Jesus saying, who has seen me, has seen the Father

B) Jesus saying, who has seen me, has seen the Father.

 

Another important passage for Christians, which they consider as evidence of Jesus’ (PBUH) divinity, is what we find in the Gospel according to John, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father”(John 14:9). They understand that the father is Jesus, and seeing Jesus is in fact seeing Allah (S.W).

 

This shallow understanding is poor, faulty and feeble, and creates many problems that suggest blasphemy to Allah (S.W), who is above all problems and any human faults. If seeing Jesus (PBUH) is considered as seeing the Father, it is compulsory to consider slapping Jesus and spitting in his face (Matt. 27:30) as slapping and spitting on the Father Himself, Allah (S.W), Creator of the heavens and earth.

 

Similarly, Jesus’ ignorance of the Day of Judgment is considered as a nescience to Allah (S.W) (Mark 13:32-33). When Jesus ate and drank (Luke 24:42-43) it was also considered, according to this shallow understanding, food and drink for the Father.

Can anyone imagine that Allah (S.W), who created everything, eats, drinks, micturates, and defecates?

 

To understand the passage correctly, we read from the beginning, and it says,“I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself”,the place that he mentioned is the kingdom. Thomas did not understand and said, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5).

 

He understood that Jesus (PBUH) spoke about a real road and a real journey. Correcting him and explaining that it is a spiritual journey, Jesus (PBUH) said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life”,meaning, following God’s statute and His religion alone will lead to the kingdom of heaven.

 

Then, Philip asked him to show them Allah (S.W); thus, Jesus (PBUH) scolded him, saying,“Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

 (John 14:10) meaning, how could you ask such a thing, since you are a Jew, and you know that Allah (S.W) cannot be seen? Who ever has seen me, has seen the Father, when he witnessed Allah’s deeds – the miracles –, which I performed.

 

This passage is the same as in Matthew,“Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'(Matt. 25:34-40) and no one in this world will say that the hungry one was the king; it is just an example and a metaphor.

 

Similarly, Mark said, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but Him who sent me." (Mark 9:37). This passage does not mean that the boy is Jesus (PBUH) himself, or that Jesus (PBUH) is Allah (S.W) Himself. It means that, he (PBUH) tells us that whoever does good deeds for the child, is the same as doing it for him, and is obeying Allah (S.W) and His orders.

 

Similarly, as anyone who has seen Jesus (PBUH) is considered as if he or she has seen Allah (S.W), then whoever accepts Jesus (PBUH) and his disciples, has accepted Allah (S.W), and whoever has denied their message, he or she – in fact- has denied Allah’s Law. Therefore, Jesus (PBUH) said, "The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me." (Luke 10:16)

 

He (PBUH) confirms that again when he said,“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.” (Matt. 10:40) similarly, whoever has seen Jesus (PBUH) it is the same as seeing Allah (S.W), because, as he said,“Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.”(John 14:10).

 

In the Book of Acts, when Peter spoke to Ananias regarding the field’s money, is similar. “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.”(Acts 5:4-5). To lie to people is to lie – in fact - to Allah (S.W), and that does not mean that people and Allah (S.W) are the same.

 

The seeing, when he said “Who has seen me has seen the Father” is metaphoric, which is the insight seeing and not the sight, and this insight seeing is for all believers, who are from Allah (S.W). Jesus (PBUH) said,“not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.”(John 6:46) and all the believers are from Allah (S.W). “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of Him.” (John (1) 5:1)

 

Another proof is what Jesus (PBUH) said after that. “Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.”(John 14:19) He is not talking about real sight, since he is talking about his ascension to heaven and at that time, the world and the disciples will not see him. He is talking about the faith and spiritual insight, in which the believers and the disciples will be able to see and feel, but not the others.

 

What comes in Matthew supports this. Matthew said, “And no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son.” (Matt. 11:27)

 

Another passage, which is similar, that comes in the Gospel according to John: “And Jesus cried out and said,"Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in Him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees Him who sent me. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has Himself given me a commandment--what to say and what to speak. And I know that His commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me."(John 12:44-51) and it meant insight.

 

His saying, “Who has seen me has seen the one who has sent me”, does not mean that who has seen the one sent – the Son – has seen the sender – the Father-- unless they both are one. Furthermore, this can be refuted by his saying, “You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28) and “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.”(John 10:29). No Christian would affirm that the Father is the Son, but they are different personalities, even though they claim that they – the Son and the Father- are united.

 

In his book, "Commentaries on John’s Gospel", Priest Matta El Meskeen said, “Christian belief is that, the hypostases of God are different. The Father is not the Son, nor the Son is the Father, and each hypostasis has his own divine characteristics.”[1]  Therefore, who has seen the Son, did not see the Father.

 

Finally, according to the Bible, it is impossible to see Allah (S.W) in this world: “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.”(John 1:18)“who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.(Ti. 1 6:16) Therefore, taking this verse “Who has seen me has seen the Father” as evidence for Jesus’ divinity is weak and feeble, and is the insight kind of seeing as I mentioned above.