Show Us The Father

A Greek scholar named Kenneth Wuest has a three volume set. It is a badly indexed treasure chest of theology (maybe the newer versions have a better index). I woke up wanting to read some of the golden nuggets in volume III this morning. So good...

On page 85 Wuest translates John 1:18 this way:

"God in his invisible essence no one has ever seen. The only begotten God who is constantly in the bosom of the Father, that one has fully explained him."

"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 ESV

The Father was and is very pleased with His Son. Jesus as a man who was seen... reflected the heart of the Father who was not seen.

Most of the day yesterday I was thinking of this verse from Luke 10.

"And he said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.' " - Luke 10:2 ESV

Jesus diverted the pressure to God. His instruction pointed to God. He fully reflected His Father's heart of grace and His Father's willingness to provide provision for the work at hand.

There are seasons when God's willingness seems hidden from us. Jesus is the revealing of the Father. He goes and sends people. He is the gentle shepherd with healing in His hands.

Today if Christ is our sufficiency we will see and experience the Father.

"I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." - John 16:25-27 ESV

Today can be a day of asking and of 'plain speech'. I believe God will do things in our midst and show us His thinking if we approach Him through the doorway that is His Son's life.

--