John 14:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

NIV: If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

NASB: If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.'

CSB: If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

NLT: If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!'

KJV: If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

NKJV: “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”

Scripture uses the concept of "knowing" in several different ways. As with the English term, the Greek word for "knowledge" implies different ideas depending on the context. Here, the context is that of relationship and intimacy. Jesus is not speaking of people who have memorized facts about God, or those who have somehow interacted with Him. He's referring to those who have a personal, deep connection to Him. This knowledge comes through a single, exclusive means: belief in Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

As with other statements in this chapter, the Greek structure allows for subtly different meanings. That applies to both halves of this verse. One option is that Jesus is making a statement of logic: "to know Me is to know God." The other possibility is scolding: "how can you not know who I am by now?" To be fair to the disciples, many of Christ's teachings were only going to be understood once the complete picture was in view (John 13:7). These men might not entirely grasp what's being said, yet, but they know enough to express trust. Either interpretation leads to the same application: reinforcement of Jesus' claims to be God in human form (John 14:9) and the sole means of salvation (John 13:16–18).

The second statement also has many possible meanings. Jesus' expression might be immediate, indicating that at this very moment the disciples have crossed the crucial point of "knowledge" of Christ. Another is that Jesus is speaking of the future, looking ahead to when these teachings become clear (John 14:26). A third option is that Jesus is explaining the mechanics of salvation: that once a person "knows" Christ, they come to "know" God. Here again, applications are identical despite subtle questions about Greek grammar. Christ is the means by which we come to know God (2 Corinthians 4:6).

This verse continues a response to Thomas's earlier question. There, he'd asked how it was possible to know "the way" when one does not know the destination (John 14:5). In the following question, Thomas will pursue this idea of seeing God.

John 14:1–14 continues Jesus' discourse with the disciples at the last supper. He has recently mentioned a traitor in their midst and predicted Peter's denials. That leads Jesus to reassure these men—reminding them that He has told them the truth and has all things in hand. In this passage, Christ famously refers to Himself as ''the way, and the truth, and the life.'' That is the sixth of seven such ''I Am'' statements included in John's gospel. This section includes Jesus' words, personal experience, and evidence of His miracles as reasons to maintain trust.

Christ reassures His followers that faith in Him is faith in God. To know Christ is to know ''the way, and the truth, and the life'' (John 14:6). The words, actions, and miracles of Jesus should give Christians confidence to trust that He will make good on His promises. Among those are His guarantee that He is preparing to come for us, so we can be where He is. Jesus also predicts the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This is only available to believers, and this Helper acts to guide, teach, and remind us. Both for the disciples, and for future Christians, these words are meant to be comforting during hard times. Since Christ knew, in advance, what would happen, we can be even more confident to trust Him.

After completing His public ministry in Jerusalem (John 12:36–38), Jesus has washed the feet of the disciples (John 13:3–5), predicted His betrayal (John 13:21), and foreseen Peter's denial (John 13:37–38). Chapter 14 begins a series of remarks meant to encourage the disciples, in the face of dire warnings. Among these are reminders that Jesus is planning to bring them to be where He is, assurance that He is ''the way,'' and the first explicit promises of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Chapter 15 will continue this address, beginning with Jesus' claim to be ''the true vine.''

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.