John 14:7 (DBY)

Passage

If ye had known me, ye would have known also my Father, and henceforth ye know him and have seen him.

Nearby Context

John 14:5 Thomas says to him, Lord, we know not where thou goest, and how can we know the way?

John 14:6 Jesus says to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father unless by me.

John 14:7 If ye had known me, ye would have known also my Father, and henceforth ye know him and have seen him.

John 14:8 Philip says to him, Lord, shew us the Father and it suffices us.

John 14:9 Jesus says to him, Am I so long a time with you, and thou hast not known me, Philip? He that has seen me has seen the Father; and how sayest thou, Shew us the Father?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "known", "father", "henceforth", and "seen". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "known" and "father", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "Jesus says to him I am the..." into verse 8's "Philip says to him Lord shew us...", so "known" and "father" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "known" and "father" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.