November 30, 2025 - WHY DID THE SON COME? TO REVEAL THE FATHER John 1:18 - John 14:9

Devotional

Day 1: The Son reveals the Father's heart to us.

Advent points to the Word becoming flesh so that the Father's heart could be seen, touched, tasted, and known in a tangible way; this is not merely theological abstraction but an invitation to know God’s heart personally, to move from ideas about God to an encounter with the one who made his dwelling among us so we could understand who the Father really is. [26:02]

John 1:1, 14, 18 (NIV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

Reflection: What is one place you have quietly doubted the Father's heart toward you? Tonight, sit quietly and tell Jesus that place, asking him to reveal his heart there; write one sentence of what you sense he says back.

Day 2: Seeing Jesus is seeing the Father.

When Philip asks, "Show us the Father," Jesus points to his own life and works—if you want to know the Father's heart, look at Jesus: his words, his actions, his care, his pattern of presence among the hurting; the invitation is to watch and believe, and then to let those same patterns shape how you live and show the Father to others. [28:56]

John 14:9-11 (NIV)
9 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?
10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.

Reflection: Today, choose one specific way Jesus has shown the Father to you (compassion, provision, forgiveness, protection) and perform a single concrete act that mirrors it—call someone, offer forgiveness, give practical help—and afterward pray, "Father, show yourself through me."

Day 3: God is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger.

God proclaims his own name to Moses at Sinai: Yahweh, Yahweh—the compassionate and gracious One, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness—and the Psalms pick up this self-revelation so that God's primary posture toward his people is known: not immediate wrath but patient, faithful love that seeks restoration. [31:13]

Exodus 34:5-7 (NIV)
5 The LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD.
6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation."

Reflection: Which of these four words (compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, faithful love) do you need to receive from God today? Spend five focused minutes asking God to show you that word toward you, then write one sentence recording what you sensed.

Day 4: Jesus enters our grief and weeps with us.

In the story of Lazarus Jesus is deeply moved and weeps—though he knew the end of the story, he still suffered with Mary and Martha—so the Father’s heart shows up in the Son as compassion that enters, feels, and sits with human pain rather than dismissing it. [36:10]

John 11:33-35, 38 (NIV)
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
34 "Where have you laid him?" he asked. They replied, "Lord, come and see."
35 Jesus wept.
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.

Reflection: Identify one sorrow you have minimized; set aside ten uninterrupted minutes today to bring that sorrow honestly to Jesus—allow yourself to feel, to weep if needed—and then invite one trusted person to pray with you about it before the end of the week.

Day 5: Jesus provides generously from little to many.

The feeding of the five thousand shows a gracious Father who takes small offerings—a boy’s five small barley loaves and two fish—and multiplies them so the needy are fed with leftovers; God’s heart is to meet need, to be eager and able to provide, and to invite simple acts of faith into his provision. [41:31]

John 6:1-13 (NIV)
1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias),
2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.
3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples.
4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?"
6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
7 Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"
10 Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there).
11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over so that nothing is wasted."
13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

Reflection: Choose one small thing you can offer to Jesus today (five minutes, a short prayer, a small gift, a quick act of service); offer it to him now and then act on that offering before sundown—trust him to multiply it beyond what you can imagine.

Sermon Summary

We began by praying together—for Sarah’s family, for Andrew Wolf’s healing, and for mercy over our nation. I invited us to cover this week’s outreach in prayer as we go caroling and interceding in senior communities, and to pray into the citywide revival nights happening Monday and Tuesday. From there, we marked the first Sunday of Advent by asking a simple question: Why did the Son come? John says the Word became flesh to make the Father known. Jesus’ life lets us see and feel the Father’s heart.

To frame that heart, we listened to God’s own self-description in Exodus 34: compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in faithful love. Then we traced those attributes through four scenes in John’s Gospel. First, at Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus wept. Even knowing resurrection was minutes away, He suffered with Mary and Martha. That is the Father’s compassion: He feels our pain before He fixes our problem. Second, on the hillside with thousands to feed, Jesus didn’t roll His eyes at the interruption; He multiplied “too little” into more than enough. That is the Father’s grace: ready kindness and generous provision.

Third, with the woman caught in adultery, only One present had the right to throw a stone, yet He disarmed the mob—and her shame—with, “Neither do I condemn you. Now go and sin no more.” That is the Father’s slowness to anger: He moves first to forgive and restore, then to reorient our lives. Finally, as the Good Shepherd, Jesus names thieves and predators honestly—and lays down His life to guard, guide, and give us real life. That is the Father’s abounding, faithful love: persistent care that protects and perseveres.

I shared a picture the Lord gave of a tree filled with gifts—some hanging low, some requiring a climb. I believe the Father is gifting freedom from chemically-induced depression, deliverance from pornography, healing from panic attacks, restoration of marriages and wounded fellowships, a Caleb calling for seniors, healing of father wounds, cleansing from sexual sin, and fresh supernatural gifts. Ask boldly. Don’t leave what the Father is freely giving still hanging on the tree. Respond in honesty. Receive in faith.

