John 14:7-14

Sunday Morning Bible Study

July 28, 1996

Introduction

We are on the Thursday evening before Jesus is crucified, at the event known as "the Last Supper".

Jesus is alone with His disciples in the upper room.

Jesus said He'd be going away, and this distressed the disciples.

Then:

John 14:5-6 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

:7-11 Jesus and the Father

:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also:

Jesus is saying that He is such a close representation of the Father, that if you knew Jesus, you as well as knew the Father.

More about this later ...

:8 Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

show us - deiknuo - to show, expose to the eyes

Philip is saying, "Gosh, that's great, but where's this Father guy? We've never met this Father guy!"

:9 Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?

Literally: "For so long a time I am being with you all (pl.), and you (sing.) have not known me in a lasting way, Philip?"

known - perfect tense - something that happens in the past, but the results continue on into the present.

Jesus is confronting Philip with kind of a mild rebuke on his lack of having a complete knowledge of who Jesus really is.

Look at Philip's relationship with Jesus:

When he first met Jesus.

John 1:43-46 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. 44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

Philip understands at the very beginning that Jesus is someone special, probably understanding some sort of concept of the Messiah.

This is a great start! But let's see where it goes from there.

When Jesus was faced with a hungry crowd.

John 6:5-8 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, 9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

Jesus presented Philip with a situation to test where he was in his relationship with Jesus.

It was never an issue of what Jesus would do, only a test of how Philip would handle it.

Philip didn't comprehend what the Lord was capable of.

He couldn't see how anything could be done in this overwhelming situation.

It was Andrew who stepped up with the kid.

"Who knows what the Lord can do with this kid's lunch?"

Lesson:

You've got more to learn about Jesus.

For the mere acquaintances:

You have this concept that there's something interesting, something pretty unique about this Jesus stuff.

Perhaps you grew up going to Sunday School and learning stories about Jesus.

You went through catechism or confirmation classes when you were young.

But He's just some person who lived a long time ago, and had some interesting things to say.

But maybe you haven't really grasped yet just who Jesus really is.

Maybe you haven't even begun to skim the surface of what Jesus is able to do in your life.

With feeding the multitude -

Jesus doesn't just tell the crowds to meditate and achieve a sense of inner peace.

He feeds them bread and fish!

In your life -

Jesus is much more than a person who says interesting things.

He's God in the flesh, He wants to actually live inside of you, He wants to be the Master of your life, and He has the power to change YOU.

You've got more to learn about Jesus.

For believers and followers of Jesus.

For others of you, you've known the Lord now for a while, but perhaps you feel like you've learned all that there is to know.

That's a dangerous place to find yourself, when you feel like you've arrived.

The writer to the Hebrews was talking about who Jesus was, but stops midway and sends a gentle rebuke to his readers:

Hebrews 5:11-12 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

Even Paul, at the end of his life felt like he hadn't "arrived":

Philippians 3:10-14 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Where are you in your relationship with the Lord?

When you open up your Bible, do you think to yourself, "I don't need to really pay much attention, I already know that story ..."

When you come to church and I say, "Turn to Philippians 2 ..., do you say to yourself, 'Oh here he goes again talking about that humility thing again ...'"

There is so much more to the Lord that we have yet to really begin to grasp.

Sometimes the deepest things of the Lord are things that we know only a little on the surface, yet really haven't fully grasped it all.

Illustration:

There was the time that someone asked a elderly seminary professor, who had walked close to the Lord for many, many years, "What is the most profoundest things you've learned about God?"

The professor responded, "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

I wonder just how much we've got a handle on God's love for us.

The Bible says:

1Jo 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (AV)

Yet how many times are we afraid?

Is it possible that we yet don't know the full depths of God's love for us?

There's so much more ...

Illustration:

The people traveling on the ocean liner across the Atlantic.

They scraped up all their money to buy two tickets to make their way to America.

With their last bit of money, they bought enough bread and cheese to live on for the two week journey across the ocean.

But after about 10 days, the bread was getting very old and stale, and the cheese was pretty moldy.

During the time on board, they would walk by the dining room, where the other passengers were dining on delicious food of all kinds.

They approached one of the cabin stewards and begged if there was any way they could work to earn enough to buy maybe one meal up in the dining room.

But to their surprise, they found out that all their meals were paid for with the price of their tickets. The entire trip could have been spent in the dining room, yet instead they had survived on cheese and crackers.

Is your relationship with Jesus a fine feast, or just cheese and crackers?

Jesus said:

Joh 10:10 ... I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly. (AV)

:9 he that hath seen me hath seen the Father

John wrote:

Joh 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. (NIVUS)

The Bible says that Jesus is

"the image of the invisible God" (Col.1:15 AV)

Paul writes:

Col 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (AV)

The writer to the Hebrews says that Jesus is

... the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person (Heb 1:3 KJV)

Jesus is telling Philip that if a person wants to know about God, all they have to do is get to know Jesus.

Jesus is saying that you can't get any closer to God that you are in getting close to Jesus.

Jesus is saying that all of God that you need is found in Jesus, you need not look any further.

:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?


Don't think that Jesus is saying the He IS the Father.

He is a separate person from the Father.

But He is IN the Father, and the Father is In Him.

:10 the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself

Jesus isn't just some guy making up his own fancy words.

He's claiming that the very words He's been speaking have been words that God has given Him.

This is just as God told Moses:

(Deu 18:18 KJV) I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.

:11 believe me for the very works' sake.

Jesus is saying that even if you don't take Him at His word's sake, look at the works He's been doing and ask yourself, "Just who is this guy?"

