After creation, the first radical change on the earth was related to mankind’s sin. It was a terrible change. Adam and Eve had been created to enjoy the Father completely and to partner with him in discovering the world’s mysteries as they developed creation. But they were enticed by the tempter, who insinuated they were seeing incompletely. He promised them a new and better perspective. He lied. When Adam and Eve sinned their eyesight was affected all right— it was perverted. Where they once could see God was Father, they were now afraid of him. Where they were once more conscious of relating to God in the spirit, they were now preoccupied with their flesh. They were now so conscious of the natural, physical, and personal; that the spiritual reality became cloudy and secondary. When the physical, natural, and personal became primary, they interpreted the world from that perspective. This is the first description of “the flesh” that continues to battle against the spiritual reality.
In his last discourse with his disciples, Jesus explained to them how he came to restore the relationship with the Father. He had spent approximately 33 years on earth demonstrating the true nature of God the Father. He is about to finish the work necessary for their restoration to take place. He tells them in John 14 that he is going to the Father to prepare them a place in the Father so they can have the relationship he has with the Father.
Four of the disciples respond to Jesus explanation. Together they give us a clue that they didn’t really understand what he was saying. Like the rest of mankind, they were orphans and could not see what the Son was telling them. They still had Adam’s eyes and were peering from behind a bush trying to keep the fig leaves in place. Peter couldn’t conceive of where Jesus was going. Thomas contended that contrary to Jesus’ statement, he didn’t know where or how to get there. Phillip asserted that if they could just have a visitation like Moses or Isaiah they would be satisfied. Judas was baffled by the very thought of Jesus being real to them but not to the world. These all reflect similar perspectives we have.
First, there was Peter who demanded to know where Jesus was going. Jesus told him that it was somewhere he couldn’t go. Peter was sure he was committed enough to go anywhere with Jesus. He would fight and die for the one he believed in. But like all orphans he was not aware of his own inner fears. Jesus gave him the good news that he would be exposed. It is good news! We can never deal with our state until we know how deeply we have been affected by sin. It would take more than the full commitment of Peter’s flesh to stand the test that was coming. But, once exposed, Peter could, through repentance, find the eyes to see from a son’s perspective.
It is a good thing to find that we are approaching life from a fatherless mentality. There is a cure for that. God has acted to fix that problem. It is a matter of believing in the Son who reveals the Father.
Then there was Thomas. He couldn’t grasp the destination or the direction. He was looking for a place in the created order while Jesus was speaking of a place in the uncreated Father. Limited by his natural, physical and personal eyes, he could not comprehend that the goal of life is to be in the Father. Jesus answers the big questions for him. It is very likely that Thomas was looking for some instructions about how to walk the right path. Jesus made it clear you must know where you are going before you can choose the path.
Some have concluded that the destination is heaven. They are looking for a physical place where peace reigns and pleasures are abundant. This of course fits into the mentality of the flesh-minded orphan. More of the good stuff and none of the bad stuff: must be heaven. It must be a place far away from earth, because earth holds too many memories of lack and pain.
Others are headed toward success. In an “orphanic” (new word) world, success is measured by symbols that speak of achievement, affirmation, and affection. Riches, titles, trophies, toys, memorials, and resume’s fill the life of those who are going toward success. What is the way of getting there? Ambition, aggression, commitment, and communication skills are the way. In a phrase: learning how to work the world’s system.
Still others are going toward being better. There are lots of paths to better: Meditation, medication, managing skills, coping techniques, more knowledge, etc.
But if someone is going to the Father, there is only one way: through the Son. Great teachers can help you along the path of knowledge. Skilled psychologists can help us tread the path of self-understanding. Religious leaders can help us develop a behavioral righteousness that appears satisfactory. But, only the Son can introduce us to the Father. Sure, it is exclusive. God has never been apologetic about being exclusive. He only allowed Levi’s family to be priests. He chose only one nation. He is not trying to satisfy the distorted sense of egalitarianism. Jesus is gloriously exclusive in an inclusive way. Anyone who comes to the Father through believing the Son is welcome. There are no ethnic, social, legal, gender, or geographic boundaries; just faith in the Son!