Key Takeaways

1. The Father suffers with your pain. Jesus wept at a tomb He was minutes from emptying. God does not minimize what He intends to redeem; He enters it. Your tears are not embarrassments to be hidden but places where the Father’s compassion settles close. Bring Him the ache, not just the aftermath. [38:29]
2. Place your little in His hands. Grace is not God’s mood; it’s His action—kindness that becomes provision. When your resources are small and the need is large, the invitation isn’t to calculate but to surrender what you have. In His hands, scarcity becomes a signpost of His generosity, not a verdict on your future. [43:28]
3. Mercy breaks sin’s shame cycle. Jesus removes the stones and the sentence: “Neither do I condemn you... go and sin no more.” He doesn’t excuse sin, but He refuses to let condemnation be your name. Forgiveness clears the room so repentance can breathe and a new way of living can begin. [53:38]
4. The Shepherd’s love defends you. Predators are real, but so is the One who lays down His life for the sheep. The Father’s faithful love isn’t fragile; it withstands attack, confusion, and delay. Let His voice locate you, His rod and staff steady you, and His presence become your safest place. [57:49]
5. Ask boldly for God’s gifts. Some gifts hang low; some require a climb of trust, honesty, or obedience. Don’t assume what was meant for you will fall to the ground if you reach late—He replenishes the branch. Seek the Father for the particular grace He’s putting before you today. [47:05]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[17:17] - Praying for citywide revival nights
[22:07] - Advent begins: Why did Jesus come?
[26:02] - Word made flesh: John 1
[28:56] - “Show us the Father”
[31:13] - God names His character
[33:49] - Four attributes to watch for
[36:10] - Lazarus: Compassion that weeps
[41:31] - Feeding 5,000: Grace that provides
[47:05] - The tree of gifts: invitations to receive
[51:22] - Caught in adultery: Slow to anger
[57:49] - Good Shepherd: Abounding faithful love
[62:13] - Invitation to respond and pray
[76:31] - Ministry time: Specific prayers
[81:26] - Closing worship and next steps

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Exodus 34:6–7 (NIV)
The LORD passed in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

Observation questions (look carefully at the passage and the sermon)

Which four (or five) character words does God use to describe himself in Exodus 34:6–7, and how did the pastor use those same words as a framework for the message?

(This question grounds the group in the sermon’s organizing idea.) [31:13]

In the Lazarus story the preacher pointed to specific details that show Jesus’ compassion—what concrete actions or moments in John 11 did the pastor highlight to show Jesus “suffers with” people? [38:29]
When Jesus met the crowd in John 6, how did he treat the interruption and what detail did the pastor emphasize about the result of giving the little they had? [43:28]
In the story of the woman caught in adultery, what two-step response from Jesus did the pastor underline, and how does that sequence reflect God’s posture in Exodus 34? [53:38]

Interpretation questions (third-person, specific)

What does God’s self-declaration in Exodus 34:6–7 indicate about his default posture toward human brokenness—does it emphasize rescue, presence, punishment, or something else—and why did the preacher use that as the starting point for understanding Jesus’ actions? [31:13]
How does Jesus’ willingness to weep with Mary and Martha (even knowing he would raise Lazarus) change the group’s expectation of how God engages suffering—does it make God seem closer, more active, more patient, or something different? [38:29]
In the feeding of the 5,000 the pastor argued that “grace is action” (not just feeling). What implications follow for how Christians should bring small resources to large needs? Should the focus be on calculation, faith, or offering—and why? [43:28]
The preacher quoted Jesus’ words to the woman: “Neither do I condemn you… go and sin no more.” How should that sequence affect the church’s balance between offering mercy and calling people to change? What risks arise if a church emphasizes only one side? [53:38]

Application questions (personal, concrete)

Where in your life are you currently minimizing pain or thinking “it’s not that big a deal”? Will you name that pain out loud to the group or to one person this week and invite them to pray with you? Decide who and when. [38:29]
Identify one “little” resource you have (time, money, a skill, a short testimony). How will you intentionally offer it to Jesus this week and trust him to multiply it? Be specific about the action and the day you will do it. [43:28]
Is there a particular sin or shame you are carrying that keeps you from living freely? Will you choose one trusted believer to confess to this week and ask them to speak Christ’s forgiveness over you (“Neither do I condemn you”)? Name the person and set a day. [53:38]
Where do you feel under attack right now (anxiety, temptation, a difficult relationship, loss)? List two concrete steps you will take in the next seven days to “stand under the shepherd’s protection” (examples: specific prayers, a Psalm to memorize, a boundary to set, a call to a pastor). [57:49]
From the pastor’s “tree of gifts” (examples: freedom from chemically-induced depression, deliverance from pornography, healing from panic attacks, marriage or fellowship restoration, a Caleb calling, healing of father wounds, supernatural gifts), which one did you feel drawn to ask the Father for? State your request specifically and a practical first step you will take to pursue it (e.g., make a counseling appointment, join a support group, pray daily for 14 days). [47:05]
Who in your life could use an expression of God’s compassion this week (a neighbor, co-worker, family member)? Name them and commit to a specific act of compassion (call, text, bring a meal, sit and listen) and the day you will do it. [36:10]

(If you want to receive prayer after the study, plan with your group leader who will stay and pray or arrange a time to meet someone from the prayer team.)

