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 14:9 (NKJV)
If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus.
In John 14:9, Philip asked Jesus to show him the Father. Jesus’ response was, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?” (NKJV). In other words, if
you’ve heard what Jesus is like, you
know what God is like!
People tend to forget this. They’ll accept that Jesus loves them because He died for us, but then they think that they have to earn God’s love and blessings through perfect behaviour. Jesus and God are one in character, so this dichotomy doesn’t make sense.
What was Jesus like? Jesus was
compassionate. He met people where they were and addressed their needs. He had a servant’s heart. He was always approachable and without ego. Jesus was quick to forgive even the most unforgivable. He even forgave those who crucified Him.
Jesus was gentle and patient. Kids flocked to Him. He was humble and self-controlled, not vengeful. And yet, Jesus was strong, committed and filled with power. He knew who He was. Jesus was the perfect friend and the kind of leader who made people want to drop everything just to follow Him.
Whenever you think of God the Father, remember that He has the same character as His Son, Jesus. God looks at you with love and compassion. He forgives you because of what Jesus accomplished for us, and you can get to know Him personally if you’ve accepted Christ.