Our reading is John 14:1-9. For some time, Jesus had been telling the disciples that he was going to be leaving them, but his words fell on deaf ears. Advertisers tell us we need to hear something seven times before we hear it the first time. Do you know someone who needs to hear something more than once? Do not be hard on that person. Jesus was not hard on the disciples. For some reason, this time the disciples heard it; Jesus is leaving and they are upset. They are like young children whose parents are going out on a Saturday night. They want to know if they could go with him, and they want to know who was going to stay with them. Jesus recognizes their concerns and tries to comfort them. The Master says this is not the end; it is just a momentary separation. Someday, they are going to be reunited. That will be one great day! They will all be together in heaven. Each one will have their own mansion. They heard what Jesus was saying, but they have some doubts. Two disciples respond in different ways. Thomas admits his ignorance. He does not even know where Jesus is going. Phillip demands proof. In verse eight Phillip says, “Show us the father and that will be enough for us.”
That verse relates back to the story of the transfiguration. It is a pivotal moment in Jesus’s ministry. It is found in Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9. Peter has just identified Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus takes the inner circle, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, to a mountaintop. According to the story Jesus is transfigured at that location. In other words, Jesus begins to glow. Suddenly, two of the greatest characters of the Old Testament appear, Moses and Elijah. Moses was the great law giver. Elijah was considered the greatest of the prophets. The climax of the story is when God appears. It is important to note that only four of the twelve disciples have that experience. The other eight hear the story secondhand. Philip was one of the eight and felt left out. Philip said, “Show us the father and we will believe.” In other words, Philip said, “Show us God.” He wanted to have a spectacular experience with God too. He is not the only one.
Some look for God in a spectacular way today. That is why people are so preoccupied with miraculous healings and individuals who experience a stigma. That is why people study their toasted cheese sandwiches, looking for the face of Jesus. That is why people find the image of the Virgin Mary in their baked potato. That is why people see the image of the Last Supper in a rusting water tower. I do not want to sound critical, they are hungry for God, so they look for Him in spectacular ways. They want God to do something spectacular because we need proof that God is in control. Have you ever looked for God in the spectacular? Philip said, “Show us God!”
Some look for God in a specific location. In the Christian tradition, we go to the altar because it is at the altar we expect to experience God. We reserve the most sacred moments in our lives for the altar. We pray about our problems at the altar. We get married at the altar. We baptize our young at the altar. We bury our dead at the altar. When you go to the altar you do not just hope to experience God, you expect to experience God! However, it does not just happen at the altar. Other places hold a special place in our hearts because it is where we experienced God in our personal pasts.
Lakeside is located on Ohio’s Marblehead peninsula. For decades, people have gone to Lakeside for family vacations and spiritual renewals. Lakeside is filled with many things, but the one everyone knows about is the chapel in the woods. It is not fancy, but it is sacred. I cannot tell you how many young people have accepted Christ at that location. One man said to me, “Russ, I want to go back to the chapel in the woods to see if God is still waiting there for me.” Do you have a place in your life where God is waiting for you? Do you have a specific location where you expect to experience God? Philip said, “Show us God!”
Some look for God in the perfect. Sometimes it is the perfection of nature. God’s fingerprints are seen at every corner. It is easy to see God when the leaves are full of color during an Ohio autumn. It is easy to see God when the spring flowers bloom after a cold dark winter. It is easy to see God when you are walking on the beach and are swallowed by the sounds of the surf. It is easy to see God when the snow is fresh and undisturbed. It is easy to see God when standing on a mountaintop soaking in the view. It is easy to see God when a falling star shoots across the night sky. It is easy to see God in the perfection of nature.
Sometimes it is the perfect relationship. It would be an empty world without relationships. You know how your spouse feels without saying a word. Your grandchildren light up when you walk in the room. An old friend calls at just the right time and says just the right words. Your parents are proud of the person you have become. The humbling spirit when the whole church is praying for you. Some look for God in the perfect. Philip said, “Show us God!”
Jesus says, if you want to see God, then look at him. John 14:9 says it clearly, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” Jesus has a point. Philip, and the rest of the disciples, had experienced so much with Jesus. During a three-year period, they saw how Jesus treated others, offering them forgiveness and patience. They saw how he put the needs of others ahead of his own. He cared for the weak. He practiced unconditional love. He cared for and comforted people who were lonely, weak and in pain. He was humble and treated everyone with respect. He trusted God when life was hard. It should have been obvious, but they missed it. They did not know they had been watching God the whole time. If you want to see God, then look at Jesus. Let me end with this question: has anyone ever seen God while looking at you? It is a fair question. 1 John 2:6 says, “Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”
Russ Adams 