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

Note 13 at Joh 14:7: Once again, Jesus made a statement of fact, but this time Philip challenged Him (compare with note 8 at Joh 14:4). 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 wind or earthquake or fire, but in a still, small voice (1Ki 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. Isa 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 revealed in 1Co 1:27-29, that God chooses to do things this way so that no flesh should 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 (Nu 21:6-9 with 2Ki 18:4).

Just as these disciples had seen Jesus but didn't realize who 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 (1Co 2:14, compare with note 9 at Joh 14:5).