Jesus’ relationship with the Father in the Gospel of John

After reading the Gospel of John we clearly see John building a case that goes well beyond the other writers in the Gospels as he establishes Jesus’ divinity through his unique relationship with God the Father. He goes well out of his way to emphasize that Jesus is indeed the “Son of God.” In fact John actually explains that’s the purpose behind his writing in John 20:31, “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

John’s opening sentence and even through the first chapter unequivocally establishes the theme and tone of his Gospel by writing, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The implication of this statement implies that “the Word” not only has divine attributes but is in his totality God. John pushes the envelope even further in John 1:2 by noting that “the Word” was with God even in the beginning, before creation – he’s infinite. In John 1:3 he argues that “the Word” is creator of all things, “all things were made through him…” In John 1:14 “the Word” takes on human form and is the only Son of the Father, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” And lastly John even paints Jesus as Savior of the world, the sacrificial lamb able to redeem mankind from the penalty of sin in John1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” We’re only in chapter one and already the deity of Christ has been established.

As if chapter one was not clear enough, John reemphasizes by quoting Jesus as he teaches Nicodemus in chapter three in what is the heart of the Holy Scriptures, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Again, Jesus establishes his unique relationship with God as the “one and only Son of God” furthermore Savior with the power to offer “eternal life.” John further clarifies in his testimony about Jesus in John 3:35-36, “The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” John also reiterates this again in John 6:38-39, “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.”

Is Jesus then God? In John 5:16-28 exhorts a sense of equality between himself and the Father. We can see the evidence in verse 17, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” John also notes in verse 18, “he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.” In verse 19 Jesus declares such, “”I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” and continues in verse 21, “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.” In this chapter Jesus claims many Godlike qualities to the point where he defines himself equal to God the Father.

In John 14 there is a fascinating interaction with Jesus and his disciples as he explains to Thomas and Philip that he is the “way” to the father. Thomas asks in John 14:4, “How can we know the way?” Jesus answers him in John 14:6-7, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Say what? Jesus notes that since they know him, they also know the father and have seen him. Talk about confusing. I can imagine in an attempt to understand Philip asks “show us the father…” (John 14:8) and Jesus replies, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Talk about opening a can of worms. And you thought the disciples were confused before? Imagine if the Pharisees would have overheard this statement. They would be having a field day with this exchange. Jesus is unapologetically alluding to his divinity. A matter fact, that’s an understatement, Jesus is not just alluding to his divinity but professing that indeed he is God! Jesus explains that the relationship between him and God the Father are so uniquely interwoven that they are in essence one in the same, “…I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (John 14:10). Jesus is fully God in all his attributes, in all his nature and in all his glory.

I have to admit on occasion Jesus’ statements can be confusing when he describes himself in relation to the Father. On one end of the spectrum Jesus notes that he is the “Son of God” (John 20:31), on another end he describes himself as God for “who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9) and as if that not confusing enough he goes on to make statements like, “I am going to him who sent me” (John 16:5) or “I am going to the Father” (John 16:9). In chapter seven he even prays to the Father for himself, his disciples and all believers. Similarly in John 20 Jesus tells Mary Magdalene after his resurrection that, “I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” No wonder that many did not understand. How can Jesus be the Son of God, yet be God in the heavens, yet still ascend to be with God? Or even pray to himself or rather to the Father?

The Gospel of John comes across as the most intimate in relation to Jesus and the Father. I am not sure I remember reading the word “Father” this many times in the previous Gospels. John obviously establishes the person of Jesus as the Christ declaring in almost every chapter that indeed the Father and Christ are one, fully man yet fully God – the Son of God.