44 But Jesus loudly declared, “The one who believes and trusts in Me does not believe [only] in Me but [also believes] in Him who sent Me. 45 And whoever sees Me sees the One who sent Me.

John 12:44-45 (AMP)

Beginning of the end

This final section of John 12 is Jesus’ final teaching to the public. The rest will be to His disciples. Three years of public ministry are coming to a close. Surely not all He did and said are covered by John. The synoptic gospels provide other details you should read.

Jesus now re-asserts foundational truths about who He is and who the Father is and their relationship. He even yelled it out. Since He is not often recorded as raising His voice, I can only assume He seeks to stress this.

Double blessing

When someone trusts and believes in Jesus they not only believe in Him but also the Father who sent Him. In Chinese they have the idea of a double blessing (囍) which is usually associated with marriage. Marriage is a relationship. The Father and Son are the epitome of relationship. For the believer, when we believe in Jesus, we are also believing in the Father.

In John, Jesus often talks of His intimate relationship with the Father. In John 13:20 He says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

One 

Jesus goes even further and basically says, as He’s said before in John, that He and the Father are one. (John 10:30) A few chapters later, we read Jesus’ words to Philip who asked Jesus to show them who the Father is. “Jesus said to him, “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 14:9)

“Though it was for asserting this (his oneness with God) that they were going to crucify him, yet he retracts nothing of what he had spoken, but strongly reasserts it, in the very jaws of death!” (Clarke’s commentary)

<- Reflection ->

• How is your relationship with the Lord Jesus and the Father? Is it something you work on daily, even always? How important is it to you? 
• How can you grow any relationship? Same as your relationship with the Father. One key word: TIME. Talk to Him. Imitate His Son. Meditate on His word. Exalt His name.