The Way to Know the Father

Last week, we discussed John 14:6 and how Jesus is the only way to be saved. Nothing else is going to save us; nothing else could ever save us. No amount of good that we can do to save ourselves, no amount of money that can buy us salvation, and no other god who can save us. Allah cannot save, Vishnu cannot save; only Jesus can save us!

John 14:6 is a very famous verse for good reason like we saw last week. But sometimes we can overlook John 14:7. In John 14:6 we see how we are saved, but in John 14:7 we see how we can know God! John 14:7 says, “If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Two things are going on here. The first phrase reminds us that if we know Jesus, then we know God. Not only does Jesus save, Jesus also is how we can know God! Jesus is fully God and fully man, so when we know Jesus, we know God. Also, notice with me that Jesus does not give us another way for us to know God. The only way to know God is to know Jesus first!

The second phrase is really interesting. I want to challenge us to focus less on whether Jesus’s statement was about the disciples or us or the timing of “now on” and instead to focus on the statement that Jesus has just made. Jesus has just made a very clear statement that He is God!

A growing trend in atheism, agnosticism, and even some forms of extremely liberal Christianity is to say that Jesus never claims to be God. John 14:7 directly disproves that. Jesus is clearly saying, “I am God. My Father is God.” Jesus even says that the disciples “have seen him (God).” The only way that is possible is if Jesus is God. This is an extremely significant statement and it also gives further credence to John 14:6. Why can Jesus say He is the only way to be saved? Because He is God!

So, what does this all mean for us? Honestly, this verse takes theology and boils it down into one statement. Theology is the study of God and seeking to know God. So, how do we grow in theology? We do it by knowing Jesus more. As we practice the spiritual disciplines, like praying and reading the Bible, and grow closer to Jesus, our knowledge of God and our love for God will grow also. The beautiful thing is that there are no hidden, secret steps that we have to take. There is no secret ceremony that we have to go through. To know God, we do not have to take years of classes. To know God is simple: know Jesus. Know your savior, and then you will know God!

Pastor Daniel