John 14:7 (KJV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

John 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

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

John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "Jesus saith unto him I am the..." into verse 8's "Philip saith unto him Lord shew us...", so "known" and "should" 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 "should" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.