The other morning I was thinking about what was the single most important verse in scripture, just wondering what the Lord would say? It is not a question I have an answer too, but something I have been pondering.
Jesus came to reveal the Father and make a way for all men to be able to go to the Father. His life message was the good news (literally the Gospel), the establishment of the Kingdom of God here on earth (Matt 4:23) and God's love and interaction by evidence of the miracles. I was reading in John yesterday and while probably not high in most people's list of the most important scripture passages, the following verses seem to me to encapsulate much of the Gospel.
John 14:8-14 NIV:
[8] "Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
[9] Jesus answered: “Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? [10] Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. [11] Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. [12] Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. [13] And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."
Look at Jesus' statements, and the significance of each of them.
1) "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." There is no clearer statement by Jesus that He is representing the Father. The author of the letter to the Hebrews says Jesus was the exact representation of the Father (Heb 1:3). Jesus meant exactly what He said - He was doing exactly what the Father would do in the each and every situation and circumstance.
2) 'I am in the Father, and the Father is in me.' Following the point above, complete intimacy and unity of thought and action. This is actually similar to the unity they have as the Trinity, but obviously limited by Jesus humanity and His having emptied Himself of His divinity (Phil 2:6-8). This is a level of spiritual intimacy so significant that Jesus was saying we were seeing the Father when we saw Him.
3) "The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing His work." The very words Jesus spoke were also coming from the very mouth of God the Father. I guess that makes sense since Jesus is The Word of God. So, when we read the words of Jesus, as quoted in Scripture, we are hearing the Father speak. Not a single word of Jesus was incorrect or mistaken! We cannot ignore His words.
4) "Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves." The miracles, healings, deliverances, signs and wonders were all meant to prove to us that what Jesus is saying here was indeed true. Those signs were always, throughout scripture, indications of God's active involvement, and are no less so now, except now He is operating through His Son, every day, all day long, speaking and acting, and showing Himself present and involved. Just think of the thousands of people that were healed, delivered, touched, and set free. Jesus' ministry was unlike anything they had ever seen in the entire history of their people, and this was meant to prove that Jesus was directly representing the Father.
5) "Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these..." When Jesus says "very truly" the actual words He said were "Amen, Amen". I believe He said it twice for significance so that we wouldn't miss the point. The point was that "whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing"! The Greek word used here means "To make" or "To do". That sounds quite a bit like creation. That is the point, we are called to do the same things that Jesus was doing, which are the same things the Father was doing, and He is the Creator. He is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love, and forgiving (Ex 34:6-7) and we know this by His actions among us. Amazingly, He invites us to do these same things, 'to make' or 'to do' as He shows us. This is not just an invitation to join Him in Heaven once we die, but rather and invitation to represent Him AND do His works here and now! Wow!
6) "I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son." This is another mind-blowing statement and it relates directly to the previous point. He will do, will make, whatever we ask in His Name. What He means by in His name is the same thing He meant when He said that everything He says and does is from the Father, in His Name (in which is embodied His character). This "in His name" is indicative of intimacy and authority, and active direction. It is supposed to Jesus in us, doing His work, not us adding His name to something we want to do. When we enter into this level of intimacy and obedience He will work through us, bringing glory to Himself, and to The Father.
In summary, we are invited and called to the same ministry that Jesus demonstrated while here on earth, the representation of the Father to those around us. We are invited into intimacy with Him, so that we might know what He is doing, and do the same things. We are invited here and now!
Amen and Amen!
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