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Jesus Shows Us the Father
“He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” John 14:9 (KJV)
One of the greatest mistakes we can make is forming our view of God from our experiences instead of from Jesus.
Life has a way of leaving impressions on us. A painful disappointment, an unanswered prayer, a harsh authority figure, or even years of trying to earn God’s approval can quietly shape how we imagine the Father. Without realizing it, we begin relating to a God who looks more like our fears than the One revealed in Scripture.
Philip requested what many of us would have made. “Lord, shew us the Father.” (v 8) It sounded like a reasonable request until Jesus answered, “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.”
In other words, if you want to know what the Father is like, look carefully at Jesus.
Notice Jesus' attitudes and responses.
He never turned away the broken who came to Him. He didn’t shame the woman caught in adultery. He restored Peter after his denial. He ate with tax collectors and sinners, not because He ignored sin, but because His mission was to rescue those trapped by it.
Everywhere Jesus went, He revealed a Father whose holiness was matched by His mercy and whose truth was always expressed in love.
This doesn’t mean God overlooks sin. The cross tells us how seriously He takes it. But the same cross also tells us how deeply He loves the people sin has wounded. Justice and mercy met in Jesus.
If you’ve been carrying a picture of God that makes you afraid to come near Him, place that picture beside the life of Christ. Ask yourself a simple question: Does this belief about God look like Jesus? If it doesn’t, it needs to change.
The clearest picture of the Father’s heart has never been hidden from us. His name is Jesus Christ.
Prayer
Father, thank You for revealing Yourself through Your Son. Wherever my view of You has been shaped by fear, disappointment, or misunderstanding, renew my mind through the truth of Christ. Help me to know You as You truly are and to rest confidently in Your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.