And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; Mark 1:11

During these last months and especially since Father’s Day, my father has been on my mind more than usual. He passed away in 2013 in New York after a very short illness. He was 104 and had never been seriously sick in his entire life. In fact some medical folks were very interested in finding out the “secrets” of his longevity.

He lived through an entire century, fought in two world wars and experienced unbelievable changes in the world’s societies, politics and technologies. He came from a village with no electricity and passed away in the age of robotics and computers. I’ve been wondering how he would cope during the last six months of health pandemics, civil unrest, protests and counter protests, public shamings etc., ad nauseum. I know what he’d say to anyone who sought to have him “mask up” or keep “socially distant.”

My father was an honest, decent man, religious, kind in his own way and a good parent in providing for his family. I knew his stories, his history and many parts of his personality. But I did not really know my father at all because our relationship was patriarchal rather than relational. For most of my life, I did not know the difference. Like so many of us with father wounds, finding God as personal, loving, approachable Father/Parent has been difficult. He and I are still working it out together. But, recently He’s reminding me n that the true way to Himself is through Jesus. All that’s needed is to ask, “How did Jesus manifest His Father’s character and will? What did He say or do which reflected Abba, His Father in heaven?” What do the Scriptures reveal?

It seems that the disciples who lived for three years in close proximity with Jesus were very confused about Jesus’ closeness to the Father. In the first part of John 14 Jesus was teaching the disciples about His Father and makes the startling statement that no one can come to the Father except through Himself and thus, He claims a most unique relationship – that of exclusive, divine Sonship. He is in the Father (as His only begotten Son) and the Father is in Him. The disciples didn’t get it. I honestly identify with skeptical, practical Philip who wanted Jesus to show Him the Father. Don’t we all want the same thing? To have hard, visual, concrete evidence of the Father and everything about Him. That would surely be enough for us. Wouldn’t it?

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” John 14.8

Jesus’ admonished Philip with a twinge of sadness and frustration.

Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? John 14:9

Later, Jesus taught about our abiding in Him even as the Father abides in the Son. If we know Jesus and allow Him to indwell in us, we will know the Father of us all. Believers also have spent much time with Jesus and yet, are often confused. In my personal journey to seek God as my heavenly Father, I’ve made a lot of false starts and found far too many dead ends because I was using my own father as the doorway to understanding. Jesus said that He is the “Way, the Truth and the Life.” He is the Door providing access to the Father. How? Through His life. Through God’s Word.