The gospel of John began with language similar to that we read in 1 John: “No one has ever seen God. God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made God known” (John 1:18). John did not invent such words about Jesus out of thin air. He recorded that Jesus himself, on the night before his crucifixion, told the disciples, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”

• In some Bible stories, God sounds angry, brutal or unloving. Those stories may reflect human misunderstanding, shaped by ancient culture, or perhaps loving acts that only seem unloving to us because of our partial understanding. But in Jesus, who came to be “lifted up” on the cross so we can have eternal life, we find the definitive picture of God’s heart. Has knowing Jesus reshaped any of your images of God? How deeply are you able to trust the truth of Jesus’ saying?
• Jesus asked, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been with you all this time?” It is still possible to go to church for many years, to know many facts about the Bible and the church, and yet not know Jesus. For how much time have you been around Jesus and his message? In what ways do you wish to grow deeper in knowing Jesus, not just knowing about him?