If you would remain standing together with me for our scripture reading, the first reading comes from the Old Testament, this morning from the book of Isaiah chapter 60, verse 1 to 3. If you are using the church Bible, you will find it on page 787. Isaiah 60, Verse 1, 2, 3, just to refresh your mind with what I'm reading from the book of Isaiah this morning. This is the expression of the desire of the people of Israel to see the glory of God, for the glory of God to be manifested upon them. This has been the desire of the people of Israel all the time in their history. Listen to what Isaiah is saying here to express the desire of God's people for God's glory. Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples. But the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you, and the nation shall come to your light. and kings to the brightness of your rising. Amen. Now let's turn to the Gospel of John, the book that we have been considering together every Sunday morning. John chapter 14, beginning from verse 8 to 14. That's where we are this morning. Chapter 14, 8 to 14. Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us. Jesus said to him, 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? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than this will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whoever you, whatever you ask in my name, this I will do. The Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. The flower, the grass withers and the flower fades away. And the Word of our God endures forever. Amen. Let's pray. Gracious and heavenly Father, would you now use the preaching of your Word through the ministry of the Holy Spirit to open our eyes so that we would see, to open our ears so that we would hear, and to open our hearts so that all of us, like Mary, would treasure your holy word in our hearts and apply them in the Christian life for your glory. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. You may be seated. Every time we think about the first disciples of Jesus Christ, the apostles. We often tend to assume that because they had this direct access to the life and the ministry and the teachings of Jesus Christ for three years. You and I often assume that because of that direct access, They should understand everything about Jesus. They should know everything about what Jesus has told them about God's kingdom. We tend to think that because of those three years, they should got into a stage in their life where they enjoy full spiritual maturity. They must understand who Jesus is and who God the Father is. But Philip's question this morning makes it very obvious to all of us that they didn't get everything that Jesus was telling them about himself, especially what Jesus was revealing to them concerning His own identity as the Messiah, as the Son of God, but also His relationship to the Father. Who is Jesus in relation to God the Father? You know, Philip asked Jesus, show us the Father and it is enough for us. You see the confusion from this strange question that Philip asked our Lord Jesus Christ. And amazingly enough, Philip asked this strange question after hearing these words from Jesus in verse one. If you had known me, you would have known my father also. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. Jesus just told Philip and the other disciples, you know me, you know the father, I'm telling you. You have seen the Father." And Philip turns everything around and he says, Lord, show us the Father, and it will be enough for us. You see, beloved, knowing the Father and the Son, understanding how they together accomplish our salvation is extremely crucial. In fact, it affects the salvation of people. How come? What am I saying? Well, John 17 3, listen to Jesus. And this is eternal life, Jesus said, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. You see, beloved, knowing the Father, God the Father, and the Son means eternal life. If we don't know the Father, if we don't know the Son, then forget about eternal life. Jesus said, this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. Again, listen to John in 1 John chapter 1, that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands concerning the word of life. The life was made manifest and we have seen it and testified to it and proclaim to you the eternal life. which was with the Father and was made manifest to us. That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us." Now listen to John, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. What is this fellowship? What is this relationship between the Father and the Son? So crucial, so important for us to understand. So what did Jesus do after hearing Philip's strange question? Did he rebuke him? Did he become angry toward Philip? No. Remember, Jesus had only one day. One day was left. for him to be crucified on the cross. This is the discourse in the upper room. This is his final farewell to his disciples. He's saying goodbye. And before he left them, before he departed to go to the cross, die for them, and then be raised up on the third day and ascended to heaven, he's teaching his disciples. And they're asking questions. And as a loving and caring teacher and Savior, patiently, with love and kindness and gentleness, He's teaching His disciples. Remember He taught them how