by Jilene Scherenske
The Upper Room (John 14:1-11)
But a few days later we find Philip and the other disciples in the upper room celebrating the Last Supper. It is just a few hours before Jesus is taken. The end has come. Jesus has taught these 12 for over three years, yet their faith is very weak. Jesus Himself declared this to be so for even after His resurrection to the two men on the road to Emmaus He said, “…O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:”
Philip was no exception, and most likely with his logical mind, his faith was little, as we shall see. It amazes me (of course being on this side of foresight its harder to understand) that Philip, as well as the others, who had searched scripture so diligently for the Messiah, had not yet put two plus two together! What were they thinking when they read the prophecies? How could they miss the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah? They who knew prophecies so well, how could they miss the fact that Jesus was the Son of God, equal with God?
So here we have it. Jesus is full of heaviness as He teaches them one last time. He knew what was ahead of Him and what was ahead for the disciples. In this challenging hour Jesus sought to comfort them, though they did not realize they needed comfort! In John 14 Jesus begins by telling them that they do not have to worry because He was preparing a place for each of them. When Jesus said “…whither I go ye know, and the way ye know” the disciples should have realized that Jesus was telling them that He was going to heaven and that he had taught them how to get there. But Thomas replied that he did not know the way. What was Jesus talking about? Jesus replied, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me. Jesus had taught them clearly that the only way to God the Father was through Him. He continued on with “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.” Jesus was saying in the clearest way possible that He was God. Since they knew Him, they, in effect, knew God the Father. Now it was Philip’s turn to reveal his lack of faith and knowledge. “Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.” What?!!!! Had Jesus not told them time and time again that He was God? Had He not just stated that very truth? Had He not proven over and over again that He was God by His multitudinous miracles? “Show us the Father?!!!” Where were Philip’s brains? I guess, in his logical, common sense mind, he wanted to see a physical form just as they were viewing Jesus in physical form. I suppose since he was well versed in the Old Testament and knew it taught that no man could see God, perhaps this clouded his thinking. How could Jesus be God since they were seeing Him?
Jesus was already heavy spirited; how disappointing this question must have been to Him. (Albeit He knew that Philip would ask it.) Patiently Jesus responds. Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me, or else believe me for the very works’ sake.” Jesus pleads with Philip to believe. Philip was already in the presence of God Himself! For over three years he had been face to face with Almighty God, yet he still did not get it. His logic, his fact sheet prevented him from coming to a full realization of Who he had been living with. Slow to understand, to put it all together in faith, he still needed more proof. Lest I am too hard on Philip, he and Thomas perhaps were speaking for the entire crew, those two just had the courage to verbalize their lack of faith.
Think back to when Jesus called him. Jesus Himself went looking for Philip. He knew then all of Philip’s limitations and weaknesses. Even after three years it would seem that Philip had not grown in the faith much, if at all. Yet remember? As soon as Jesus called him into service, he immediately went and enlisted Nathanael into the faith declaring Jesus to be the Messiah of Whom they had been searching for in the scriptures. Philip had followed Jesus all this time. Where was his thinking? Did he think Jesus was the Messiah and yet not God? How did he think Jesus could have worked all those miracles?
Where is our faith? Do we realize every single nano moment of our day we have God Almighty residing in us and completely enveloping us? Do we really believe we can move mountains with our faith? Or do we keep God in a box of our limited vision? Who are you praying for today? Do you really believe that they will be saved? Do you really believe that God can and will change their lives? What impossible circumstance is before you this hour? Have you given it completely to God and now expect unimaginable results? Let us not be like Philip whose faith failed when it did not work out on paper.