Knowing our Triune God - John 14:7-17

Knowing Our Triune God John 14:7-17 Introduction: Many Sundays we sing the Doxology as we just did:

“Praise God from whom all blessing flow, praise Him all creatures here below, praise Him above ye heavenly host, praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost…”

We are praising the Triune God when we sing that. When we are talking about God there are some doctrines that we can state, but hardly understand. The word “Trinity” never appears in the Bible. Yet the biblical teaching is that there is only one true God, and that He exists eternally as three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Spirit. Knowing God as He is, as He has revealed Himself to us, is the foundation of the New Life He wants for us: In John 17:3 Jesus will pray,

"This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

We come to the Father, through the work of the Son, in the power of the Spirit (the promise of the Holy Spirit comes center stage here). Its not too surprising that some religions misunderstand what we are saying when we talk about the Trinity and assume we must be polytheists—people who worship more than one God. The Bible is clear that God is One: Deuteronomy 6:4, “The LORD is our God, The LORD alone…” (my translation). One God. One Divine Essence. Yet the Father is called God in distinction from the Son. John started off saying “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God…” The language relates two persons in face to face relationship. Of course the next phrase introduces the tension: “…and the Word was God…” Jesus has affirmed several times in this Gospel His unique relationship with the Father. Now as he anticipates his departure the revelation reaches another level. It was hinted at back in 7:39 in John’s editorial comment explaining the teaching of Jesus in the preceding verses:

“But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet [given], because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

The glorification of the Son is approaching, the cross drew nearer, and that would be the precursor to the giving of the Holy Spirit. John wants us to know God as He is, in His tri-unity. The Big Idea: Through the Son we know the Father, and by the indwelling Spirit we have communion with Him.

I. Seeing God—The Son reveals the Father: Like Father, Like Son! Jesus reveals the Father through His works and words (14:7-11).

How could humans know a transcendent God? He needed to reveal himself in some tangible way that we could understand. Remember the story of the child, afraid of the dark, not wanting her mother to leave her bedside. “Don’t be afraid, God is here.” The reply came, “I know, but right now I need somebody with skin on!” To really know God, He had to make Himself known to us. So Jesus, the eternal Son, could say, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” Jesus reveals the Father (Read, John 14:7-9 "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." 8 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." 9 Jesus said to him, "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'?”). John gave a summary statement of what we see revealed throughout in the Gospel in 1:18,

“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him [i.e., “He has made Him known…”].”

Or as Paul said in Colossians 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation”, and again in Colossians 2:9

“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily…”

GOD became a man, in Jesus we know the Father and have seen Him. How is it possible for humans to know a transcendent God, a God so immense, omnipotent, awesome (that was our theme Wed. nite, Ps 8, “Awesome God; Amazing Grace!”). Eternal God, the Son, took upon himself a human nature. “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:14). In Paul’s words, “…he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men…” Jesus words come from the Father and His works reveal the Father. John 14:10-11

"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.”

If the Words alone were not convincing the works that Jesus did could leave no doubt. Yes, it’s through the Son we know the Father, and by the indwelling Spirit we have communion with Him.

II. Following God—The Son is an example to His followers: Like the Master, so His disciples (14:12-15).

Through faith in Jesus we carry out His mission in the world: 12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” What is Jesus talking about here? Consider the miracles that He did in this gospel, the signs that revealed and proved Him to be the Messiah! What greater works could his followers do? When we turn to Acts we see miracles done at hands of the apostles, in the name of Jesus. The works confirmed their authority to bring the Word of Christ. We read in Acts 14:3

“…they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.”

Through Him and because of Him we can pray to the Father. We read in 14:13,14,

"And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

We’ll talk more about prayer as we continue through the Upper Room discourse, but it is clear that Jesus is not saying that God has given us a blank check, we can name it and claim it and its ours. If we pray in His name we are in fellowship with Him, praying according to His will, not necessarily our wants. When He taught His disciples how to pray, He said pray like this: “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven…” His will become important to us when we know Him. Because we love Him, we obey Him. We’ve all heard the saying, “to know you is to love you!” Well, when God is the object, knowing, loving, and obeying are parallel, virtually inseparable ideas. Jesus said, 15 " If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Obedient Christianity is normal Christianity. *** Through the Son we know the Father, and by the indwelling Spirit we have communion with Him.

III. Indwelt by God—The Son asks the Father, who sends the Spirit, who will be with us and in us always (14:16,17).

Here Jesus introduces a topic He had alluded to earlier. At one point John, the writer, explains the meaning of Jesus words: John 7:37-39,

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 ‘He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

Even in this context Jesus alluded to His impending departure, that where He was going they could not follow, but promised something new, God present in a new way, filling them and coming out of them so that because of him they become like a fountain of life in a thirsty world. Now the hour was at hand, Jesus is preparing His disciples for a major transition: they would have to carry out His mission without Him being physically present. But He would not leave them as orphans. He promises to send “another Helper.” Using Greek or Hebrew words in a sermon doesn’t usually help much, and it could confuse the message. Like the Sunday School teacher who was questioning her students about the image of a bird used in Scripture to describe the Holy Spirit. She had in mind the Spirit descending on Jesus in the form of a dove at His baptism. But the student shouted out, “A Parakeet!” When she questioned where that was found in the Bible the child said, I heard the pastor say Jesus was sending the Holy Spirit as our Paraklete, but I think he meant to say ‘parakeet’”! The actual word, Parakletos, one called alongside [to help]. “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper…” The translations struggle to find an adequate English translation: Helper, Advocate, Counselor, Encourager, Comforter… all of these terms reflect an aspect of what the Comforter is and does for the people of God. “…that He may be with you forever…” Think about that! You are never alone… He is with us, not to condemn us but to help us, to comfort us, to give us counsel and guidance. He is here when we come together to celebrate his presence, He is with us when we are tired and alone and could easily despair, He is there when the enemy would taunt us and tempt us to choose sin over worship and submission to Him. He is with us always, He will never leave us or forsake us. And that is not all… Notice what Jesus promises in v.17,

“…the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

If you have believed in Jesus, that is, if you have turned from sin and turned to Him in faith for salvation, God’s Spirit lives in you. He lives with us and now, since Pentecost, He dwells IN us! This is the idea that Paul tried to get across to the Corinthians when he said in I Cor 3:16,

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

Then again in in 6:19 of I Cor,

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”

When the Hebrews left Egypt under the leadership of Moses they were instructed to build a Tabernacle which traveled with them through the wilderness wandering. It was the place of God’s presence in their midst. When they took the land, it was finally Solomon who was permitted by God to build the Temple in Jerusalem, and that became the new place of God’s presence among the people. Jesus of course came and He himself was the presence and revelation of God. Now get this: we are the body of Christ, and we have become the temple, the dwelling place, the place of His presence! God is with us, and in us. • When we are tempted to sin, remember God in His holiness is with you and in you! • When we repent and come to Him with a contrite heart, God in his grace and mercy is already here, waiting. • When we feel alone and abandoned and unloved, the One who so loved us that He gave His only Son, is with us and in us. • When we feel overwhelmed by opportunities and needs that are before us, remember the God who spoke and created the universe lives in us, and is with us.

What is God saying to me in this passage?

Through the Son, and because of Him, we know the Father, and by the indwelling Spirit we have communion with Him.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?

Have you come to the Father through the Son? If you have, do you realize that the Spirit of God dwells in you? How should you then live? Think about that! Amen.