After Jesus identifies the Father who sent Him as His witness, His opponents ask, 'Where is your Father?' Jesus answers that they know neither Him nor His Father. If they truly knew Jesus, He says, they would know the Father also.
Jesus in Context
Knowing Jesus and Knowing the Father
When Jesus opponents ask where His Father is, Jesus answers that their failure to know Him also reveals their failure to know the Father.
Introduction
Historical and Cultural Context
Questions about Jesus' Father recur in John because Jesus repeatedly describes Himself in relation to the Father who sent Him. His opponents often understand such statements at an ordinary human level, while the Gospel directs the reader toward Jesus' unique relationship with God.
This pattern of misunderstanding is an important feature of John's presentation. A question arising from an earthly interpretation becomes the occasion for Jesus to disclose a deeper theological meaning.
Why It Matters
The exchange makes knowledge of Jesus inseparable from knowledge of the Father He reveals. John does not present Jesus merely as a teacher who supplies information about God. Jesus Himself is central to the revelation: failure to recognize Him also prevents His opponents from recognizing the Father who sent Him.