Calvary Road Baptist Church

“PHILIP’S TURN”

John 14.8-11 

Do you ever set your mind on thinking about really, really big things? By big things, I refer not to what most people imagine to be big things. I am not referring to the Super Bowl, or the last game in the World Series, or the NBA finals, or the seventh game of the Stanley Cup. I am referring to items that are of stupendous importance.

If you ever want to think about genuinely important things, you need to stop the silliness of treating unimportant things as if they were important. How important, really, is a trip to Legoland? Or Magic Mountain? Or Disneyland? Or Coachella? I am not suggesting that rest and recreation do not have their place in everyone’s life. They are just not important. Not really.

If you have never done it before, it might seem a bit strange for you to do. However, it is right for you to think about important things and important events from time to time. The first of the most important things is, of course, God. Do you ever think about God?

The first most important event to think about is the creation of the universe, and all that herein is. Do you ever think about the creation of the heaven and the earth? Have you ever discussed creation with your spouse, with your child, or with the person you are discipling? After first discussing God, discussing creation is something you really ought to do.

The second of the most important events to ever occur was the incarnation when the God who created the time-space-matter continuum performed an ontological impossibility. The everywhere present and infinitely immense God stepped into His creation. As fantastic as that was, He did so much more.

In a miracle that was on par with the creation of all things, He took up residence in the womb of a virgin named Mary and took upon Himself human nature. Yes, the Second Person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God, became also and became without in any way diminishing His deity, a sinless human being, the God-man.

The fourth of the most important events ever to occur will be the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in power and great glory. This One who has been sitting at the right hand of the Majesty on high for the last 2,000 years[1] will someday come back to this sin-sick world to reclaim what is rightly His and to sit upon the throne of His father, David.[2] When He comes, He will come visibly, He will come powerfully, He will come victoriously, and He will come majestically.[3]

But before the Lord Jesus Christ can perform the fourth of the most important events ever to occur, He will have to perform the third of the most important events ever accomplished. That third most important thing ever to be done will commence about 12 hours from the time of the narrative that is recorded in John 14.1-11. Of course, that third most important event ever to be done will begin with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary and will conclude with His resurrection from the dead three days later.

So, here we are, revisiting the most important conversation recorded in God’s Word. I suggest that you turn in your Bible to John chapter 14: 

1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

5  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 

By way of a very superficial review, allow me to summarize the first seven verses with one descriptive sentence per verse. I would describe verse one as the Lord Jesus Christ’s directive prescription. Verse two is the Lord’s directive place. Verse three is the Lord’s directive promise. Verse four contains the Lord’s directive pronouncements. Verses 5–7 record Thomas’s disputation and the Lord’s corrective response.

This brings us to the passage in the narrative that records Philip taking his turn. These four verses record Philip’s request, followed by the Lord Jesus Christ’s interspersed questions and assertions. While these four verses may not strike you as particularly important on their face, remember that they are part of what comprises the Lord Jesus Christ’s final conversation with His remaining apostles before He sets out to accomplish the third most important task that has ever, and will ever, occur.

That is what makes this passage important, significant, and worth our while to explore and investigate. God’s people need to spend some of our time thinking about truly important things. Think about God. Think about Jesus Christ. Think about the Holy Spirit. Think about sin and salvation. As well, think about important events. What could be more important than the five events of creation, the incarnation, crucifixion-resurrection, the Second Coming, and the transition from time to eternity? Five events alongside which everything else is approaching insignificance.

Today’s text is part of the greatest conversation recorded in God’s Word, coming hours before the third of the most important events ever, the crucifixion of the Son of God. Read with me verses 8-11: 

8  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11  Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. 

First, PHILIP’S REQUEST 

8  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 

What do we know about this man named Philip? First, we know that his name, a Greek name, is not unique in the New Testament. There was a man named Philip whose brother was Herod the tetrarch, Luke chapter 3. We also know that there was a deacon in the Jerusalem Church named Philip, Acts 6.8, and 21. Second, we know that this Philip, from Bethsaida, along with several other apostles, was one of the first of our Lord’s disciples, John chapter 1. This Philip was also the apostle the Lord Jesus Christ turned to concerning the feeding of the 5000, John chapter 6. And this was the apostle the Greeks approached in Jerusalem with their request to speak to the Savior, John chapter 12.

What impressions can be formed about Philip? Our first impression of Philip arises from his conversation with Nathaniel immediately after being recruited by the Savior as a disciple. When 

“Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.”[4] 

Our second impression of Philip arises from the Lord’s question to him concerning the feeding of the 5000, John 6.5-7: 

5  When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

6  And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

7  Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 

Our third impression of Philip arises from the Greeks in Jerusalem approaching him, of all the apostles they might have approached, in their quest to speak to the Messiah. Thus, it seems that Philip was not an argumentative man, was a man whose opinion was sought, and was a man felt by others to be approachable. Though not a prominent apostle, it would seem reasonable, then, to ascribe genuine motives to Philip when asking this question of the Savior.

