Quinquagesima Week – Friday

“He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father”. – John 14:9.

Jesus wanted to comfort His disciples because of His departure. He therefore said to them: “If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also; and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him” (John 14:7).

Do you understand these words, dear Christian reader? He who knows Jesus aright, also knows the Father aright. And, indeed, the disciples now knew Jesus aright; hence they also knew the Father. But their fear and sadness had overpowered them now and had dimmed their knowledge. Up, up! the Savior would say; collect your thoughts! You know the Father even now, and you have seen Him. Then Philip said to Him: “Lord, show us the Father and it sufficeth us” (v. 8). Jesus said to 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, Show us the Father? 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. Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the very works’ sake” (vv. 9-11).

Would you, O Christian, look into the inmost heart of God, to be real sure of Him? Look upon Jesus in the Word of Holy Scripture. When seeing Jesus, you see the Father. The Son is of one and the same essence with the Father. He is the eternal, personal Word, the eternal personal image of the Father. Jesus is in the Father, and the Father is in Him. Jesus’ Word is the Father’s Word; Jesus’ work is the Father’s work. Yes, Jesus’ mind is the Father’s mind; Jesus’ compassion is the Father’s compassion; Jesus’ beneficial goodness is the beneficial goodness of the Father. As Jesus receives you, sinner though you be, so the Father receives you.

Oh, how would you see the Father? You have seen Jesus, your dear, good Savior, in His Word; thus you have beheld and seen the Father. Why do you not rejoice? Let your heart be filled with comfort, trust, and confidence! God is your Savior. He who has seen Jesus in the Holy Scriptures, with the eyes of faith, has seen the Father.

PRAYER – Lord God, Heavenly Father, I thank Thee with a heart filled with joy, that in Thy Son, Jesus Christ, Thou hast so clearly revealed Thy gracious will and Thy loving heart toward us poor sinners again and again. I implore Thee to graciously grant that I may daily increase in this knowledge, that, in every temptation, I may comfort myself with this truth and, buoyed up with such hope, may overcome again and again all evils that beset me, and, in the end, be saved by Thy grace alone in Christ Jesus. Amen.

O Father, draw me to my Savior, that Thy dear Son may draw me unto Thee;

Thy Spirit guide my whole behavior, and rule both sense and reason thus in me;

that, Lord, Thy peace from me may ne’er depart, but wake sweet melodies within my heart.

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And what Thy Spirit thus hath taught me, to seek from Thee must needs be such a prayer;

as Thou wilt grant, through Him who bought me, and raised me up to be Thy child and heir.

In Jesus’ name, I boldly seek Thy face, and take from Thee, my Father, grace for grace.

                                                            (Hymn 21, st. 2 and 6; TLH)