Note 12 at Jn. 14:7: Knowing Jesus is knowing the Father. This is not only because Jesus did exactly what He saw His Father do (Jn. 5:19; 8:29), but Jesus was God in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16; see note 3 at Jn. 8:19, p. 230).

Note 13 at Jn. 14:7: Once again, Jesus makes a statement of fact, but this time Philip challenges Him (cp. with note 8 at Jn. 14:4, above). The disciples did know Jesus and they, of course, had seen Him. However, they didn't realize that seeing Jesus was seeing God. They were expecting something more.

Many times we miss seeing God at work in our lives and circumstances because we are looking for something stupendous. Although it is true that God is totally awesome, He doesn't usually choose to manifest Himself that way.

God spoke to Elijah not in the fire, or wind, or earthquake, but in a still, small voice (1 Ki. 19:11-13). Jesus didn't come to this earth in a grand way by man's standards, but was born to poor parents in a stable. Isaiah 53:2 says that Jesus had no form nor beauty that would make us think that He was anything more than a mere man.

Paul reveals in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, that God chooses to do things this way so that no flesh would glory in His presence. The Lord wants us to focus on Him through faith and not concentrate on the physical things He uses. In the Old Testament when the Lord did use visible instruments to release His power, the Israelites made idols out of those things (Num. 21:6-9 with 2 Ki. 18:4).

Just as these disciples had seen Jesus but didn't realize what they had seen was God, likewise, God is infinitely involved in our everyday lives, but we miss Him because we are blinded by our carnal minds (1 Cor. 2:14; cp with note 9 at Jn. 14:5, above).