Or, Knowing Jesus Changes What We Ask For
Scripture: John 14:8-14
Date: September 8, 2013
Speaker: Sean Higgins
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We are unbelievably blessed. There are many ways that God has blessed our generation, a number of them demonstrated by how many things we take for granted. Be it ease of travel, ease of communication, ease of access to water and food, we have it really good. God makes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust, and blankets us both with almost ubiquitous cell signal, too.
We are unbelievably blessed as believers in unique ways as well. We know how to have, and by faith we do have, clean consciences. It isn’t because we’re innocent, it’s because we’re forgiven and washed. We know why bad things happen to righteous people, at least in the bigger story, because we trust the loving Author who controls it all rather than bow down before meaningless Chance. We know the way to God, the truth about His world, and how to share in His eternal life. We know all of this in Jesus. He Himself is the way, the truth, and the life.
Jesus took on flesh and lived among men who served many idols. Though not everyone from His own nation worshiped other gods, His nation was only a blip on the screen of the Roman Empire. Rome’s religious milieu couldn’t have been much more confusing. They recognized different gods for different seasons, different gods who had conflicting desires and who fought one another. The gods offered different levels of protection and favor, but not one of the gods could be trusted. None of them would sacrifice for men; they all demanded sacrifices from men.
Then came Jesus, who was God and was with God, who made all things and who revealed the Father. He came so that men might know the only true God and that He might take men to God. There is one God, three Persons, and there is only one way into His favor and fellowship and refuge: Jesus Christ.
We live among men who serve many idols today. They usually don’t call the objects of their attention “gods,” but they become like what they worship. What clarity we take for granted in our current cultural context of confusion. What freedom we take for granted among so many men in bondage to lies and addiction to guilt. What life and communion we take for granted in a world full of isolated, lonely, and dead souls. We have all these blessings in Jesus and it is enough.
Of course, we are two-thousand years after Jesus’ incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension. We have generations preceding us who studied and taught, who wrote and fought for “the faith,” leaving us in a position to take accurate understanding about Jesus for granted. Jesus’ own disciples didn’t fully understand, at least not on the night before His crucifixion. As Jesus prepares His men for His departure in John 14, we are benefited from a live look-in.
Jesus has exhorted them to believe and not let their hearts be troubled (verse 1). He encouraged them that He was going to prepare a place for them and promising that He would come back to get them so that they would be with Him and the Father (verses 2-3). Almost as if he hadn’t been paying attention at all, Philip questions Jesus. To the degree we don’t have questions, we should realize many of the privileges we have.
Grace, truth, love, sacrifice, glory: Jesus perfectly revealed the Father in human form. That can be hard to grasp.
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. (John 14:8–11, ESV)
Jesus just said, “From now on you do know [My Father] and have seen Him” (verse 7). Then Philip says, “Okay, let’s see Him.” Part of the problem is that men can’t see God, at least not see Him and live. As John wrote in 1:18, “No man has ever seen God.” Moses saw the back of God’s glory from a hole in a hill, but that was it. Yet in 1:18 John adds, “No one has ever seen God; the only god, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” A major theme in John is that Jesus is God’s Son and that the Father and Son are one. They are equal in value, unified in mission, and the Son represents the Father on earth. The subject came up already in 5:19; 8:28; 12:49. Jesus stated plainly, “I and the Father are one” (10:30).
On one hand, Philip thought enough of Jesus to think that Jesus could actually show the Father to the disciples. Philip probably meant to be moderate when he requested, show us the Father, and it is enough for us . The thing is, he already had enough. He had Jesus.
Jesus seems saddened in reply. Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Three years of teaching and miracles and explanations of both that men outside the Twelve didn’t get, yet Philip asks for something he already had. Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? If he had realized what he knew, what he had seen, it would have changed what he asked for.
Jesus repeats a lesson about the unity shared by He and His Father. Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? In chapter 10:38 Jesus responded to the Jews, “The Father is in me and I am in the Father.” There He emphasized His divine origin; He came from His Father. Here He emphasizes His divine purpose to reveal the Father; He takes men to the Father.