However, one must wonder. Philip was surely aware of Moses’s request to see God’s glory, when the LORD said to him, 

“Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live,” 

Exodus 33.20. As well, Philip must certainly have recalled the fear of Samson’s parents when the angel of the LORD appeared to them, and they were fearful of their lives for initially thinking they had seen God, Judges 13.22. I am unaware of any commentator subscribing to the notion that Philip was prone to thoughtless outbursts or any kind of impulsive behavior. He seems to not be at all like either Peter or Thomas. Yet this question betrays Philip’s failure to comprehend the relationship between Jesus Christ and God the Father. Philip knew enough to know that his Lord Jesus Christ was the proper source of the truth he sought. However, he was ignorant enough that he did not realize that to see Jesus Christ is to see God the Father. 

Next, THE SAVIOR’S QUESTIONS 

9   Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. 

Recognizing that the Savior’s questions that are explicitly addressed to Philip are interspersed with assertions that the Lord makes, allow me to separate the Savior’s questions from His assertions for the sake of consideration and comment: 

“Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?” 

Notice that the Lord Jesus Christ is not answering Philip in the same fashion that He responded to Thomas. When Thomas disputed with the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior’s response was directed to the entire group of men (“ye,” “ye,” “ye,” verse 7). This response to Philip, however, verse 9, is shown by the pronouns to be directed solely to Philip (“him,” “you,” “thou”). Does this suggest that Philip’s question did not arise from skepticism, but naïveté, from shallowness, and immaturity, although Philip impresses us as a generally thoughtful man? To be sure, the Lord’s response is a rebuke. But it is mild, delivered in the form of a question that probes Philip’s heart and mind to evoke reflection, introspection, and self-examination. What Philip would learn from the Savior’s question is that he should have known his Savior better than he obviously did and that he could have benefited more from his opportunities in the Lord’s service than he had. Had Philip made more of his opportunities to learn of his Savior over the last three and half years, he would not have been so questioned by his Lord: “yet hast thou not known me, Philip?” 

“He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?” 

I include the Lord Jesus Christ’s assertion, along with His question, to preserve the context of the question, again verse 9. If I may paraphrase the Savior, “What kind of a question is show us the father?” Surely, a Jewish man would know that God is a spirit and that no man has seen God at any time.[5] Surely, a Jewish man would remember Isaiah 6.2, where it is recorded that the Seraphims surrounding the throne of God cover their eyes with their wings, lest they are overwhelmed by the glory of God. And though Philip was in Sychar with the others buying food, and not privy to the Lord’s conversation with the woman at the well, he was undoubtedly later told of the Savior’s words to the woman: 

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth,” 

John 4.24. This is the background that prompted the reasonable question asked to Philip by the Savior, 

“how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?” 

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? 

If you look at the three questions asked by the Savior, you will see that He is peeling Philip’s reasoning, like skin being removed from an onion one layer at a time. The first question probes Philip’s understanding of the Savior. The second question probes Philip’s understanding of God the Father. This third question addresses Philip’s understanding of both the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father, their relationship to each other. More particularly, the Lord Jesus Christ is querying Phillip’s recognition of the communion that exists between the Son of God and God the Father. He is asking Philip if he believes that Jesus Christ is in the Father, and the Father is in Jesus Christ. Pretty impressive questions, are they not? Probing very serious issues, do they not? 

Finally, THE SAVIOR’S ASSERTIONS 

9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. 

“He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” 

The reality is that no creature can look upon the glory of God and live. This is suggested by Moses’s mountain top experience at Sinai. It is more powerfully illustrated by the Seraphim’s covering of their eyes in Isaiah 6.2. Even more persuasive to some is the fact that God is not of this universe. He created this universe, and therefore the five senses He gave to His creatures for living our lives in this universe are utterly inoperable for use to interact with or perceive Him.

This is one reason why the Second Person of the Trinity took upon Himself humanity, so that creatures could for a time interact with the God-man using our senses; eyesight, hearing, and touch. What we see in germ form in this statement made by our Lord is expanded by the Apostle Paul in Colossians 1.15, where Jesus Christ is declared to be “the image of the invisible God.” Then, in Colossians 2.9, we read, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”

Thus, to see the Lord Jesus Christ in the flash is not to see God the Father at all, unless that physical sight is coupled with genuine faith. To set eyes upon the Lord Jesus Christ, or to read of the Lord Jesus Christ in the New Testament, enables someone with genuine faith to see God thereby. But what happens when those without faith look upon Him or read in God’s Word of Him? They see only a human form. Pilate saw nothing of God in Him. Judas Iscariot saw nothing of God in Him. But when Thomas looked upon Him with faith, he said, “My Lord and my God.”[6] 

“the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.” 

