Jesus. Why Not Show Everyone?

We’re going through the New Testament trying to come to a deeper understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity. Tonight, we’re in the gospel of John and we’re in the upper room discourse and we will be here for awhile as this passage is full of Trinitarian truth. Tonight, we’re going to be looking at John 14:22-25

²²Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

²³Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. ²⁴He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

²⁵“All this I have spoken while still with you.

We said last time that one of the disciples would raise an objection. This is one we often hear from non-Christians. Why did Jesus show himself to so few people? Why didn’t he show himself to more? Ironically, it seems that one of his apostles had that question in mind as well. How does Jesus answer it?

Jesus begins an answer an odd way talking about if anyone loves him. Instead of talking about his actions then, he is talking about the actions of his followers. Jesus says that love of him will mean that one keeps his word. If one does that, the Father will love him and the Father and Son will come to him and make their abode with him.

Once again, stop and think about those words.

If you love Christ and you keep his commandments, the Father will love you and he and the Son will make their abode with you. This is just as incredible today as it was back then and yet, it’s something we do not think about. Being Trinitarians, we have the fellowship of the Father and the Son, something that John will emphasize later in his epistles. This isn’t to leave out the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will be mentioned later on.

It might help you to pause for a few moments before reading the rest of this blog and think about that thought. The Father and the Son, if you love the Son and keep his word, abide with you.

On the contrary, if someone does not keep love the Son does not keep his words and if you do not keep his words, you do not love the Father then for the words are truly from the Father. Once again, we see this dichotomy that comes into play with Jesus. There is no middle ground.

These are all things Jesus concludes by saying while he has been with his disciples. All things refers to not all the teachings but to this discourse. The temporal reference means that Jesus is indicating that he won’t be with them much longer.

That’s great, but how does that answer the question?

It is my conclusion that the reason Jesus does not show himself to the world is that that is our job. We are to show Jesus to the world. We are his body. We are to make his love manifest. He has privileged us to have that part in the work.

You are the answer to the question of Judas. Are you being the answer? Are you showing the Son to the world?