This past Sunday, I was honored to give the morning message at the Vineyard Church Peoria. That is our home church, and we are blessed that they financially support our mission to provide digital publications to you, our readers. In the message that morning, I highlighted the very same passage that we are considering in this exploration of John’s Gospel. For the sake of clarity, that coincidence is totally unplanned.
Our passage today is a continuation of Jesus’ discussion with His disciples in the upper room. Remember that this all started because Jesus said, “Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going.” (John 13:33, NLT)
After Peter and Thomas ask their questions, Phillip jumps in next. “Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do. “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” (John 14:8–14, NLT)
Several truths from these verses are so rich that they are often considered outside of their context. But it is only within their context that their meaning really shines. The primary context of “greater works” and “ask anything” is Jesus’ declaration of being in the Father and the Father in Him – “anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” Keep that in mind as we delve a bit deeper.
Jesus’ attitude was not that of a prince entitled to all the goodness of a kingdom. His attitude was more of a servant. We saw this demonstrated in the washing of the disciples’ feet. Everything He did and said was so folks would see the Father and glorify the Father. There is a humbleness on display in Christ that is hard to fully grasp.
For instance, the “works” Jesus referred to are nothing short of miraculous. The sick healed, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the blind receive sight, the leper cleansed, the dead raised again to life, and so much more. But Jesus simply calls these “works.” Common ordinary tasks like the things we all do on a regular basis at work or to run a household.
Jesus provides two powerful promises in these verses. The first is that His followers will do the same works and even greater works than He did. That’s a high standard. The second is that Jesus will do whatever we ask in His name. Those are powerful and humbling promises. When these promises are lifted from their setting, all kinds of false expectations creep in. The result is often a shipwrecked faith when the expectation fails to come to pass.
The setting, you see, is two-fold. Even Jesus didn’t claim the power of self but instead pointed to God the Father as His source. “The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me,” Jesus said. Our works are not really our own either, but it is the Holy Spirit working through us. Likewise, receiving whatever we ask for in Jesus’ name is not to bring us glory or prove our faith but to bring glory and renown to Jesus Christ.
To understand this more fully, think about a glowing light bulb. Its warm glow is a visible but dim echo of God’s glory. But the light bulb doesn’t glow on its own. There is a power source, wires, conduits, and connectors. We, as Christ-followers, are like the wires, conduits, and connectors. We are not the power source. That is God. Our humble role is to connect a need with God’s power through prayer. But the wire is simply a carrier, as are we. If we have that attitude, we will see God’s greater works.
The bottom line is this. The outcomes of prayer are not measured by successfully getting God to do what we want. The success of prayer is staying connected with God and reveling in His glory. That was what Jesus modeled during His time on earth. Jesus said that in seeing Him, they’d seen the Father. Our goal and desire are that folks should see Jesus in our lives, attitudes, and works.
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