Many would like to approach God without a mediator. They don’t get it. Orphans cannot just walk into the inheritance without mediation. Only Jesus the Son has become an orphan for Adam’s race. He was separated from the Father on the cross so that we would never have to be separated again. Lots of religious people like to proclaim that they can have a relationship with God without going through Jesus. They may have a relationship with a god of their own creation, but only the Son can make a place in the Father.
What does the destination look like? The Father’s house is a place in relationship with him that allows a place at his table. We sit there because we are sons. We did nothing to gain the place, and we do nothing to keep it. We also have a Son’s perspective on reality. Like Jesus, the Son, we are more conscious of the Father than of trying to secure our provision, protection, and promotion.
Jesus is the truth about reality. His view of God is right. His view of mankind is also correct. As is his view of money, trouble, service, suffering, and glory are also right. He is truth. He is not just a teacher who offers truth. He is reality. When we discover we are in him, we are finally in reality. In fact, he is also life. The eternal life that everyone wants is nothing less than Jesus revealing the Father and granting us the privilege of living in full fellowship with the God-head.
Before we finish with Thomas, we should note that Jesus promised him from now on he would know the destination and the direction. Something as dramatic as the fall of mankind was taking place. Jesus was restoring to Adam’s race the right to see reality accurately and to live eternally. Thomas had seen Jesus but didn’t know what he saw. He was about to, and he would be radically changed.
Then there was Philip wanting to have a special visitation. He had heard Jesus tell Thomas that he was going to see the Father, and he wanted that experience. He remembered how special visitations had impacted Moses, Isaiah, and Ezekiel. He figured that if he could have one of those it would satisfy him totally. But Jesus was the full visitation. All others, though effective, were partial and incomplete. Jesus was the living vision. Seeing him would have transforming effects. He was and is the exact representation of God. It would take special eyes to see this, but that blessing was on the way.
Jesus lived out in human terms the life of a son of God. His perspective was dominated by spiritual reality. God is the Father of spirits. Those who worship him must do so in spirit and truth. Jesus was not apologetic about his physical body. Nor was he ashamed of the natural world, but he made his decisions based on the input from the spiritual realm. He was not spooky, but he was super-natural. He told Philip that his works and his words were consistently revealing the nature of the Father and the Son. Any unprejudiced eyes could have seen it, but, of course, Philip was an orphan and needed an eye transplant.
The new perspective would come on the day the Helper came. The Spirit sent from the Father would come and make it real for the followers of Jesus.
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.
John 14:18-20 (ESV)
Notice the four aspects of the coming. One: “I will come to you.” We will be conscious of the presence of Jesus and the Father. This is consistent with God’s intention all along. He never meant for his people to live without his presence. That is why the temple was so important for Israel. It was where God’s presence met the earth. Now Jesus is saying that the temple will be the disciples both corporate and individual. Like Adam in the Garden and Jesus on earth, we can live so conscious of his presence that our fleshly component doesn’t dominate.
Two: “you will see me.” Here we get the new perspective. Now because the gospel opens our eyes, we can again see spiritual reality.
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (ESV)
Note that the gospel reveals the true nature of God. He is Spirit and Father. The Helper will open our eyes to see what sin has blinded us from. We can now enjoy being sons who do not run in fear of God, but run towards him in love.
Three: “you also will live.” Actually Jesus said, “Because I live, you also will live.” The same life he demonstrated on earth will be transferred to his own believers. They will know what it means to live with open eyes seeing reality again. They will be conscious of the unconditional love of the Father. They will want to display his glory to all creation. After all they will know that they are sons.
Four: “you will know.” They will know that they are intertwined in the relationship of the Father and the Son. This knowledge is beyond the reasons of the mind and the emotions of the soul. It is that spiritual knowledge that cannot be explained but is more real than thought. We are now getting an education for eternity when we will know as we are known. How are we known by God? He knows us in spirit.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.
2 Corinthians 5:16 (ESV)
We might as well get used to it now. It is the real world.
Last, there is Judas. He can’t grasp how Jesus can be real to the disciples and not to the rest of the world. Again, we have the confusion of the orphaned mind. The physical world is so real, and the spiritual world is so vague. Jesus gives the answer. Those who love him will become the host of the presence of God in Jesus and the Father. The key to this kind of love is in believing the word of Jesus. It is somewhat strange. His word is not exactly what the physical eyes see. It will take some trust in the person of Christ. Surely he would not deceive. Believing his word depends on trusting him. When we do, we are the recipients of a radical revelation.
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