Charles Spurgeon Commentary John 14:8-9

"Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and dost thou not know me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; how sayest thou, Show us the Father?" — John 14:8-9 (ASV)

Philip says to him, Lord, show us the Father, and it suffices us. Jesus says to him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet you have not known me, Philip? He that has seen me has seen the Father; and how do you then say, Show us the Father?

Do we, then, see the Father when we see Christ? And is the Father's presence heaven? Then, Christ is heaven; and to be with him is heaven. It is even so. He is the way to heaven, the truth of heaven, the life of heaven. He is heaven's everything.

"His track I see, and I'll pursue
The narrow way, until him I view;"

And when I view him, will I not have seen the Father, and have entered into the Father's rest?

Philip says to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." Jesus says to him, "Have I been with you for so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; and how then do you say, 'Show us the Father?'"

The best view of God we can ever have is Christ in the person of his Son. More of God is seen in him than in all nature; yes, and more than in all history added to nature. God has given us a full-length portrait of himself in Jesus; while in all his works, we have no more than a mere miniature of him. Oh! If only we knew Christ more; then we would know the Father.