to serve one another, how to love one another. He also told them and us last Sunday not to let our hearts be troubled, but believe in God the Father and believe in His Son Jesus Christ. And also believe in the fact that Jesus is in heaven preparing a room for us. So Jesus encouraged us, Jesus told us last Sunday to look beyond of our circumstances now, beyond of the grave, to look to the room that Jesus is preparing for us, just to realize that this is not home. We have a home in heaven. And we are looking forward to be in that room as God's children. You see now the pressure. The more they hear things, the more they think about the Father. The more they hear these things, the more they think about heaven. Who is this Father? Who is this Son? So don't blame Philip. In fact, I appreciate him because he's helping us. to learn more about the Father, about the Son. So, Jesus is teaching them to see the Father in Him. And He does that in three ways. First, He teaches them that Jesus Himself is the revelation of the Father, verse 8 to 11. And then he calls them to believe in him as God for greater works, in verse 12. And then he calls them to believe in him as God for answered prayers, verse 13 and 14. So first Jesus, the Son, as the revelation of the Father. Listen to Philip's question. Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us. Now you and I need to ask, what was in the mind of Philip? What was he thinking when he asked that question? Was he that much confused? Was he that much foolish? The answer is no. Yes, he didn't understand who Jesus was fully. Yes, he was missing some of the points that Jesus has been telling him about himself, about his father. But remember, Philip is a Jew. The Jewish people throughout their history, their relationship with God, their mind, their heart was filled with the manifestation of God, the appearance of God. This was all the time in their heart. It is called theophany. the visible manifestation of God to man. That's why I read Isaiah 60 for us. That's what they were longing for. Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. But the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you. You see, they were craving, longing, For God who is invisible, to make himself to them visible. So when Philip asked this question, he was expecting some kind of theophany. The visible manifestation of God. He was thinking of what Moses experienced in the burning bush. The bush was burning, it was not consumed. From the burning bush, God, the second person of Trinity, the pre-incarnate Jesus, spoke to Moses. God revealed himself to Moses from the burning bush. So Philip was saying, Jesus, would you do something like that for us? Would you? calls us to experience what Moses experienced, that visible manifestation of the glory of God. He was thinking of that manifestation of God in Isaiah chapter 6, where the temple was filled by the glory of God and Isaiah fell on the ground. He couldn't stand. He saw his sin. He saw the glory of God. You see, Philip was thinking about this theophany. If we just experience what Moses experienced, what Isaiah experienced, that would be enough for us, Jesus. And Jesus, listen to Jesus' response. Jesus said to him, 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? Philip, what's going on? You have been with me for three years. Are you still asking for some kind of theophany, Philip? Don't you see? Don't you know, Philip? That's what Jesus is saying. For all these years we have been together, you have seen God. God in the flesh. Look at me, Philip. Whom do you see? You see God in the flesh. You have and you are experiencing something. that Moses never experienced, something that Isaiah never experienced. What we have is greater than what Moses had, what Isaiah had. I'm here. God is here. Emmanuel, God with us. Philip, don't you see that? Now remember, brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus is teaching his disciples these lessons. so that they would conduct the way He's teaching them to conduct in His absence. He will not be with them in person. So He wants them to be strong believers, to believe in God, to believe in His Son Jesus Christ, to believe in the work of the Holy Spirit, the triune God. Jesus is saying here, if you see me, you have seen the Father. If I speak to you, the Father is speaking to you. If you are listening to me, you're listening to the Father. I am the revelation of the Father. John 1, 18, no one has ever seen God. The only God who is at the Father's side, He made Him known. I am that revelation, Philip. If you talk to me, you're talking with the Father. If you see me, you're seeing the Father. If you're listening to me, you're listening to the Father. Colossians 2, 9, where Paul said, for in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. In Him, in Jesus. Philip, you don't know this all yet, Notice verse 9 where Jesus tells him, have I been with you so long and you still do not know me, Philip? