Where is your Father?

As we’ve been working our way through John chapter eight, we’ve noticed a sharp contrast between the Pharisees and Jesus. They were constantly attempting to condemn Him, He was constantly trying to save them. They were motivated by jealousy and hatred, He was motivated by Obedience and love.

The Pharisees were accustomed to being the ones in control of every encounter. They considered themselves a cut above everyone else. Not so when they engaged in conversation with Jesus. In verse nineteen Jesus utters the word “Father”. Let’s look at verses 18 & 19 together. For the purposes of this study, verse eighteen simply demonstrates a transition to the “new” subject Jesus introduces in verse nineteen.

In John 8:18-19 we read,

18 I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”     19 Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.” (NKJV)

I think it fair to say if you were to count repeating words in these two verses, you would discover the main idea being emphasized by Jesus. If we group the words My, Me, Myself (all referring to Jesus) together and count them, you’ll see they appear seven times. The next closest repeating word, is the word Father, which appears four times. Jesus is telling us something about Himself and [God] the Father.

Although this is the first time the Father is mentioned in this chapter, it certainly is not the first time in the book of John. As early as John 1:14 the Father is mentioned. Not only so, but He is mentioned in relationship to Jesus. Look at what John the Baptist declares.

John 1:14 says,

And the Word [Jesus] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (NKJV)

The next time we see a reference to God being Jesus’ Father is in the second chapter. This time it is Jesus Himself claiming a Father/Son relationship with God.

John 2:16 tells us,

And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!”  (NKJV)

John gives a discourse about Jesus in 3:27-36. We won’t take the time to look at it now, but go back and read it.

John 3:35 says,

The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. (NKJV)

Over and over again the scriptures declare that Jesus is the Son of God. This is the single greatest reason the Pharisees hated Jesus.

Consider John 5:17-18. It says,

17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” 18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. (NKJV)

Not only did the Jews (verse 18) hate Jesus, they were looking for opportunity to kill Him! Slight diversion here. I think it is important to explain that Jesus did not break God’s law concerning the Sabbath. That would be sin, and we know that Jesus was sinless. Rather it was the Pharisees Sabbath rules, that Jesus was not bound to keep, that He broke.

They hated Jesus with a passion! He broke their traditions, but worse than that, His claim that God was His Father was a claim that He was God.

All throughout the ages each individual must decide how He will respond to Jesus. Not just Jesus as a perfect man, or a great teacher. Not just a prominent historical figure, but Jesus fully God and fully man. The sinless, perfect, and only sacrifice capable of atoning for sin and restoring us into right relationship with God the Father.

Somewhere around two thousand years after this encounter we read about in John chapter eight, people are still rejecting Jesus as God.

Look again at John 8:19. It says,

Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.” (NKJV)

This verse is very clearly declaring that the only way to know God, is to know Jesus. Jesus Himself tells us that you cannot know God unless you know Him!

We find support for this conclusion in John 14:6-7. It says,

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” (NKJV)

People today still hate Jesus for His claim to be God. They want there to be many paths to God. Jesus, the Son of God was very clear, He is the only way to God the Father.