John 14:9
Jesus said to him, Have I been with you for so long, and
yet you have not known me, Philip? He that has seen me has seen the Father; so
how can you say, Show us the Father?
I greet you today in the wonderful name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. I invite you to join me in meditating on a deeply profound and fundamental truth of our Christian faith: One cannot truly know the Father without coming through the Son. The Apostle John wrote, "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also" (1 John 2:23).
It is common for individuals to yearn for a relationship
with God, the Father, while bypassing Jesus, the Son. We can liken this to
wanting the warmth of the sun's rays without acknowledging the sun itself. It
is a spiritual paradox. Many seek to embrace God’s love, wisdom, and grace, but
remain reluctant to accept the divine conduit of these blessings – Jesus
Christ.
In John chapter 14 verse 6, we find one of the most profound
and challenging statements of our faith: "Jesus said to him, 'I am the
way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
This passage excludes other religions that do not recognise Jesus as the Son or
the pathway to the Father.
But what does it truly mean to come through Jesus? Is it
limited to the verbal recognition of His name or does it entail living a life
mirroring His teachings? Jesus, the Son, taught us love, humility, forgiveness,
compassion, selflessness, and service. Are these not the same virtues we find
echoed in the teachings of various other religions?
What we need to understand is that the God we worship, the
Father of Jesus, is a God of love and inclusivity. He "desires all
people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1
Timothy 2:4). We are called to be ambassadors of His love and understanding.
To know the Son is to see the Father's heart. To follow the
Son is to walk towards the Father. Our relationship with Jesus Christ is the
bridge that connects us to our Heavenly Father. Without this bridge, we would be
forever separated, lost in the abyss of sin. But through Christ, the way has
been made, the truth has been revealed, and life eternal has been granted.
When we understand who Jesus is and what He has done, we
understand the heart of the Father. The Scriptures tell us that "The
Son is the exact representation of the Father" (Hebrews 1:3).
Therefore, as we come to know Jesus – His teachings, His works, His sacrifice –
we come to know the Father. Jesus is the embodiment of God's love for humanity,
the living testament of His mercy and grace, and the ultimate sacrifice for our
redemption.
Beloved, it is crucial that we understand this: a
relationship with God is not a buffet where we can pick what suits
us. It is a banquet prepared by Christ, and we are invited to partake in all
its fullness. We must embrace Jesus – His teachings, His love, His sacrifice –
for it is through Him we are reconciled to God.
To conclude, the pathway to the Father is through the Son.
To see the Father, to know the Father, we must first see and know the Son. We
must embrace Christ, for it is through Him we are drawn into the loving
arms of God the Father.