If the first assertion has to do with beholding the Father by beholding the Son, this second assertion, in verse 10, has to do with hearing the Father by hearing the Son, and recognizing the Son’s perfect representation of God the Father dwelling in Him and working through Him. This assertion renders the denial of Jesus Christ’s deity by Arians like the Jehovah’s Witnesses to be erroneous, as well as showing the modalism of anti-Trinitarians like those of United Pentecostal persuasion, to also be unscriptural. By this assertion, the Lord Jesus Christ puts forth the reality of His relationship with God the Father, that He is co-equal with the Father, that He perfectly represents the Father, and that the Father works through Him.

“Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.” 

Here in verse 11, the Lord Jesus Christ repeats what He initially said back in verse one, using the same verb in the same imperative form. As the Lord urged the eleven to believe in Him, so He is here calling Philip to believe in Him.

Contrary to the thinking of many concerning this matter of faith, faith is never portrayed as blind trust in Scripture. Biblical faith is always the right conclusion drawn from the evidence, and the Lord Jesus Christ in this assertion appeals to Philip to draw the correct conclusion using an appeal to evidence. What does the Lord Jesus Christ want Philip, and everyone else, to embrace as true and to rely upon for faith? That He is in the Father, and the Father is in Him. And the basis on which this is to be taken as true?

There are two bases: Applying a biblical principle found from Genesis through Revelation with matters of fact being established by two or three credible witnesses of fact, the Lord Jesus Christ urges Philip to embrace the notion of His communion with the Father, as testified by two witnesses. The first witness, of course, being the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, by this assertion. The second witness being “the very work’s sake,” to close out verse 11. This is an appeal to everything Philip has observed the Lord’s ministry over the last three and one-half years. Assertion #1 deals with seeing the Father by seeing the Son with faith. Assertion #2 deals with hearing the Father by hearing the Son, also with faith. Assertion #3 brings together the two witnesses that testify of the correctness of faith, Christ as a witness of Himself, and the works demonstrated throughout His earthly ministry bearing witness to Him as the proper Object of faith. You may recollect the similarity of this, at the end of Christ’s earthly ministry, with what the Savior said to bolster John the Baptist’s faltering faith when he was imprisoned and facing execution near the beginning of our Lord’s earthly ministry, Matthew 11.1-4: 

1  And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

2  Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

3  And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

4  Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see. 

Both for the Baptist at the beginning of His earthly ministry and Philip at the end of His earthly ministry, Christ fosters genuine faith by bolstering concerning Him those things both heard and seen which lead to right conclusions about Him based upon credible evidence. 

Let’s not be too hard on Philip. He asked a somewhat naïve question, but it provided the Lord Jesus Christ with a wonderful opportunity to ask three questions and make three assertions.

The three questions the Lord Jesus Christ asked were, first, about Philip’s understanding of Him, second, about Philip’s knowledge of the Father, and, finally, about Philip’s knowledge of the relationship of the Son of God to God the Father.

These kinds of questions are suitable for every mentor to ask every disciple, for every mother or father to ask of every child, and even for seasoned Christians to ask and answer of each other. Why so? Because these are among the most important questions anyone can ever deal with, and they were first asked hours before the third most important event that has ever occurred, our Lord’s crucifixion.

As to the Lord Jesus Christ’s three assertions, assertion number one has to do with the Lord Jesus Christ being the very image of the Father and has to do with the eyes of faith. The second assertion has to do with hearing the Father by hearing the Son, again illustrating how perfectly the Lord Jesus Christ is recognized to perfectly represent God if one has faith.

The final assertion is related to both the Father and the Son being of the same divine essence, existing as one God without denying their personalities, and their perfect harmony, union, and communion.

Thus, with Philip taking his turn at asking the Savior a question, the Savior’s very mild rebuke, in the form of questions and assertions, strongly attests to both the deity of Jesus Christ and the unity of God the Father and His Son.

This reality is of profound importance as the Lord Jesus Christ, our sin-bearer, approached the cross of Calvary. What is your response to reality, especially the important realities?

__________

[1] Psalm 16.11; 110.1; Matthew 26.64; Mark 12.36; 14.62; 16.19; Luke 20.42; 22.69; John 3.13; 13.1; 14.2-4; Acts 1.9-11; 2.33, 34-35; 7.56; Romans 8.34; Ephesians 1.20; 6.9; Colossians 3.1; Second Thessalonians 1.7; Hebrews 1.3, 13; 8.1; 9.24; 10.12-13; 12.2; 1 Peter 3.22; Revelation 19.11

[2] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Israelology: The Missing Link In Systematic Theology, (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries Press, 1994), pages 803-804.

[3] Revelation 19.11-20.4

[4] John 1.46

[5] John 1.18

[6] John 20.28

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Pastor@CalvaryRoadBaptist.Church