This Man is God!

The private conversation going on in the upstairs room where Jesus and His Followers are eating the Seder Meal continues.

Jesus has made a pointed and confusing statement. “No one gets to the Father apart from Me.” His listeners were Jews. Passover Pilgrims since Childhood; trained in Galilean Synagogues. They knew the “Father” Jesus was talking about was Yahweh; the Great “I AM”! Since Moses the only one “getting to the Father” was the High Priest. And he could only go near the Holy God by complex religious regimen and ritual. But Jesus is now smashing their religious paradigms again. He’s saying, without hesitation; no qualification; He is the only One by which a person can “get to the Father.” Now He goes from bold to brazen. “If you really knew Me, your would know my father as well. From now on, you do know Him. You’ve even seen Him.”

Philip speaks. You’d think, from what he said, that he hadn’t been paying attention. “Master, show us the Father, then we’ll be content.” Didn’t Jesus just say, speaking of His Father, “You’ve even seen Him.”? Where has Philip been?

What Jesus says next is criminal in Judaism. “You've been with me all this time, Philip, and you

still don't understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, ‘Where is the Father?' Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren't mere words. I don't just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act. Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me.” (John 14: 9-14)

A claim immeasurably colossal! A boast no mere human could make credibly. A declaration which would become the central Creed of His Followers, the Church. Some 60 or so years later John – the Son of Thunder, who’s telling us about this upstairs conversation – would write, “In

the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. …

The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. … So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

… No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is Himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.” (John 1: 1 – 18)

This Man – the Christ – is also God. Everything He is. All that He thinks and feels. What He wills. What pleases Him. What He does. What is the Man Christ Jesus He shares with Father God. They are “One.” This, “Son of Man” has the heart of Father God. Do you wonder what God thinks of us? Listen to Jesus. Would you like to know what He expects of us? Watch Jesus. Where is God right now? What’s on His mind? Where’s Jesus? What’s on His mind?

This “upstairs conversation,” as it continues, will answer that question. You will “see the Father,” “TRUTH”fully!