Do you know God?

 

Here are some comforting thoughts.

John 14:7-14 

"If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him."

Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus said to Him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father."

Jesus here is not trying to teach Philip and the disciples about the Holy Trinity. This was, and still is, too difficult a concept for those people and us to understand.

Jesus is teaching a far easier lesson for those people, and us, to understand. He says, "Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves."

Jesus is telling us that the best way to know God is by looking at Him, (Jesus), and the way He behaved. When we see His kindness, His closeness to sinners and to those marginalised by others, when we see His many miracles helping those in need, when we see His love and mercy and forgiveness, even to those who nailed Him to the Cross, when we see to what extent He was ready to share our human condition, and to care for us; then we are seeing God, our loving Father.

This is what God looks like. A loving, caring, merciful and forgiving Father.

Jesus also gives us a promise here, "I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it."

How comforting is that?