John 14:7
What does John 14:7 mean?
A plain-English look at John 14:7 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What John 14:7 means
Jesus links knowing Him with knowing the Father. Their failure to perceive who He truly is means they have missed, to this point, the full knowledge of God. Yet He graciously says that from now on they do know and have seen Him, because His words and works have unveiled the Father. The implication is revolutionary: the invisible God is made known in the visible Son. To come to Jesus is to come to the Father; to hear Jesus is to hear the Father. This both corrects misunderstanding and offers assurance—knowing Jesus brings them into real knowledge of God Himself.
John 14:7 in context
John 14 — I Am the Way
On the night before his crucifixion Jesus comforts his disciples. He is going to prepare a place for them; he is the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by him. He promises another Comforter — the Holy Spirit — who will dwell in them and bring his words to remembrance. The peace he gives is not as the world gives. Even with the cross hours away, he turns from his own sorrow to steady theirs.
- Heaven
- Exclusivity of Christ
- Holy Spirit promised
- Christ's peace
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000If ye had known me, ye would have known my Father also: from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
KJV
King James Version · 1611If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901If ye had known me, ye would have known my Father also: from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949If you had knowledge of me, you would have knowledge of my Father: you have knowledge of him now and have seen him.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862if ye had known me, my Father also ye would have known, and from this time ye have known Him, and have seen Him.'
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752If you had known me, you would without doubt have known my Father also: and from henceforth you shall know him. And you have seen him.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890If ye had known me, ye would have known also my Father, and henceforth ye know him and have seen him.
Context
Following the exclusive claim of verse 6, Jesus draws out the implication: access to the Father through Him means recognition of the Father in Him. This prepares for Philip’s earnest request to be shown the Father, which reveals lingering desires for a distinct, visible theophany. Jesus will answer that request by pointing back to His person and works as the sufficient display of the Father. The conversation deepens from the way to God to the nature of divine revelation already present among them.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- John 15:24
If I had not done among them the works which none other did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
- John 17:6
I manifested thy name unto the men whom thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them to me; and they have kept thy word.
- John 17:21
that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that thou didst send me.
- Matthew 11:27
All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth any know the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal him.
- 2 Corinthians 4:6
Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
- John 16:3
And these things will they do, because they have not known the Father, nor me.
Sermon ideas from John 14:7
Angles a pastor or small-group leader might preach or teach from this passage, drawn from the chapter's main themes.
What John 14:7 teaches us about heaven
What John 14:7 teaches us about exclusivity of christ
What John 14:7 teaches us about holy spirit promised
What John 14:7 teaches us about christ's peace
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