Philip asked Jesus to show him the Father. Philip is no different from Thomas, who did not witness the resurrected Jesus and therefore insisted unless he sees the nailmarks in Jesus’ hands, puts his finger where the nails were, and puts his hand into his side, he will not believe (20:25).It is necessary of us to pay attention to the word of Jesus spoken to Thomas: “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (20:29).
The faith that Jesus looked for, and still looks for from his followers is not a faith dependent on visions.[1] Rather, blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Though unseen, when we listen to the word of Christ and witness his work in our lives, we still cannot see with eyes of the flesh, but we do come to see with opened eyes of the heart. It is how we come to faith. There are two different types of faith: ‘faith of seen’ and ‘faith of unseen.’ To those whose lives have been genuinely transformed by Christ the two are never different.
Jesus said in effect to Philip: “Listen to me! Look at me! And believe!” That is still the way to Christian belief. The way to Christian belief is not to argue about Jesus but to listen to him and to look at him. If we do that, the sheer personal impact upon us will compel us to believe.[2]
Jesus vividly revealed God to us. All that Jesus is for us, he is by reason of the totality of his obedience to the Father’s will. He makes this explicit by adding, “the Father who dwells in me does his works.” The whole “work” of the Son is to do the Father’s will. Therefore, the works he does, the signs he performs, the words he utters, the revelation he brings, are all the work of the Father.[3] Jesus, therefore, is nothing but the executor of the Father’s will.[4]
He is a Father, a God of comfort, a God of compassion, one who has a home and a family. The Lord used this name for God repeatedly. How well John remembered it! In his gospel the expression “the Father” or its kindred expression “my Father” occurs 156 times.[5] Jesus calls God ‘my Father.’ The relationship between father and son is the relationship of unity which cannot be severed nor separated. The son dwells in the father and the father dwells in the son. Christianity is not a faith in faith. It is faith in a God who has revealed himself in Jesus. It is faith that the Father is in Jesus and Jesus is in the Father. Anything less than that is not Christian faith.[6]
Jesus promises that he will do whatever we ask in his name. We are to bear in mind that his name points us to the incarnate life of the Son of God, to the atoning death, to the powerful resurrection, and to the sending forth of the messengers of salvation in the strength of the Holy Spirit.[7] Therefore, praying in Jesus’ name means praying according to the will that Jesus, the incarnation of God wanted to fulfill through his life. Anyone who prays according to the will of Jesus, who came to this world with the commission from God, can be sure that his prayers will be fulfilled.
[1] Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John, 498.
[2] Barclay, The Gospel of John, 190.
[3] Marrow, The Gospel of John, 254.
[4]Marrow, The Gospel of John, 254.
[5] Phillips, Exploring the Gospel of John, 269.
[6] Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John, 499.
[7]Morris, Reflections on the Gospel of John, 500-501.