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ONEFamily Outreach is primarily supported by your donations and by trainings, workshops, retreats and concerts. Download More Studies | Download Music | Books and Products | Book Jerry “If You Ask Me Anything In My Name, I Will Do It!”John 14:8-17Pentecost C John 14:8-17[8] Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” [9] Jesus *said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? [10] “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 initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. [11] “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. [12] “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. [13] “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. [15] “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. [16] “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; [17] that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” (NAS) John 14:8-11[8] Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” [9] Jesus *said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? [10] “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 initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. [11] “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.” (NAS) “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me?”Dinner was not going well for either Jesus or the disciples. The dinner began poorly when the Master picked up a basin to wash the disciples feet. This task was the responsibility of the youngest disciple (John) and, if he neglected this task, it would fall to anyone else except Jesus. Were the disciples playing pride games with each other? Were they unwilling to lose their place in the upcoming kingdom? As the Passover celebration continues, Jesus goes on to speak of his betrayal, his death, of the abandonment by his friends, and the denial of Peter. At first, John 14 begins with encouragement: John 14:1[Jn 14:1] “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” Yet the Apostles response seems intentionally dense. First Thomas contests Jesus: John 14:5[Jn 14:5] Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” Then, Philip challenges Jesus: John 14:8[Jn 14:8] Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Is it any wonder that Jesus responds testily; “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me [v9]?” Thomas, Phillip, Peter, and the rest would eventually give their lives for Jesus and, even though John himself apparently died of old age; all of these followers would be hunted for their beliefs and tortured for their love of Jesus. Yet, on this night, the room seemed more filled with belligerence and self-importance than humility and faith. Who am I in this room of Apostles? Am I one of those refusing to wash feet? Am I telling Jesus to be more practical? Is that my voice saying, “How am I supposed to know where you are going?” Am I telling Jesus that he needs to give me a greater religious “high” if he wants my commitment? I wish I could say I wouldn’t be like any of them, but I’ve been like all of them at one time or another. Would that my faith were as great as the Syro-Phonecian woman: Mark 7:27-29[Mk 7:27] And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”[28] But she answered and *said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” [29] And He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” (NAS) If only I had faith like the Centurion whose servant was sick: Luke 7:6-9[Lk 7:6] Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; [7] for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. [8] “For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” [9] Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, “I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” (NAS) Yet, look at what these two examples of faith had in common; neither was among the Chosen, neither was part of the inner circle. Both these believer’s would not even be allowed in a synagogue with Jesus. As one who leans on the mercy of Jesus, I find it a more ideal to strive for the faith of the father seeking assistance for his demon-possessed son; “I do believe; help my unbelief.” Mark 9:18-24[Mk 9:18] “And whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth and stiffens out. I told Your disciples to cast it out, and they could not do it.” [19] And He *answered them and *said, “O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!” [20] They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. [21] And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. [22] “It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” [23] And Jesus said to him, “ ‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” [24] Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.” (NAS) I need to resist the temptation of the petulant upper room believer’s, striving instead for the heart of the outsiders in the above verses. My ideas, my works, the impact of my grandiose plans are but vanity and deception. “My Lord, let me approach you not with the self-assured cockiness of an upper-room, inner-circle believer; but the humility of one who is dependent upon your mercy. ‘I do believe; help my unbelief.’” “He who has seen Me has seen the Father”Unlike Thomas’ inquiry, Phillip’s question steps over the boundaries of confusion or a sincere questioning and into the area of impudence. It is almost as if he is saying, “We hear the claim; now prove it!” “Show us [GSN1166 deiknumi]!” says Phillip. The word would also mean, “Bring us!” “Bring us God and then we will believe!” While we must be embarrassed by Phillip’s audacious behavior, we must also remember how despairing the disciples felt. Between the triumphant entrance into Jerusalem and the hushed words of crucifixion at the Last Supper was a transition that could debilitate the strongest believer. Jesus’ retort is sharp and to the point (the truth often must be), “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’ [v9]?” Phillip’s rebuke is akin to the rebuke of Thomas after the resurrection: John 20:29[Jn 20:29] Jesus *said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” In both cases the verb, “seen [GSN3708 horao],” is used. The word has three major uses: 1) To see; 2) To perceive; and 3) To attend to. I can see the historical Jesus without perceiving he is Lord and I can perceive that Jesus is Lord without attending to his commands. The damned in Matthew 25:31-46 call Jesus Lord but did not do as Jesus commanded. The most sorrowful words in eternity may well be: “Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You [Mt 25:44]?’” Phillip had been with Jesus throughout the Lord’s entire public ministry. Phillip saw Jesus but when the “pagan Greeks” came seeking Jesus earlier that week, Phillip failed the test. He passed the buck to Andrew; and remained no more than a “middle-man.” Does that define me—a middle-man? Do I avoid the controversial arena of faith; am I afraid of being caught with pagans? How much more proof am I demanding before I will see, perceive, and attend? “Lord, don’t let my life be caught in the middle, perceiving but not attending.” Phillip, the fourth disciple, brought his brother, Nathanael to Jesus with the words; “Come and see [Jn 1:47].” He went on, as did all the disciples, to see, perceive, and attend to the Lord’s call. Tradition tells us that he preached the gospel in Phrygia and that he met his death at Hieropolis in Syria. It is a blessing to know that Jesus does not cast away his followers for their denial, doubt, or even their brash tantrums. Only Judas is cast out, and that is because of his deceit. We can be mad at Jesus, doubt him and even deny him and he will not close the door. Yet, we can never deceive Jesus, he knows the heart of the sincere believer. “I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me”Our Lord offers Philip (and the others) the three mega-reasons why we can believe the statements of Jesus: 1) Consistency of character; The deeper we study the bible the better we will understand how the Old Testament points toward the New. The character and prophecies of YWHW, through scripture, find fulfillment in Jesus and completion in the church (by the Acts of the Holy Spirit). We can look at Jesus and see the embodiment of God; we can read God’s word and see its fruition of Jesus. Elsewhere John explains this mystery: John 1:18[Jn 1:18] No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. The Father is in Jesus and Jesus is in the Father. 2) The words of Jesus; Jesus states; “I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.” This is like saying; “All of my words are initiated by God.” You could measure all the words of Jesus’ ministry and they point towards God because they came from God. The words of Jesus are inerrant truth upon which we can entrust our eternity. Jesus challenges Philip, and any who question, to find a false word in anything he said. How can I strive each day to make my words less self-initiated and more God-initiated? 3) Finally, the actions of Jesus testify to his claims. “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.” The miraculous acts of Jesus are a historical fact attested to not only by the Gospels but also by Jewish and Roman historians. The chief priests could not deny the works of Jesus, instead, their goal was to discredit Jesus by stating that the source of Christ’s miracles was Satan not God. The weakness of their attacks was easily pierced: Luke 11:17-20[Lk 11:17] But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls. [18] “If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. [19] “And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges.[20] “But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (NAS) Through his character, words, and actions, Jesus invites Philip, and all true searchers, to question him on every level. Jesus’ life points consistently to the Father because he and the Father are one. John 17:22-23[Jn 17:22] “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;[23] I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” (NAS) Search his wounds, weigh them, examine his character, test it against his actions; Jesus invites us to sincerely do the research. “Whatever it takes,” he basically tells Philip. But once we choose our commitment we must also commit to act on it. We cannot weigh the evidence of Jesus’ claims and remain immobile; neither can we manipulate Jesus into being the God of my whims (as Judas attempted). Complacency or deception has no advocate in the courts of heaven. If we are going to fail, let it be on the side of passion. John 14:12-15[12] “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. [13] “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” [15] “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (NAS) “Greater works than these he will do”Christ tells those around him the incredible power to heal brokenness available to those whose search leads from seeing, to perceiving, to attending. It is a promise to those who risk it all for the love that Jesus modeled. I can just see our Lord encouraging his apostles to “Go for it!” This is not for the tepid faith, the “sometimes and in some places” faith. This is for completely, unabashedly, “whatever it takes” faith, like Mary the sister of Lazarus. In order to know God’s power completely we must be willing to break our whole alabaster jar upon his feet. John 12:3[Jn 12:3] Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (NAS) That fragrance has filled the house of God for two thousand years. It was all Mary possessed and she poured it upon her Lord freely, extravagantly, absurdly. You can just sense Jesus telling Philip to get off the sidelines and experience the liberation of Mary. If we want all the power of the Holy Trinity we have to be willing to give him all the zeal we have. Luke 