Sermon Clips

``So I want you to think that if God wanted to say, here, this is who I am, these are the four things you need to know about me. I'm compassionate. I'm gracious. I'm slow to anger. And I'm abounding, not just in a small, tiny bit. I'm abounding in a faithful love, a love that endures. This is what God wants you to know. And this is what Jesus intends to show about the Father. His compassion, He's gracious, He's slow to anger, and He's abounding in faithful love. [00:34:05] (37 seconds) #CompassionGraceFaithfulLove

But Jesus cares about you. And Jesus sees the pain, even if he can say, I'm going to work it out. Just hang in there. Nonetheless, Jesus cares. This idea of compassion, the word passion comes out of a Latin root in it. It means to suffer. Compassion means to suffer with someone. So I want you to understand this heart of the father, that he has compassion. This is the very first thing he says about himself. I'm Yahweh, Yahweh. The Lord is compassionate towards you. [00:39:34] (46 seconds) #GodSuffersWithYou

Do you believe that God's heart is gracious? He's not annoyed that you're coming and asking. He's not annoyed that you showed up. He's not like, I need just a little space. I need to focus on bigger and better things. He cares about the need that you come with and he wants to meet that need. And you may say, but there's no one that can meet that need. That's right. There's no counselor. There's no pastor. There's no friend that's going to meet that need, but, but Jesus's hand on it can make it multiply. [00:50:59] (34 seconds) #GraceMeetsNeeds

And instead of Jesus saying, well, stand back, I've got the right. Let me throw the first one. Instead, he is creating an environment where, where he is communicating to her and to the others God's agenda. God's desire is not to bring judgment. God is a God of justice. And yes, there will be a time and a way in which justice has to be served, but God's heart is to bring forgiveness. [00:53:59] (42 seconds) #ForgivenessNotJudgment

So they all begin to make their way away from the woman. And he says, the woman, is there no one here to condemn you? She says, no one, sir. He says, neither do I condemn you. Now go and sin no more. And what a picture of, of, of Jesus's heart, of the father's heart that he's slow to anger. Doesn't mean, you know, he's going to be able to say to you now, okay, you've gotten on my last nerve now, but he's wanting to say, this is my, my inclination. [00:54:40] (36 seconds) #NoCondemnation

Maybe this picture really sums up the compassion and the grace and the slow to anger. That is this picture of Jesus being a shepherd and this is revealing the father's heart that he knows that you're vulnerable and he's coming to provide for you. And he does in such a way that that even if it costs him, he'll lay down his life for his sheep. [00:59:14] (31 seconds) #GoodShepherdSacrifice

Jesus is compassionate. Jesus is gracious. However big your need is, half a year's wages wouldn't even touch it. Whatever that, that need is physically, spiritually, morally, relationally. Jesus is gracious. He's eager and he's able to meet it. He's slow to anger. When others want to condemn you, maybe you're even condemning yourself. Maybe you're even just saying, well, it is bound to catch up to me. Jesus is saying to you, I want you to live free from this. I want you to know that I don't condemn you and I want you to know that there is freedom from this sin. [01:01:44] (44 seconds) #LiveFreeInJesus

And I want to encourage you not to leave any of these on the tree, not to leave compassion on the tree, not to leave grace on the tree, not to leave forgiveness on the tree, not to live, leave his abounding faithful love for you on the tree. And there's probably a place in which he's putting his finger and he's saying, I have something for you. I just need you to be open and honest with me. [01:03:09] (26 seconds) #ReceiveGodsGifts

If you've never said yes to Jesus, let me just go there for a minute. If you've never said yes to Jesus, if you've never felt like you have surrendered your life to Jesus, these things are available to those who are in relationship. This is the heart of the father towards you, but we can only appropriate them, embrace them when we come into relationship with Jesus. So I encourage you this morning, if you're sensing, I want that. I encourage you to, to pray with someone, pray with me, pray with some others that are going to be available during the prayer time. [01:03:36] (32 seconds) #SayYesToJesus

For some, it will be the compassion. For some, the grace. For some, the slowness, the anger. For some, the abounding love. Lord, for some, maybe they heard the gift you have for them in that list that I read off. Freedom from chemically induced depression, or freedom from porn, or freedom from panic attacks. Caleb calling. Healing of a marriage. The ability to forgive. The ability to receive forgiveness. Just take a moment. Just talk to the Lord. If you don't know what to say, just say, Lord, I'm listening. Speak. [01:04:46] (60 seconds) #LordImListening

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