Show Us the Father

Has seen the Father…John 14:9

Like the apostles, we sometimes find following Jesus difficult. That is, we find it hard to explain that Jesus and the Father are one. Philip did. Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father and it is sufficient for us. Jesus said, Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father, so how can you say, Show us the Father?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? John 14:8-10a

This is a difficult idea for many adults. Imagine what our children think. How will they begin to understand who God the Father is if they are not taught who Jesus is? That is NOT to say their first lesson is the trinity; that is for later. Their first lessons are about Jesus. Jesus is real. (Not was real—is real.) For this reason, we seldom use the word ‘story’ in Sunday School. These lessons about Jesus’ life are not stories—they are events; historical events. True events which happened in real places involving real people.

The world will try to throw Jesus in with Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy. They will succeed if we fail. Some of the events of Jesus’ life can wait until they are older—mature enough to handle them; like the virgin birth, and crucifixion. But they are clearly old enough to learn Jesus had parents and brothers and cousins and friends just like they do. They can understand, like Jesus, they have a mom and a dad and a Father in heaven. All who love them very, very much.

Because we will teach them, when they are older, they will never say to Jesus, show us the Father