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? Listen to what Jesus is really, really saying to Philip here. I and the Father are one, we are inseparable. You see, Jesus is preventing Philip and all of us from looking for the Father outside of His Son, Jesus Christ. There are many people in our world today who are looking for the Father, for God outside of Christ, and Jesus is saying, that's not possible. Don't look for the father outside of his son. He is in the son and the son is in him. Both are inseparable. They are two distinct persons, father and son, but they're one. They're one. We do not have two guns. We have one God, Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Three distinct persons, but one God. And now Jesus is saying to Philip and the other disciples and all of us, don't even try to separate the Father from the Son and the Son from the Father. We are inseparable. We are one. This is important for you to know. It's very important for your salvation. I and the Father are one. Why is this so important? Why is Jesus concerned about this right now? He's going to die on the cross in a couple of hours. He has other things to worry about. Why is he so concerned about this? As I told you, Philip is looking for the Father in the wrong place. So He's preventing His disciples and all of us. Jesus even told Philip, don't you believe, don't you see that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? Now Philip might ask, you might ask, but how do I know that? How do I know that? Well, Jesus in our text this morning tells Philip and the other disciples and all of us, you can know this in two ways. By listening to the Son and by observing His words. In two ways, listening to His words. What words? I am the resurrection and the life. Who would make that claim unless He's God? I am the bread of life. I am the light of the world. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Who would make that claim exclusively? Unless that person is God. Listen to my words. And in every claim that I make, Philip, you see God. You see God. You also observe my works. What does Jesus mean? Well, you observe his works. Well, you see a man walking on the water. You see a man changing the water into wine. You see a man feeding multitude of people with five bread and two fish. That's not normal. That's supernatural. Only God can do that. So Jesus is telling Philip and all of us, listen to my words, observe my works. What do you see, Philip? You see God. I am the revelation of God. Listen to what Jesus said in God's Word. I give them eternal life and no one can snatch them out of my hand. Only God can prevent his people in that way. No one else. So we listen to his words. We observe his works. And we see the Father in the Son. Secondly, Jesus told Philip, it's also important for you to believe in me as God for greater works. Listen to Jesus in verse 12. Now, the statement. that Jesus made, because I am going to the Father, is always ignored. When people talk about, oh, Jesus promised us that we will do things greater than what he did. No, first of all, Jesus said, after I depart. Secondly, what is Jesus talking about here? The prosperity gospel preacher, the miracle worker will tell you, he's talking about miracles. He's telling his disciples, after I leave, you will do greater miracles than mine. Is that what Jesus is saying here? Jesus here is not talking about their work becoming greater than his work. He's not talking about the qualitative, the measuring of what they are going to do as preachers of the gospel. He's talking about the extent of their work. What Jesus is saying here, the extent and the scope of that work, Jesus is saying to Philip and the other disciples and all of us, after I depart, you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit and your ministry will go beyond Jerusalem, Judea, Galilee, it will go to the end of the earth. I haven't done that. I have been limited with the Jewish people in Jerusalem, Judea, and Galilee. You will go further. You will do what I haven't done. You will go to the end of the earth, Acts 1.8. When the power of the Holy Spirit will come upon you, you will become my witnesses, and you will preach the gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Galilee, to the end of the earth. That's what Jesus is talking about here. It's not about miracles. Even if He's talking about miracles, no one will do A greater miracle than what Jesus did. No one would die on the cross for the sins of others. No one would approach the grave of anyone and command that dead person to arise. No one can do that. He is talking about the expansion of his kingdom through the preaching of the gospel. This promise was given to the disciples then, this promise is given to us at the Church of Jesus Christ. Tonight we're going to install our brother as a teacher for him to take the gospel to the nations. This promise will be fulfilled tonight with the installation of our brother, installation of other preachers in every church. When we set apart any man for the preaching of the gospel, this promise will follow them. That's what Jesus is saying here. You will take the gospel to the end of the earth. And then lastly, Jesus also calls his disciples and all of us to believe in him as God. Listen carefully, he is in God, God is in him. He is our mediator, yes. He's the guide man, he's the mediator, but he's God. The father is in the son, the son is in the father. Now listen to Jesus, after he talks about greater works that they will do, because he's God. Because the Father and the Son is together in what the church, what the people of God will do in their missionary