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July 11,2007; Jesus, Prince of Preachers and Premier Prophet (12 of 12)

Focus Text: John 14.6-11

The thrust of this miniseries concerning Jesus as a Preacher and a Prophet has been to catch a glimpse of His character and personality as conveyed in His discourses. Today’s devotional will conclude this segment of this overall series, but we do so with the full knowledge that we have only touched the “hem of the garment” especially when it comes to the Christ. We conclude by examining a key text excerpted from His discussions with the apostles on the eve of His betrayal.

“Jesus said to him [Thomas], ‘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).

Consider the phrase, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” The words are not difficult, but the import of them presses the boundaries of human comprehension. We are seeking a glimpse of the Christ, but when we see Him, He says we also see the Father! The Son is not the Father, neither is the Father the Son, but they are One. To put it another way, “I [Jesus] am in the Father and the Father in Me.” The unity and oneness of the Godhead is implied and even explicitly stated in today’s focus text, a unity that defies human understanding. Yet, we seek to know more and to see Him even more clearly, for when we know Him [the Son] more perfectly, we know the Father more perfectly.

We may marvel at this passage, but we should not be amazed. After all John clarified a part of Jesus’ purpose here upon the earth when he wrote, “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). Note the phrase, “He has declared Him.” One purpose of the Christ was to declare the Father, that is, He was to “draw Him out as in a narrative” or to “unfold” or “interpret” Him [the Father] for His followers. This mission was achieved by Christ in all that He did; it involved His love, His tenderness, His patience, His affection for the less fortunate, His desire to save all that would hear, His anger, His stern warnings, His rebuke of those in error, His desire to be revered by humanity, and every other trait of the Son; He declared the Father!

Jesus was fully man and fully God; He was not half and half as much of mythology claims for its gods. As such, He had no equal in any earthly realm. The only “equal” for the Christ existed with Him from eternity past and will exist with Him in eternity future. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was the Prince of Preachers and the Premier Prophet!

Questions:

1. Upon what authority did Jesus declare Himself to be “the way, the truth, and the life”?

2. How could Jesus say that He was in the Father and the Father was in Him?

3. How did Jesus “declare” the Father? How had those who had seen Jesus seen the Father?

4. Through what means can we honor the Prince of Preachers and the Premier Prophet? What is better than words of praise?

"'Winging It" from Stan Smith

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