Show Us the Father
A Sermon on John 5:37-38
Originally preached April 27, 1958
Scripture
37And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. 38And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
Sermon Description
No one can honor the Father unless they honor the Son. From the time of Jesus’s birth until now, people try to honor God the Father without acknowledging, believing in, or honoring the Son. In this sermon on John 5:37–38 titled “Show Us the Father,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones challenges the listener to ask any pagan today how they will get to heaven. Their response may be “I believe in God” or “God is love and all good people go to heaven.” They assume a knowledge of and a relationship with the Father while ignoring Jesus. This has always been the case. However, in the Gospel of John, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Jesus taught that no one can know, honor, or see the Father without believing in the Son. In the context of John 5:37–38, Jesus had just performed a miracle. But the Jews denied it, denied him, and denied His claim to be the Son of God, equal in divinity to the Father. However, as John the Baptist testified to this truth, Jesus now declares that the Father also testified of the identity of the Son, affirming the claims of Jesus. The Father, in the Old Testament, New Testament, baptism of Jesus, and the transfiguration of Jesus all affirmed Jesus’s claims to be His Son and fully equal with Him. Both in written form and audibly, the Father testified as such. Therefore, believing in and honoring Jesus is absolutely essential to knowing God.
Sermon Breakdown
- The Jews were ignorant and arrogant in their claims about God. They knew nothing about God but spoke confidently.
- No one has seen or heard God directly. We cannot know God through our own searching. We need God's self-revelation.
- God has revealed himself in various ways, e.g. to Jacob, Moses, Isaiah. He has especially revealed himself in Christ.
- Christ is the eternal Son of God who has come from the Father. He speaks from first-hand knowledge of God.
- John the Baptist bore witness to seeing the Spirit descend on Christ and hearing the Father's voice.
- At the transfiguration, Peter, James and John saw Christ's glory and heard the voice from heaven. Peter testified to this.
- Philip asked to see the Father, but Jesus said to see him is to see the Father. He reveals the Father.
- The Jews rejected the evidence and testimony about Christ because God's word did not abide in them. They were spiritually dead.
- God's word tells us about God's glory and holiness, our sin, God's promises of salvation, and Christ the fulfillment.
- Simeon and Anna believed God's word, so recognized the infant Jesus as the salvation of God. The word gave them spiritual life.
- If God's word abides in us, revealing our need and Christ as the only Savior, we will believe in Christ. Otherwise we remain spiritually dead.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones pleads with people to face themselves, their need of Christ, and the reality of meeting God. Come to Christ and live!
Sermon Q&A
Common Questions About Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on John 5:37-38
What does Lloyd-Jones teach about those who claim to believe in God but reject Christ?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, those who claim to believe in God while rejecting Christ are deceiving themselves. In his sermon on John 5:37-38, he explains that Jesus makes it clear: "You cannot honor the Father unless you honor the Son." Lloyd-Jones addresses those who say, "I believe in God but I can't believe that gospel as you preach it," pointing out that they speak of praying to God directly while seeing no need for Jesus Christ as mediator. He emphasizes Jesus' argument that "you cannot be right with God and wrong with him [Christ]," showing that true belief in God the Father must necessarily lead to belief in Christ also.
Why does Lloyd-Jones say people reject Christ despite claiming to believe in God?
Lloyd-Jones identifies three main reasons people reject Christ while claiming to believe in God:
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Ignorance and arrogance: "You have neither heard his voice nor seen his shape," Jesus says to the Jews. Lloyd-Jones explains that people speak confidently about God without any real knowledge of Him, asking, "What do you really know about God?" Their arrogance stems from their ignorance.
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Refusal to accept testimony: They reject the evidence God has provided through various witnesses, including John the Baptist who saw the Spirit descend on Jesus and heard God's voice declaring, "This is my beloved Son."
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Spiritual deadness: Lloyd-Jones explains, "You have not his word abiding in you for whom he hath sent him, you believe not." People are spiritually dead by nature and cannot respond to Christ unless the word of God is alive in them.
What evidence does Lloyd-Jones present that God has testified about Jesus?
Lloyd-Jones points to several manifestations of God's testimony about Jesus:
- The voice at Jesus' baptism declaring, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased," which John the Baptist witnessed
- The transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John heard God's voice saying, "This is my dearly beloved, only begotten son. Hear him"
- Jesus' own testimony as one who came from the Father and knows Him intimately
- The fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and promises about the Messiah
- The miracles Jesus performed that authenticated His ministry
Lloyd-Jones quotes Peter's testimony in his epistle that they were "eyewitnesses of his majesty" and had heard God's voice from heaven on the holy mountain.
How does Lloyd-Jones explain what it means to have "God's word abiding in you"?
Lloyd-Jones explains that having God's word abiding in you means being spiritually alive and responsive to the truth about God. When the word of God truly abides in someone, it:
- Gives them understanding about God's glory, majesty, holiness, and power
- Reveals the truth about human sinfulness and our condition under God's judgment
- Makes them aware of their need for salvation and deliverance
- Causes them to recognize and respond to Christ when He is presented
Lloyd-Jones contrasts the Jews who rejected Jesus with Simeon and Anna who immediately recognized Him even as an infant because "the word of God was abiding in them." They were "looking for the consolation of Israel" because God's word had revealed their sinful condition and need for a Savior.
What does Lloyd-Jones say is the ultimate consequence of rejecting Christ?
Lloyd-Jones warns that rejecting Christ has eternal consequences. He pleads with his listeners, saying that if they "go out of this world without casting yourself at his feet in worship and adoration, and trusting only to him to save you and to reconcile you to God, it will be the most terrible sight you've ever had." He describes how those who reject Christ will eventually "see him in his glory and realize the terrible, tragic folly" of having dismissed him. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Jesus is "the son of God" and "the savior of the world," and that everyone "will have to see him one day" - either as Savior or as Judge.
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.