Greater Things
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Please open your bibles with me to John 14. We will be looking specifically at verses 12 to 14 this morning.
This passage of scripture is the record of what Jesus told his disciples after the last supper, the night that he was betrayed to be crucified.
Jesus had been telling his disicples that one of them would betray him. That all of them would abandon him, and be tried by Satan. That Peter would deny him. That he would be leaving them to return to the Father.
All of this was very discouraging, troubling to the disciples.
So, Jesus, loving his disciples to the end, lays aside his own heartache and troubles, and cares for his own. He tries to encoruage them.
We started looking at the encouragement he gave them last week.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.
He told them not to be overcome by their sorrow, or discouragement. Rather than living in fear and sadness, he wanted them to replace those feelings with trust in Him.
We talked about that last week.
As I thought about this scene, this week, I thought of when I was little, and my parents left me with my grandparents, or now, when I leave my kids with my parents. Do you remember the first time or two you were left with someone by your parents, or when you left your own kids with someone?
What feelings does a child often experience when being left by a parent, especially the first time or two?
They are usually overcome with sadness and fear. They cry, and it breaks the parent’s heart.
So, what does the parent do? Take them with you… No. Well, sometimes. But, when they have to leave the child with another friend or loved one, what do they do?
They comfort the child. How? What do they offer as encoruagement?
“Don’t be afraid! Don’t be sad!”
“Trust me, you’ll be okay!”
“I’ll be back!”
“I’m going to get something special for you while I am away.”
“I will come back to take you home with me. We will be together again!”
We try to comfort with encouragement to trust us.
We try to comfort with the knowledge that we will come back for them.
Wow! Does this sound familiar? !
I think just like we care for our children, Jesus was caring for his disciples; Jesus cares for us! He wants us to be comforted during this time while he is away.
Well, a parent’s comfort does not end there.
How about this:
“You’ll be okay! You’re going to do great!”
Or maybe this:
“Tell me what you want me to get you or do for you?”
We often try to comfort by encouraging the child that they will do great things. You are going to do all of these great things with your grandparents.
Or, we encourage them that we will send letters or gifts.
Interestingly, I see Jesus providing this same comfort to his disciples in John 14.
Let’s look at it together.
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
Jesus did encourage his disiples, much the same way parents do a child.
And, this encouragement was not only for them, but for us as well.
Let’s pray, and then look more closely at this passage to find the encouragement that Jesus gives to us.
Prayer
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
In working through this passage, we are going to ask the questions: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHY and HOW.
Let’s start with WHO. Who is this encouragement for?
WHO: Whoever believes in me
WHO: Whoever believes in me
This encouragement was not meant to be just for the disciples that Jesus was talking to at the time. It was meant for all of Jesus’ disciples, including those of us today, who believe that Jesus, God the Son, came and bore our sins in his body on the Cross. He took our punishment that we might be forgiven and live a new life for him.
Do you believe in Jesus?
If so, this is for you.
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
WHAT: The works I have been doing
WHAT: The works I have been doing
Jesus said that we who believe in Him will do the works He was doing.
What does Jesus mean by this? What works was Jesus doing?
This is when you want to look at the context. You want to look at the immediate context, and the context of the gospel of John. How does John use this work ‘works’ in His gospel? What works was Jesus doing?
The first instance we find is in John 4, when Jesus stopped in Samaria, and spoke to the woman at the well.
“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
What is the work Jesus did there?
Teaching, and reaching the lost.
The next instance is in John 5, when Jesus made the lame man who was by the pool to walk.
After Jesus healed the man, he later did more teaching. Look with me at a couple of the verses where the word work is found in Jesus teaching.
For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed.
For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
The Father is working, and he will do great works through the Son that will be amazing. That work is giving life to people.
To whom does Jesus give life? Everyone who believes in Him. To those who heard and believed his message!
Still later, Jesus said...
“I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me.
The works in this context are both the healing, and Jesus’ teaching afterward. But the emphasis seems to be on Jesus giving life to those who hear and believe his teaching.
Jesus refers to this work of healing the man, and teaching again in John 7.
Another occurance of Jesus’ work is in John 9, when Jesus healed the man who was born blind.
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
What work was displayed in this man? God did heal him and give him sight. However, what is even greater is that God gave this man spiritual sight to know Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus is the Savior when the religious leaders would not acknowledge that fact, as evidence by the miracle.
Jesus’ miracles were simply evidence to get people to listen to his message. This is what happens at the end of the story when Jesus finds the man.
Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
“Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
Jesus’ work was to get people to understand who he was through his deeds, and through his teaching.
Interestingly, in the immediate context of John 14, we see another clue for what Jesus meant by saying those who believe in him will do the works he was doing.
Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
Jesus’ teaching his disciples at this time, was the work the Father had for him. He was still trying to get them to understand and believe that He is God! That He was going to be the sacrifice for their sins.
That was Jesus’ work.
The Works Jesus prioritized was not the miraculous physical blessings, but the spiritual blessings (fed 5000, but wanted them to hear his words and believe)
So, those who believe in Jesus, will do that same work!
Through our deeds and words, we will let people know who Jesus is, and what He has done for us.
