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What Did Jesus Mean?

"He who has seen me has seen the Father"

How often in everyday life do we see a person looking at another and saying that he or she is very much like his or her father or mother? As a rule, such a comparison is mainly due to some outward characteristic that is very similar to that of the father or mother, such as a physical likeness, a typical behavioural gesture or such like. Sometimes we speak about the similarity of characters.

Children are often like their parents, so it is said that there is a family resemblance. It goes without saying that such a resemblance belongs to the members of the same family. Beyond any physical likeness the most important similarity involves intangible or spiritual resemblance through the continuance of the ideas, aims and actions of one's parents.

We learn from Luke's Gospel account that Mary was the mother of Jesus:

"And she (Mary) brought forth her first-born son (Jesus), and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger..."

• Luke 2.7

But who was the father of Jesus?

The answer to this question is found in the first chapter of the same Gospel:

"Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favoured one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that holy one who is to be born will be called the Son of God"."

Luke 1.26-35

God himself confirmed that Jesus was his Son at the moment of his baptism, as Luke also tells us:

"Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while he prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased"."

• Luke 3.21-22

The adherents to the doctrine of the Trinity often use the words of John that form the title of this article as clear confirmation that God Himself was embodied in Jesus and that Jesus was therefore God (John 14.9). Jesus did not in any way envisage that those who saw him would literally see his Father. Outwardly Jesus did not bear his Father's image in a literal sense, for God dwells "in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see"

• 1 Тimothy 6.16

Therefore those who saw Jesus did not literally see his Father. Jesus himself said, "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him"

• John 1.18

The Son 'declared' the Father by the words that he spoke and by the deeds that he performed. Jesus said to Philip, one of his disciples: "The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does the works"

• John 14.10

This was the sense that Jesus had in mind when he said to Philip, "He who has seen me has seen the Father"

• John 14.9

Jesus never said that he was God. The Gospel record of Matthew records the fact that Jesus prayed to his Heavenly Father in Gethsemane and said to Him: "O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will"

• Matthew 26.39

How would that be possible if Jesus was God Himself? What then did Jesus have in mind when he said, "He who has seen me has seen the Father"? This comment was made to Philip by Jesus.

We need to look at the context of the comment. Jesus was telling his disciples about his departure to his Father; about the necessity of the belief in God and in Jesus himself and about the preparation of a place in the kingdom of God on earth. Thomas failed to understand what Jesus was saying and asked the question "Lord, we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way?"

• John 14.5

Jesus replied:

"... I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; and from now on you know him, and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, "Show us the Father"? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father who dwells in me does the works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me, or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves"."

• John 14. 6-11

In his earthly life Jesus fully reflected the Father's character. He reflected such glorious characteristics of the Father as love, patience, longsuffering, nobility, kindness, mercy, compassion, holiness, justice. These and many other wonderful qualities are personified in the Lord Jesus Christ. In the opening words of the letter to the Hebrews the writer wrote about him in this way: "who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as he has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did he ever say: "You are my Son, today I have begotten you"? And again, "I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?"."

• Hebrews 1.3-5

Jesus demonstrated the Divine characteristics of his Father by his words and by his deeds. He was led by the Father's Spirit. Therefore the Apostle Paul wrote concerning him: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory."

• 1 Timothy 3.16

Jesus said to Philip and his other disciples and followers that he would go to his Father to mediate for those who believed in God and in him. He said that the Father would have places in his kingdom on earth for all who put their full trust in Him. He also said that there was only one way to approach his Father:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me"

• John.14.6

Through belief and baptism we can become brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus Christ and, consequently, children of God. We become members of God's family and accept that we must strive to bear the same Christ - like characteristics so that we may be recognized as members of the Divine family. Jesus fulfilled the Father's will completely, was made immortal and was honoured to sit on the right hand of God his Father. Jesus has set a pattern for the family of believers - for you and for me if we trust in him. It is a great consolation for us that the Father will receive us with pleasure as His sons and daughters and brothers and sisters of Jesus.

As God was seen in Jesus, so Jesus was seen in the Apostle Paul who said:

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

• Galatians 2.20

What is your choice?

Would you not like to join God's family and receive the gift of eternal life when Jesus returns to establish God's kingdom on earth? Now is the time to act – tomorrow may be too late!