Studies in John 14-16: John 14:5-7

John 14:5-7

Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? (6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (7) If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Jesus said in verse 7, “If you had known me, ye should have known my father also. . .”

Here is the first portion of the Strong’s definition of the Greek word translated as ‘known’:

G1097 γινώσκω ginōskō ghin-oce'-ko
A prolonged form of a primary verb; to “know” (absolutely)

So the verse might be translated as such: If you had absolutely known me, ye should have absolutely known my Father also. . .

Jesus did not come, from the moment of His arrival, with a blare of trumpets announcing that He was God. He came as a normal baby, totally dependant upon Mary and Joseph for his care and upbringing. Medieval pictures portray Him in his crib with a halo around His head, but that was not the reality of it. To look at him, was to see a normal baby in every external respect. In the only snapshot we have of him in his youth, He was precocious. He was asking questions in the temple, which apparently greatly impressed the scholars there, but still he appears as a relatively normal teen or pre-teen.

His revelation to the disciples was gradual. He never promoted Himself. Many times He would perform a miracle, and he would tell the one healed or delivered, not to say anything to anyone about what had occurred, but now in His final days upon earth, it becomes increasingly important that His disciples know exactly who He is. . .

Isaiah prophesied it:

Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Isaiah said his name shall be called: The mighty God. . .The everlasting Father. . .

Jesus said again in verse 7: If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

From this point forward, You know Him. . .and you have seen Him. . .Who did they see? In John 4:24 Jesus said, “God is a Spirit”. Twice John said (John 1:18, 1John 4:12): “ no man hath seen God at any time. . .”, but Jesus is saying here that they have seen God. . . Does Scripture contradict itself? How can John say no man has ever seen God, and Jesus say that If they’ve seen Him, they’ve seen the Father. . . How can Isaiah say: His name shall be called The might God. . .The everlasting Father, unless Jesus is God manifest in the flesh. . .again just as the Bible says (1 Timothy 3:16). . .God with us (Matthew 1:23). Jesus is God. . .He is fully God, Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. . . He is not a portion of God. . .He is not partially God. . .He is God. God is a Spirit, therefore you cannot see a spirit, but if you’ve seen Jesus, you’ve seen the Father, for Jesus is God manifest in the flesh. . .

No man cometh unto the Father, but by Jesus. . .for Jesus is God manifest in the flesh. It is only by the sacrifice of the perfect lamb. . .a sacrifice requires the spilling of actual blood. . .the death of a fleshly man’s body, who lived His life perfectly, without sin (Hebrews 4:15). . .who paid the price for sin, that our sins could be written upon the blank check of His life and thereby be payment for our sins, that we might have everlasting life. It is only by His sacrifice, on the cross that we are saved. . .