6:38[38] “Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” (NAS) Jesus is worth getting off the sidelines, he is worth getting off the sidelines and getting involved in the heart of the banquet. Christianity is not a spectator sport. We cannot out-give God. When God is the focus of our lives there is no fear that we cannot conquer and our potential for love is limitless. Consider this, we do not love like a human loves when Christ loves through us. It is a greater love with deeper impact and lasting influence that flows through us. “Greater works [GSN3185 meizon] than these he will do [GSN4160 poieo],” is the promise of our Lord. Poieo [GSN4160] is the term used when Jesus speaks of bearing fruit, ordaining the disciples, journeying to a destination, gaining a profit, executing justice, and doing acts of mercy. Here is the promise our Lord grants us. He had three short years, during which his ministry was to teach and model the love of God but it all had to end with the sacrifice of his life. During that short period, Jesus needed to establish his passion in the heart of a small core group of disciples before his death. It was their job [poieo], and it is now our job, to take that passion out to the world. Because of Christ’s death and the coming of the Holy Spirit we can live out the promise that, in community (the way the Holy Spirit manifests itself to the church), we can bear more fruit, ordain more disciples, journey to further destinations, gain more profit (for God, not self), advocate for justice, and do what is good in the eyes of the Father. Jesus wants Philip to grasp that reality. He wants us to take hold of it too. Not just to observe it, contemplate it, or create new theological treatises on it. He wants us to plunge into it, fully and wholly. “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”“I ask for things all the time,” we might often think, “but I don’t get it.” That is because we do not read the fine print in this statement: Clause #1.01: Look at the context of the statement; “He who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also [14:12].” To believe [4100 pisteuo] implied committed action not a conceptual agreement. The term means “to hear and obey.” “He who hears and obeys me, the works that I do, he will do also.” The awesome power of God is available to each one of us, but we must “hear and obey” our Lord to access it. Clause #1.02: The term “in my name.” has a very specific meaning as well. In Greek, my name [GSN3686 onoma] also means “according to my character” or “under my authority.” In the Hebrew, it is even more defined than that. Jesus would have probably used the Hebrew term for name, “shem [HSN8034],” a legal and binding term which carried a great deal of weight with the nomadic tribes in the era of the Patriarchs. Your name was the accumulated testimony of your character, which bore enough weight to cement political and economic agreements between nations. A person was literally “as good as his name.” Soldiers were sent to war in the “name” of their ruler and prophets spoke in the “name” of God. To ask for something in God’s Name means two things: a) What we ask for must fit the character of God. If we ask for something that doesn’t match God’s character we are surely not to receive it. Asking for a new truck to impress my neighbors would not be covered under “Clause #1.02a,” because it does not complement God’s character. b) To ask for something in God’s Name means that we are representing God to others. It is saying, “By the authority of God I make this request.” Misrepresenting a ruler for personal gain was a crime punishable by death in Christ’s time. This is why “taking the Lord’s name in vein” is such an egregious sin. Far more than saying a swear word, it is claiming to be “under God’s authority” when, in fact, I do not follow God whatsoever and only seek personal gain. In Second Peter, we are told that these “false prophets” will bear the greatest brunt of God’s anger on the Day of Judgment. So how do I make sure that what I am asking for is, “In the name of God?” We can look at the miracles of Jesus and what he requested of God. 1. Acts of compassion: The miracles of Jesus were performed out of his compassion for the recipients. Matt 14:14[14] And when He went ashore, He saw a great multitude, and felt compassion for them, and healed their sick. (NAS) Mark 1:41[41] And moved with compassion, He stretched out His hand, and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” (NAS) Luke 7:13[13] And when the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, “Do not weep.” (NAS) The word for compassion [GSN4697 splagchnizomai] is very graphic. It would be like saying; “He saw the multitude and his bowels turned to water.” Our requests are in God’s name when they are a response to a gut-level compassion for the crippled, hungry, and distraught. 2. Signs (testimony) pointing towards God; John calls the great acts of Jesus signs [GSN4591 semaino]: John 2:11[Jn 2:11] This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him. (NAS) John 6:14[Jn 6:14] Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” (NAS) Each of the signs John records reveal Jesus’ messianic role; they point towards the greater plan of God. We know we are acting in God’s name when our actions point others towards the Father and not towards ourselves. The true Christian wants to get out of the way so others can see the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 3. In God’s will; Do be “in God’s will” is to do God’s work where Jesus would be: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments [15].” Our Lord’s greatest acts confirm that he continually sought to do the Will of God and he consistently preached that we also must do God’s will to enter heaven or be in Christ’s intimate union with Father; saying the right words were not enough! Matthew 7:21[Mt 7:21] “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” (NAS) Matthew 