Who Is He?
When I first heard John, I was curious. His words were not chosen to flatter, please or cajole. They were blunt. They seemed to come, not from John himself, but from elsewhere. They cut straight to my heart with honesty and truth. Sometimes it was like a dagger that stabbed; at other times as comforting as snuggling down to rest in soft lamb’s wool. I couldn’t get enough of his teaching. He spoke of things before time; he spoke of things to come. He said the Messiah is here already. I’m so confused about this Messiah! Who is he? What difference will he make? I know he is very good and much talked about. But who exactly is he? I think he will lead us to our Father God.
Hot, dry and thirsty, many of us sat in the shade of a broom tree to hear these words.
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near,”1 John would say.
Repent! Yes! I knew God passed a code of ethics down to us through the stone tablets Moses brought down from Mount Sinai. That writing is pure, good truth, guidance for decent living. I know I’ve missed that mark! My secret thoughts, my words, my actions are sometimes good, sometimes bad. I used to think I was always right, and the other person was always wrong. I see some things from the Father’s point of view now.
So, I followed John into the desert; he found water and baptized me. Imagine that! I’m an Israelite! Baptism is for converting Gentiles, not for Israelites! Yet I knew I needed to be baptized. I was changed.
Then John said we should stop following him and listen to Jesus instead.
Jesus’ words have drawn me closer to the Father. I would give my life for this Jesus. He’s shown me what it is to truly live. I am with him right now, in a room with his other followers, my friends, celebrating the Passover Feast. He’s telling us not to worry; but he also says he’s going away to the Father. There’s lots of room where our Father lives and he’s going there to get a place ready for us, too. We will all be together there with our Father.
I am amazed at these words. How is this possible?
Now Thomas is asking how we get there since we don’t know the way. Good question! Jesus talks of dying. What nonsense! We can’t follow him if he’s dead! And he is human, so how can he take us to the Father? I just don’t understand. I suppose we’ll have to find our own way to the Father. Okay, if we have to go on alone, so be it. I trust Jesus. But we need to know a bit more. How can we see where to go if we can’t see the Father? I’ll ask Jesus to show us!
“Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us,”2 I say.
Jesus turns toward me; he looks straight into my eyes. “Don’t you know me, Philip?” he asks.
I don’t know what to say. All I did was ask Jesus to show us the Father, and now he’s accusing me of not knowing who he is! Of course I know who Jesus is. Haven’t we been together for three years now, traveling, eating and discussing many things? What a nonsensical question!
“Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?”3 says Jesus.
My face burns with humiliation. His words sting. Haven’t I been loyal to Jesus? Haven’t I always respected Him and been in awe at his words, his teaching and his healings?
Now he asks me, “How can you say, show us the Father, Philip?”4
I turn away; I don’t know how to answer.
“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father,”5 he says, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me.6 It’s the Father living in me who says these words, heals diseases and controls nature.”
Tears are stinging my eyes and I can’t take in what he is saying. I edge away from him.
“I and the Father are one7, Philip. We are the same. Don’t you understand?”
I feel a hand on my shoulder and look up. It is our friend, John, Zebedee’s son. He has tears, too, but his eyes shine in wonder as Jesus’s words sink into his soul.
“I’m glad you asked that question, Philip,” says John to me. “Jesus has made himself plain to us. He is our Father God. Only the one who creates nature can control nature. This is no human prophet speaking with us. This is Father God, the Creator of the universe, explaining what we already know deep in our souls but our minds have been unable to grasp.
1Matthew 3:2 (NIV)
2John 14:8 (NIV)
3,4,5John 14:9a (NIV)
6John 14:10 (NIV)
7John 10:30 (NIV)
by Andrea Kidd