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
WHAT: They will do these works and even greater things
WHAT: They will do these works and even greater things
Now how could we possibly do even greater things than Jesus?
He fed 5000 from 5 loaves and 2 fish. Will we feed 6000 from 4 loaves and 1 fish?
What does Jesus mean?
Well, at this, the conclusion of Jesus ministry before he went to the cross, not many people believed his message. here we have 11 out of 12 disciples. We know there were some women, and stll some other disciples that were not a part of this inner circle.
Jesus said we would do greater things than he accomplished. When he said greater, that word does not necessarily mean more in number, or of better quality. But more amazing!
When we read the book of Acts, and see 3000 saved that first morning, and the gosplet spread throughout the Roman empire within a few short year, we see something amazing!!
When Jesus said we will do greater things, he meant we will have Greater, more amazing outreach and results (more people coming to Christ) than he had.
Why is that?
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
WHY (reason): Because I am going to the Father
WHY (reason): Because I am going to the Father
Jesus came to this Earth as a man, and hmbled himself, taking on the form of a servant of men.
He veiled his glory and held back on exerting his gloriouse authority. Otherwise, every knee would have bowed before hin then.
Jesus did not come to exert his authority, nor to judge at that time. Rather he came to save.
However, now he has gone back to the Father is in his glory.
Does anyone remember one of the last things Jesus said to his disciples>
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Because Jesus is now ascended he has all authority. And he said he will build his church. We can expect to do and see amazing things for him relating to sharing him with the world because he is ascended. He will do this.
How? or When?
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
WHAT/WHEN/HOW: Whatever you ask in my name
WHAT/WHEN/HOW: Whatever you ask in my name
I said what/when/how because I see those questions all being addressed here in this verse.
Jesus will do what? What we ask in His name.
What does it mean to ask in Jesus name?
Some tend to treat this as some magical incantation. It is Not a magic formula. It is Not a mantra.
Praing in Jesus’ name, means to pray in /with his authority.
Illustration of men chopping down the tree in Malaumanda
To pray in Jesus name, is to ask for things according to what He has commanded us.
What has he commanded us? To share the gospel. To serve on another. To love on another as He loved us.
If we pray for him to work through us to share the gospel, and share his love, that is truly praying in his name, because we are asking in the authority of what he said was to be done.
John wrote about his in his letter, 1 John, chapter 5.
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
We pray in Jesus name. That means we need to pray in accordance with what He has commanded us to do. We need to be acting, working on the things he gave us to do, but we need to ask Him to be doing it, so that it will be accomplished, and be done for the right reasons.
what is the right reason?
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
WHY (purpose): That the Father may be glorified in the Son
WHY (purpose): That the Father may be glorified in the Son
This was Jesus’ purpose when he was here on earth. And it needs to be our purpose.
It is so easy to do the right things for the wrong reason, isn’t it?
We can so easily get caught up in doing things so we get recognition.
We can do things so people will think we did a great job.
We can do things so people will be impressed.
We can do things so people will have a good time, and enjoy themselves.
We can do things for so many reasons.
However, the one reason we need to do the works God has given us is so that he will be glorified.
God is not glorified when people just have an enjoyable time. He is glorified when they recognize and acknowledge him for who He is, the Lord God almighty, Creator of the heavens and the earth! The one who, well as it says in Exodus,
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,
maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
We need to be doing the works Jesus did, proclaiming who He is, and what He has done, so that people will recognize and acknowledge him, the holy one.
We need to do this for the glory of the Father.
But can I do it? Can I do it will for his glory? How can I?
You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
HOW: I will do it
HOW: I will do it
Jesus said we can ask him, and he will do it.
He is not leaving us alone. He has gone to the Father, but He is still with us. He is working in and through us. He will do what we could never do on our own.
We just need to go to Him, and ask him for help.
Have you ever seen a kid struggling to get something done, some project or craft?
Sometimes they struggle and struggle, but the teacher waits. Why?
The teacher waits for the child to ask. Because if the teacher tries to help before the child is ready to receive, it doesn’t go well.
Jesus wants to work in and through us. He is waiting for us to ask. When we do, He will do it!
This passage is meant to be an encouragement to us. Jesus wants us to know that we are going to do great, amazing things! He even things they are greater, more amanzing than what he accomplished here on Earth! Talk about a great pep talk! Don’t you want to do things that Jesus thinks are great than what He did?
Well, it starts by believing in Him. Trusting Him. Then, it takes asking. Asking in His name. Asking according to what He wants to be done. Asking for Him to do it.
When we do, He will be there, and He will do it!
Are you ready to do some amazing things?
I am!!
Let’s get out there this week, and do what He said we will do.
PTL example.
Homework:
Read John 14:12-14. Write out your own WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHY, HOW questions and answers to this passage.
Read John 14:12-14. Look up the verses in John which speak of Jesus’ work. What was his work? How does Luke 19:10 help to define his work? How could our works be greater?
Read John 14:12-14, and 1 John 5:14-15. What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ name?
What are some of the commands of Jesus which we should ask Jesus to do through us in His name? Look through John. List the commands, and the verses in which they are found. Ask Jesus how he would want to do them through you in specific ways this week.
Read Colossians 4:2-6. How does this passage relate to praying in Jesus name? Pray this pray this week.