FAQ - BIBLE ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

QUESTION 168 : While I can readily understand the idea of God (one person) loving me to such an extent as to give his only begotten son (another person whom he loves very much --who came from his own ‘substance’) - even though he eventually got back his son in that he raised him from the dead (Gal 1:1), I find it a bit difficult to see or appreciate the love, if what happened was simply that God – Jesus Christ- who cannot die, appeared as though he were a man, pretend to die and then tells us that ‘In this was manifest the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten son into the world, that we might live through him’ (1 John 4:9). A number of texts seem to make a distinction between Jesus and “the father,” Example:

1. Dan 7:13,14 -	“The son of man comes to the Ancient of days and receives certain things from him.”
2. John 6:38 -	“Jesus speaks of his will as being separate from the will of the one who sent him.”
3. Matt 26:39,42 -	Jesus asks for release from ‘this cup’ but says to the father, ‘nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt’ – separate wills.
4. John 14: 12 -	Jesus says “I go unto my father”- this suggests separate location at that instant.
5. John 14:28 -	Jesus says “my father is greater than I.” It is a bit difficult for me to see a person being greater or less than himself.
6. John 8:17,18 -	Jesus speaks of two persons bearing witness; himself being one and his father being another.
7. John 5:22 -	Judgment of man will be carried out not by the father but by the son - this speaks of exclusiveness of action.
8. Mark 13:32 -	Of “that day” not even the son knows, only the father – separate knowledge.
9. Mark 15:34 -	“My God, my God why has thou forsaken me.”
10. [ Psalms 2:7-12 -	“…kiss the son lest he be angry…” Apart of it is quoted in Acts 13:33.]
11. [ John 14:23 -	“My father will love him, and we will come unto him” – we suggests more than one.]
12. [ Heb 1:8-12 -	“But unto the Son he saith…”]
13. [ Mic 5:2 -	“Bethlehem …out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel.”]

These examples illustrate the concern (God’s Love, Jamaica. Written to me personally after sending them the truth, then shown to Paul Dean at ‘Pentab’ and slightly edited).

In the realm of Christendom there have often been confusion as to the personage of Jesus and his relationship that he has with the one He continually referred to as the ‘Father’. This confusion is not unique to the scholars of this generation because even the disciples were unclear as to the identity of Jesus in the days preceding the crucifixion.

In the days proceeding the resurrection, however, all of those issues were clear to the Apostles. This was so clearly epitomized when the last of the Apostles were to meet him after the resurrection; look at Him, bowed before Him and declared with finality, “My Lord and My God.”

This is why when Jesus was telling his disciples about the Father, hinted that the Apostles themselves knew “the Father;” Phillip finally asked in frustration, “show us the Father and it sufficieth us.”

If the Apostles who were with Jesus continually for 3 ½ years heard and saw him speak about and related with the Father were confused about the Father’s identity, then it is easy to see why today we also have problems identifying the Father when we read about the life of Jesus.

But Jesus love His disciples and us so much, that he would not leave the earth with such an important revelation unexplained. He knew he was about to die and wanted to comfort his disciples and reassure them, so that when they go through the dramatic experience of seeing their Lord crucified and killed, their faith in God and belief in His word would not faint.

In explaining his father’s identity, Jesus began by first telling his disciples something unusual, probably pretty disturbing to those who were closest to Him and felt that they knew Him better than any one else in the world. He said, “If ye had known me ye should have known my father also and from henceforth ye know him and have seen him” (John 14:2); the implications are profound. How could those that knew Jesus best not know who he was? This could only be true if Jesus by all of his interactions both public and private never clearly and precisely revealed the totality of his identity. In fact, this is what Jesus flatly stated in John 16:25, “These things have I spoken to you in proverbs, but the time cometh when I shall show you plainly of the father.”

The importance of this truth cannot be understood, because it gives us a framework for understanding who Jesus was and what he really meant all along when he spoke about the father. Jesus is telling his disciples, I have not been speaking clearly. I have been speaking figuratively and in parables. And Jesus also earlier lets us know why he spoke in parables, “That seeing they may see, and not understand: lest at any time they should be converted and their sins should be forgiven them” (Mark 4:12).

When Jesus finally let his disciples know the meaning of the parable of the father, he was fulfilling his Mark 4:11 declaration – “unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but unto them that are without, all of these things are done in parables.”

So we see that Jesus spoke about the Father in parables for most of his ministry and did so in order to keep the mystery of the kingdom and the revelation thereof for his chosen people. In the end Jesus knew that he had to keep his identity and his purpose on earth hidden from the people of the world and ultimately from the god of this world. The Apostle Paul in 1 Cor 2:8 let us know why. That is, if “the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” Indeed, Jesus very salvation plan rested on keeping his identity and his purpose hidden.

Since we know that Jesus spoke of the Father in parables, let us see what Jesus did to explain the meaning of this parable of the Father.

Phillip came to him in John 16 and said in frustration, “show us the Father and it sufficieth us.” Jesus answered back, so long have you been with me and you don’t know ME. Phillip asked for a revelation about the person Jesus kept calling the father and Jesus indirectly answered by saying that Phillip needed a revelation about JESUS!

Jesus was saying in no uncertain terms that if you don’t know the identity of the one I refer to as the Father, it’s because you don’t really understand the identity of the one you see, walk with and talk with as Jesus.

“When you have seen me you have seen the father,” What a declaration and a revelation!!

You see, when people are confused about the identity of the Father, it’s because they don’t understand the identity of the one called Jesus. They do not understand that when Isaiah said his name shall be called, “the mighty God” and “the Everlasting Father,” it’s because there has not been nor will there ever be another that can be called our God and our Father.

They do not understand that the essence of God is spirit and that the spirit that lived in the body of Jesus was God the spirit. Jesus was simply God in a body. They do not understand that the same spirit that fills the universe as the father can inhabit a body and be called the Son. They do not know why Paul in the book of Hebrews called the son, the express image of the invisible God. They do not know why John had to say no man hath seen God (the invisible spirit) at any time, but the son hath declared, revealed or manifest Him to the world.

If Phillip were to ask us today to “shew him the father,” many would try to conjure up a manifestation outside of Jesus – whether it be a voice from heaven, or a cloud – but never Jesus. Many do not understand the mystery of 1 Tim 3:16 – that God (the spirit) was manifested in the flesh and that God in the flesh being was called the son. Many do not realize that Jesus was the fullness of the Godhead (all deity) in a body.

Probably a simply way to think of it is to think of Jesus as Clark Kent who was always talking of superman (the father) as if he were a separate person in order to disguise his identity. Jesus spoke as Clark Kent, but when he wanted to, he flowed in the power as superman. And, in Clark Kent’s style, He would always give the glory to the father as Clark Kent gave the glory to superman.

It is sad that we in Christendom don’t really understand our God. When the spirit of God manifests Himself as a cloud, a flame of fire, a voice of thunder, or an angelic being none dares call him a separate being. But when the spirit of God manifested himself on earth in a body, we automatically think that he must be a separate person from Himself. The truth is, God the spirit can manifest Himself in anyway he wants to mankind, because he is an all-powerful God able to do anything at anytime. And whether he is in a body or out of a body or in us, He is the selfsame spirit and the self same God that works all things according to the counsel of his own will. We serve the all-sufficient God whose name is JESUS.

Answer Notes: 1. Before his ascension he said, “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God” (John 20:17)? After his ascension he was called that God, “my Lord and My God” (John 20:28) and Acts 7:59. Each time Christ spoke from his humanity it was most often a reference to us.