embodied the true revelation of the Father.”
Colin G. Kruse, John: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 4, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries
7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” (John 14:7-8)
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 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, but the Father, as He remains in Me, does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. (John 14:9-11)
1.) God is Consistent – Jesus and the Father are One.
John 14:9-11
28 Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
John 12:28
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 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, but the Father, as He remains in Me, does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. (John 14:9-11)
“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 14:9)
| “Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19) |
“And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me.” �(John 12:44-45) |
“And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”
Hebrews 1:3
“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me?” �(John 14:10b) | “I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30) |
“The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative,”�(John 14:10c) | “I can do nothing on my own. I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” (John 5:30, CSB) �“Jesus answered them, “My teaching isn’t mine but is from the one who sent me. If anyone wants to do his will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own. The one who speaks on his own seeks his own glory; but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is true, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” (John 7:16-18, CSB) |
"but the Father abiding in Me does His works.” �(John 14:10c) | “But I have a greater testimony than John’s because of the works that the Father has given me to accomplish. These very works I am doing testify about me that the Father has sent me.” (John 5:36, CSB) �“For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” �(John 6:38, CSB) |
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 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, but the Father, as He remains in Me, does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. (John 14:9-11)
“He wanted them to understand he was not just a prophet, not just a teacher, not just their disciple-master, not only the Messiah; he was the Word made flesh, God incarnate. To be in his presence was to be in the presence of the Father.”
Colin G. Kruse, John: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 4, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 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, but the Father, as He remains in Me, does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. (John 14:9-11)
37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”
John 10:37-38
“The premise of the Trinity is that God is three persons but one God. He’s all three persons at the same time, but each person is separate and distinct.
Secondly, all the persons of the Trinity are equal. The Father isn’t greater than the Son. The Son isn’t greater than the Holy Spirit.
Thirdly, the persons of the Trinity work together in redemption. The Father made you and chose you for life (Rom. 8:28–30). The Son is Jesus Christ who died to save you (Rom. 5:8) and is your advocate before God the Father (1 John 2:1–2). The Spirit works in your heart to make you more like Christ (Gal. 5:16–18).”
- Mary Van Weelden, Core Christianity
Characteristic | How Jesus Demonstrates It (NT) | How the Father Demonstrates It (OT) |
Compassion and Love | Heals the sick, weeps with mourners, touches outcasts. (cf. Matthew 9:36) | Rescues Israel from slavery, provides manna in the wilderness. (cf. Ex. 34:6) |
Shepherding | Calls Himself the "Good Shepherd" who dies for the sheep. �(cf. John 10:11) | Declared the "Shepherd of Israel" who gathers lambs in His arms. �(cf. Psalm 23:1-2) |
Justice and Righteousness | Cleanses the temple; condemns hypocrisy and religious extortion. �(cf. Matthew 23:23) | Commands care for widows/orphans; judges oppressive nations. �(cf. Micah 6:8) |
Forgiveness | Pardons sinners directly; prays for His executioners. (cf. Luke 23:34) | Institutes the Day of Atonement; promises to wash scarlet sins white. (cf. Psalm 103:11-12) |
Power Over Nature | Calms the storm, walks on water, multiplies food. (cf. Mark 4:39) | Parts the Red Sea, controls plagues, sustains the universe. �(cf. Psalm 107:29) |
Application
Reflect: Do you believe in a Triune God? Do you see God as Father, as much as you see Jesus as Saviour?
Reflect: Do you see God as consistent? Why or why not?
What Father wounds do you still hold onto? Are you willing to exchange that for the Heavenly Father’s love revealed in his Son? Do you need to trust God as a Heavenly Father who will never let you down?
12 Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:12-14)
2.) The Works and the Prayer of The One who believes in Jesus
John 14:12-14
John 14:13–14; 15:7, 16; 16:23–26.
The 4 Sets of Prayer Promises in the Gospel of John
A) Jesus says that if you believe in Me, and what I’ve done, that you (he) will do the same and greater works than Jesus as He returns to the Father.
John 14:12
19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
B) Because of this belief in Jesus, whatever we ask in His name, He will do it, so that honour would be given unto the Father.
John 14:13
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8
C) And if our prayers are Jesus-centered, Jesus will do it.
John 14:14
14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
1John 5:14-15
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
1Cor. 12:4-7
Application
Surrender Your Will to His Works
1
Begin to Pray some Bold Prayers
2
Trust and Obey While Waiting
3
RECAP
God is Consistent – Jesus and the Father are One.
The Works and the Prayer of The One who believes in Jesus
Let’s Discuss
1.) What is your takeaway from today’s message?
2.) Which of the two points resonated most with you today and why?