12:50[Mt 12:50] “For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.” Matthew 26:42[Mt 26:42] He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” (NAS) The will [GSN2307 thelema] of God comes from the term delight or the purpose of God. So what is the delight, will or purpose of God? Micah 6:8[Mi 6:8] He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? When God’s delight (will) becomes our delight (will), we are most able to do the work of His name. He even shapes our heart, changes our character, to become more like Him. Psalm 37:3-6[Ps 37:3] Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. [4] Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart. [5] Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it. [6] He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday. (NAS) As our delight becomes aligned with God’s will, our character [GSN3686 onoma] becomes more like His and He changes our Name [GSN3686 onoma] so that we become sons and daughters of God. Then, all we do is in His name, to His glory, and for His delight. John 14:16-17[16] “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; [17] that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” (NAS) “He will give you another Helper”Jesus promises us the assistance of another helper, the Spirit of Truth. The Helper [3875 parakletos] is one of the most frequently used terms for the Holy Spirit. The term comes from word parakaleo [GSN3870], which is rich in meaning. The word could be used for all of these definitions: · To encourage; · To exhort; · To appeal; · To comfort; · To implore; · To invite; · To plead or make an appeal; · To urge us on. Primarily, these areas could be reduced down to four major categories: 1. The Holy Spirit will give us strength in the midst of trials; 2. The Holy Spirit will implore and invite us to persevere when we feel like quitting; 3. The Holy Spirit will comfort and encourage us when we feel beaten; 4. The Holy Spirit will speak on our behalf and carry our requests before the Father Himself! In addition, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth [GSN225 aletheia]. Look at some of the references to truth that we find in the Gospel of John: John 1:14[14] And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (NAS) John 3:21[21] “But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (NAS) John 4:23-24[23] “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. [24] “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (NAS) John 8:31-32[31] Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, {then} you are truly disciples of Mine; [32] and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (NAS) John 14:6[6] Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” (NAS) John 16:13-14[13] “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. [14] “He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose {it} to you.” (NAS) John 17:17-19[17] “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. [18] “As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. [19] “And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.” (NAS) The term used for “truth” not only means that the Holy Spirit reveals what is accurate, but also help us live with more certainty and confidence. Yet, one can sum up the words “certainly” and “confidence” in another word, competence, and how does one become competent at anything in life, except through application. Our competence in a Holy Spirit led life increases dramatically with daily praxis. Paul put it like this: Galatians 5:25[25] If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (NAS) That term, “let us walk [GSN4748 stoicheo] by the Spirit,” is a military term. It means, let us fall in step or march to the cadence of the Spirit. It can be used as “let us order our lives” by the Spirit or even, “listen to the orders” of the Holy Spirit. How can I order my week according to the cadence of the Holy Spirit? We have said numerous times that if I want to be loved then I must love (especially those unable to love me back). In like manner, if I want to be encouraged then I must be an encourager. If I want to be comforted then I must be a comforter. If I want someone to speak on my behalf then I must speak on behalf of others. If I want the Holy Spirit to advocate for me I must be willing to risk my reputation in order to be an advocate for others. Do I want to see God? Do I want to do great works? Do I want to know the encouragement, competence, comfort and advocacy of the Holy Trinity? Then I must be willing to give it all. I must be willing to take great risks. I must be willing to encourage, comfort and advocate. That is where my competence in the Holy Spirit will come, in the practice of compassion, in the practice of mercy and justice. To do great works I must not fear great risks. I must rely on the greatest promise in history: “If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” Copyright NoticeCopyright © 2005 Jerry Goebel. All Rights Reserved. This study may be freely distributed, as long as it bears the following attribution: Source: Jerry Goebel: 2005 © http://onefamilyoutreach.com. Scripture Quotations noted from NASB are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD VERSION of the bible. Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org) The New Testament Greek Lexicon based on Thayer’s and Smith’s Bible Dictionary plus others; this is keyed to the large Kittel and the “Theological Dictionary of the New Testament.” These files are public domain. The Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon is Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon; this is keyed to the “Theological Word Book of the Old Testament.” These files are considered public domain. NAS Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries. Copyright © 1981, 1998 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. (www.Lockman.org) Sign up for Weekly Study: |