The Father Made Known Through Yeshua

Read: John 14:7–11; 17:1–6, 20–26; Exodus 34:6–7, using the King James Version.

Some readers feel drawn to Yeshua's compassion yet unsettled by accounts of judgment in the earlier Scriptures. They may wonder whether the God they meet in the Old Testament is different from the Father Yeshua reveals.

If you have felt that tension, you can bring it honestly to Scripture. Yeshua's own words give us a place to begin. He came to make the Father known, and His prayer helps us understand what that means.

Listen to whom He honours

John is one of the Gospel accounts of Yeshua's life and teaching. In chapter 17, shortly before His arrest and crucifixion, Yeshua prays to the Father. His disciples are about to face grief and uncertainty. In their hearing, He speaks about the purpose of His work:

“I have glorified thee on the earth” — John 17:4, KJV

To glorify someone is to honour them and make their greatness known. Yeshua describes His work as bringing honour to the Father whose work He has carried out.

He also says that He has made the Father's name known. In this setting, knowing His name reaches beyond knowing what to call Him. It involves recognising who He is through what Yeshua has taught and shown.

His prayer directs our attention to the Father. The love we encounter through the Son reveals the One who sent Him.

What Philip needed to see

Earlier that evening, a disciple named Philip asked Yeshua to show them the Father. Yeshua answered:

“he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” — John 14:9, KJV

He then directed Philip to His words and works, explaining that the Father dwelling in Him was doing those works.

This helps us understand the relationship between the One revealed and the One revealing Him. Yeshua speaks to the Father and makes Him known. We are not being invited to choose between their characters. We are being invited to recognise the Father's character through His Son.

Returning to the earlier Scriptures

Long before this conversation, Moses had asked to see God's glory. God proclaimed Himself merciful, gracious, patient, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving, and just (Exodus 34:6–7).

These words deserve a place beside what we see in Yeshua. Compassion and forgiveness were already part of God's self-revelation. Holiness and justice remain part of the character we must learn to understand.

Some biblical accounts will still require careful reading. We need to ask what happened, who was harmed, what God had said, and how mercy and judgment appear within the whole account. A difficult passage deserves patient attention.

Yeshua's revelation gives that reading a direction. When His kindness draws us near, we can ask what it teaches us about the Father. When He calls people to repentance, we can consider the Father's desire for their lives to be restored. His words and works help us know the God whose name Moses heard proclaimed.

The love He wants us to know

At the close of His prayer, Yeshua connects making the Father's name known with the Father's love being in His followers (John 17:26). He also prays for those who will believe through His disciples' message to share in unity, so that the world may recognise that the Father sent Him.

The aim reaches beyond answering a question about the two parts of the Bible. Knowing the Father is meant to form us: His love shaping our relationships, His truth guiding our lives, and His people learning to live together in Him.

You can begin without having every difficult question resolved. Read Yeshua's prayer slowly. Notice how He honours the Father, receives His work, and desires others to know His love. Let His witness guide the picture of the Father taking shape in your heart.