endeavor. The Father and the Son are together with them. The Holy Spirit is among them. The triune God is among His people, for His people through preachers. Take the gospel to the end of the earth. What about prayer? Preaching is important. What about prayer as a means of grace? Listen, whatever you ask in my name, this I will do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it again. This is one of the verses that you and I sometimes misunderstand. We are in a crisis. We pray, we pray, we pray. God doesn't answer our prayer. It's an answer, but it's no. You see, God always answers our prayers. And He answers our prayers in three ways. He says, yes. He says, wait. He says, no, because I know what I'm doing. I am more wiser than you. You don't see what I see. You don't understand what's coming. This is good for you. So no, He answered it. But we take it as if Jesus is saying, anything you ask in his name, God will answer it. And God will answer it in your terms, on your own way. That's not what Jesus is teaching here. Two things observe with me, brothers and sisters. This is good for our soul. I needed this. I needed this, I tell you as your pastor. I lost a son. I needed this for my comfort. What Jesus is saying here, whatever you ask, you ask in my name. Number one. And you ask for the glory of the Father. Number two. You're not even in the picture. Your prayer is not in the picture. It's not your prayer that's going to be glorified. It is God who is going to be glorified in your prayer, through your prayer. But when we pray, we pray in the name of Christ, and we pray according to the will of God the Father. And Jesus is saying, I am your mediator. I am in the Father, with the Father. Listen carefully here. Jesus is not saying, I'm almost with the Father. He's saying, I am in the Father. I am in the Father. And I and the Father are one. So when you pray, I will take your prayers, and I will intercede on your behalf. Because you have prayed in my name. Listen to this carefully. You have prayed in my name. I will take your prayer. I will intercede on your behalf. But I'm not going to intercede on your behalf against the will of my Father. I know better, Jesus is saying. Because in the Garden of Eden, Jesus said, not your will, not my will, your will. And he takes the same approach with our prayers. Father, not My will, not his will, not her will, but your will. The Father's will being the Son's will because He is God. They are together. They are one. Sometimes we think, you know, Jesus as our intercessor intercedes for us against the will of His Father. He doesn't do that. He doesn't do that. He doesn't twist the arm of his father and make the father change his mind. He doesn't do that. He functions as a mediator according to God's will. Listen to John in 1 John 5, 14. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. According to his will. Our God hears our prayers all the time, but sometimes we think He hasn't answered our prayers because we expect Him to answer them on our terms. So we say, it was not answered, it was answered. The mystery, brothers and sisters in Christ, the mystery is in His wisdom. And the question is, who is wiser? God, why they're on us? The wisdom of God is greater than our wisdom. I never understood why the Lord took my son when he was 19 years old. Never understood. But his wisdom tells me that it is for good. It's for good. He's wiser than me. He's wiser than his mom. He's wiser than his siblings. He's wiser than every one of you whom you love in him. The same with all of us who lost our beloved ones. God is wise. His wisdom is greater than our wisdom. There is peace in that knowledge. There is peace in that understanding, beloved. You will enjoy the peace of Christ when you tell yourself, wait a minute, His wisdom is greater than my wisdom. Philip said to Jesus, show us the Father and it will be enough for us. And Jesus said to Philip, Philip, You already have got what is enough. I am enough. I am God, and God is sufficient for you. Beloved, if we have Christ, we have enough. If we have Christ, we have enough. If we have Christ, brothers and sisters in Christ, if we have Christ in us, it means we have the forgiveness of our sins. If we have repented of our sins. If we have Christ in us, we are justified. If we have Christ in us, we have been reconciled with God. If we have Christ in us, this is not home for us. As I told you last Sunday, A room is waiting for us in heaven for each and every one of us. Jesus is preparing it for us. Some of ours have gone before us. And when we get there, we'll see them there in our Father's house. It's enough. So my question to all of you. Is this, is Jesus enough for you? Is Jesus enough for you? Or you are still like Philip. Oh, I need more revelation. Show me the Father and it will be enough for me. And Jesus' response to you would be the same response that he gave to Philip. You have me. I'm enough. If you have me, you will not be hungry, you will not be thirsty. If you have me, you will be satisfied fully. So come to Jesus, and he will satisfy your soul. Amen. Let's pray. O gracious and heavenly Father, after hearing this message, with the help of the Holy Spirit, together with the Apostle Peter, we also say, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God. Amen.