Lesson 11 Know The Father

     Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified) that, "I and the Father are One."
     For some unknown reason, such statements that Jesus made like this one haven't been received by Christian people today.  Jesus was always making statements about how when you see Him, then you have seen Him Who sent Him.
     We still have a clouded image of God as Father.  We don't seem to grasp the change that came about through the cross.  We read the words, but miss the truth of what was said.  We call God Father, but still respond to Him as the God of the old covenant.  It's as if we still think we should be punished more for who we were before we were saved.  We want to believe we're saved, but then be dealt with as though we weren't.
     God paid a terrible price to completely cleanse us to the point of actually becoming one with us.  We still see ourselves as somehow unclean in His presence.  We allow thoughts of our past (or unclean thoughts now) to put us under condemnation and hold ourselves aloof from the One who declared us clean.
     It's the Father's heart that puts us into the place Jesus put us in when He prayed in John 17 (Amplified).  The prayer Jesus prayed just before He went to the cross is perhaps the most revealing look into the heart of the Father that we may ever have.  The very things He was going to the cross to obtain for us, were the things Jesus was speaking to the Father about in prayer.  As you read chapter 17 of the gospel of John, know in your heart that this was God's will for you.  His will was that we be made one with Him, that the love Jesus loved with, that we know He loves you the same, and that we know God gave us the very glory that He gave Jesus.
     Finally in Verse 27 Jesus said, "I have made Your name known to them and revealed Your character and Your very self, And I will continue to make (You) known, that the love which You have bestowed upon Me may be in them (felt in their hearts) and that I (Myself) may be in them."
     Jesus said He had made God's name known to us.  What name would that be that wasn't already known?  The name of Father.  I have four children in my family and not one of them calls me Jim or Pastor or Mr. Hayes.  They all call me Dad.  Does that change the titles or other uses of my name?  No, of course not.  Many call me Pastor and that's a correct title.  Many call me Jim and that's also correct.  Many call me Mr. Hayes and I find no fault with any of these names or titles.  But, only those of blood have the right (and I hope privilege) of calling me Father.
     It doesn't mean I care only for my children or don't love the other people.  But, only my children have the right to address me as Father.  The President has influence throughout the world and many seek his favor, but his influence and favor are felt more strongly with his children than with anyone else on earth.  They don't have to struggle to seek his favor because they are his highly favored children. They don't have to seek influence by or from him.  They have influence because of who he is.  There's nothing that his power can't do in the world that can't be done for them.
     All that he is or has is available to his children at all times.  When he isn't at home, he provides protection for them.  When he is home, he provides time to be in fellowship with them at all times.
     Our Father is our ever present help in our time of need.  He is the One Who will never leave us or forsake us.  He is the One Who has provided, "All our needs according to His riches in glory."
     When Jesus said that He had revealed God's character and His very self in John 17:27 (Amplified), He simply said, "When you look at Me, you look at the Father."  All that Jesus did was to bring us to the place where we could see the Mighty God in a very different way than we'd ever seen Him before.  We don't see Him as an Angry God and not just a covenant keeping partner and not even as Someone Who will favor them.  We now see Him as Father.
     When you see Jesus, you see Father; not God.  You see Love, mercy, forgiveness, grace, provision, protection, deliverance, fellowship and family and don't depend on anything, but Father.