His revelation comes through two channels: words and works. The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority . Jesus spoke the word; He was God’s Word. He also did what His Father wanted done: the Father who dwells in me does his works . One can be identified by the other, not because they are the same person, but because they share the same purpose. (See earlier verses in John 5:20, 9:3-4, and 10:25)
The disciples had heard and seen all this before, still Jesus exhorts them. Believe me , believe that what I am telling you is true, that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves . The works are the signs that point to Jesus’ identity as God because the works are things that 1) can only be done by divine power and 2) are consistent with God’s character. Jesus does miracles like God and in doing those miracles He shows what God likes.
How easy it is for us to take for granted the unity of the Father and Son while also recognizing their unique roles. What a blessing to know that as we know Jesus better we are knowing God better. Jesus didn’t come to broker us into a relationship with someone in heaven who is terrible. Jesus embodies the abilities and interests of the Father. To know the Trinity so well that we could take their relations for granted is a privilege. For us actually to take their relations for granted is a problem.
Jesus continues to encourage His disciples, and us as disciples, with His purpose to keep working when He’s gone.
”Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:12–14, ESV)
With truthfulness and authority ( Truly, truly ) Jesus asserts that believers will also do the works that I do . That includes miracles, which continued through His apostles for a while as their authority was established. It also includes the conscience-cleansing, life-giving, Father-revealing work. Jesus’ disciples have a part in doing the divine.
What’s more, greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father . The greater isn’t only greater in number. There are a myriad of ways for Jesus to say that. The accent isn’t on more works, it’s on greater works. It also can’t be that the disciples will do more dramatic, spectacular, or powerful works. Feeding the five-thousand men, healing paralytics, and raising Lazarus from the dead are climactically great displays.
The clue to greater comes in the final phrase of the verse. The greater results from the going . Before the cross, Jesus’ works were somewhat hidden, still waiting behind the veil. After the tomb emptied, the works were free to transform the world. In addition to gospel power, Jesus will tell His disciples about the Holy Spirit’s presence among them in moments. The work will continue in greater exposure and energy. It is for whoever believes , meaning the promise is for us too.
The work will also continue as the disciples stay in communion with God through prayer. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son . Jesus assumes that His disciples will pray, but knowing Jesus changes what we ask for. It changes why we ask: it is for the Son to make the Father look good. Jesus came to reveal the Father’s glory. Then He left in order to answer our prayers to reveal more of the Father’s glory.
It also changes what we ask for because, as we know Jesus, as we know what His name represents, we know His heart and the sort of things He delights in. There is a context for verse 14: If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it . Yes, but not because “in Jesus’ name” makes every and any request okay. In His name means we are asking for things from within a culture of Christlike values and priorities. “Please help me to love my neighbor” belongs with people who live in Jesus’ name. “Please help me to avoid my unlovely neighbor” does not. Twice Jesus says, in my name because that’s where we must be to ask.
He also says twice, I will do it. Perhaps this is the part of the passage we believe the least. Is it possible that we are more comfortable with the doctrine of the Trinity than with doings of the Trinity? Why do we doubt that the Trinity will answer our prayers? “They are glorious, but certainly they’re too glorious to do what we ask for.” According to Jesus, we should ask, ask often, ask big, and ask in His name. When we ask, they act. That way they get the honor.
We disobey when we don’t ask for things because they won’t get the glory of answering. We fail to give opportunity for the Son to glorify His Father when we don’t ask the Son to act. He wants the Father’s name great and His plan is for our prayers to open the door.
If we know God, knowing the Father because we know Jesus, let us be thankful and let us be clear. May our worship be informed and affectionate, may our evangelism be clear and confident. We know the way, the truth, and the life. Dads, do you talk to your kids about this? Do you tell others that true life doesn’t come through getting good grades in college in order to get a good job in order to have stuff? Do you tell others that live doesn’t come through food? That the way to God is not through money? There is only one way: Jesus.
Also, if we are glad that Jesus reveals the Father, let us also be glad that Jesus glorifies the Father through us. Jesus works for us and through us. It is His will, His choice, His promise, His incentive for us to pray. As Jesus said in other places, we have not because we ask not. A man who claims that he wants glory for God but who doesn’t also pray for things acts as if Jesus didn’t mean what He said after all.