What kind of "works" are we talking about here? (cf.John 5:36)

How about -

Turning water into wine (John 2)

Healing the nobleman's son from 17 miles away (John 4)

Healing the man paralyzed for 38 years (John 5)

Feeding the five thousand (John 6)

Walking on water (John 6)

Healing the man born blind (John 9)

Raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11)

And that's just the miracles that John has chosen to include! There were many, many more that Jesus had done over the last 3 1/2 years.

:12-14 Answered Prayer

:12 He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also

Do you believe in Jesus?

Have you ever -

Turned water into wine, healed the sick, raised the dead???

Why not?

Rather than say "why not", as in "what's wrong with me???"

How about if we say, "why not?" as in "we're ready, Lord!"

I want all that Jesus has for me.

I'm not going to have some kind of illusions of grandeur.

I'm not going to be disappointed if Mount Gorgonio doesn't jump into the Catalina Channel.

I'm not going to be disappointed if when I pray for you, you aren't instantly healed.

But I'm still going to try.

And I'm open to God doing whatever He wants to do in my life.

I'm willing to learn whatever I need to learn.

I'm willing to grow however I need to grow.

Illustration:

WOW!

As I was typing this all out on my computer, suddenly my computer froze up, and I was afraid that I was going to lose some of my text and have to start my computer all over, and retype and rethink a whole bunch of stuff.

And I got to thinking about what I was saying here, and so I prayed.

And when I restarted my computer, it was all still here! Amazing!

:12 greater works than these shall he do

How could we ever do greater works than Jesus?

1. Greater in number.

When the Holy Spirit came upon the early church, and it was no longer just one miracle worker, but a whole bunch of miracle workers, there was a greater number of miracles.

Heb 2:4 God also bearing [them] witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? (AV)

2. The greatness of conversion.

Healing a blind person is an awesome thing.

Feeding 5,000 people is incredible.

Raising a person from the dead is stupendous.

But even greater is to be a part of seeing someone be born again, having their sins be completely forgiven by God, and reserving a place for them in heaven, seeing them transferred from hell to heaven.

And in a sense, this work of conversion wasn't really being done until after Jesus rose from the dead, conquering sin and death.

:12 because I go unto my Father

The reason the disciples (and us) would be able to do these great works was because of Jesus going to the Father.

Jesus said that the act of His going to the Father was tied in to another event:

Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (AV)

Jesus' ascending into heaven would be somehow linked with the sending of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples.

It's the Holy Spirit in and upon our lives that gives us the power to do the works that Jesus has for us.

:13-14 whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do

B.W.Johnson: What man would dare to make such a promise?

This is the main way that these great works are to be done.

God's main method for miracles is through prayer.

Quote:

E.M.Bounds (The Possibilities of Prayer, pg.118):

"Our Gospel belongs to the miraculous. It was projected on the miraculous plane. It cannot be maintained except by the supernatural. Take the supernatural out of our holy religion, and its life and power are gone, and it degenerates into a mere mode of morals. The miraculous is divine power. Prayer has in it this same power. Prayer brings this divine power into the ranks of men and puts it to work. Prayer brings into the affairs of earth a supernatural element. Our Gospel when truly presented is the power of God."

Lesson:

How does this prayer thing work?

There are four things in this passage to learn from:

1. Believing on Him. (from vs.12)

This is the prerequisite.

There has to be a relationship between you and Jesus.

You have to be trusting in Him, trusting Him to be your Savior.

I believe this also includes the point that you have allowed Jesus to pay for your sins, and that you are clean and forgiven before God.

The Bible says:

Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

If you have not yet trusting in Jesus, if He has not paid for your sins, you can ask all you want, but nothing is going to get through.

Illustration:

It would be like trying to make a call on a phone that isn't plugged into an active telephone jack.

You can dial the right numbers.

You can say the right things into the phone.

But the message isn't going to make it.

2. Ask.

Here's the second part, as obvious as it sounds.

How many times have we gone without the very things that God wants for us, simply because we never bothered to ask?

Quote:

That old hymn:

"Oh what peace we often forfeit, Oh what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer"

The Bible says:

Jas 4:2b ... yet ye have not, because ye ask not. (AV)

In our crazy, fast-paced world, we sometimes get into the mode where we want to have things done for us to make life easier.

We hire a gardener so we don't have to spend so much time mowing the lawn.

We hire a housekeeper so we don't have to spend so much time cleaning the house.

We buy computers to try and make our life easier, and take away some of the repetitive tasks we do.

But nobody can do your praying for you.

Only you can pray your prayers.

Illustration:

I've thought at times, "what can I delegate to make my life a little simpler ..."

And so I go through my list of responsibilities.

Then I get to the Tuesday Morning Men's Prayer group, and I wonder, "Maybe I can have somebody else lead this instead of me ..."

But I always get the same response from the Lord, "There are some things you can delegate to others, but praying isn't one of them!"

Do you spend the time you ought to praying?

I wonder if we really don't believe that prayer works, or else why wouldn't we spend more time doing it?

Quote:

E.M.Bounds (The Possibilities of Prayer, pg.131):

"And when the records of eternity are read out to an assembled world, then will it appear how much prayer has wrought in this world. Little is now seen of the fruits of prayer compared to all that it has accomplished and is accomplishing."

3. In His name

Here's where the rubber meets the road.

This is not some kind of magical formula that we're supposed to use, so that at the end of every prayer we have to tack on the special magic words "In Jesus' name ...", and the voila, presto, chango, our prayer is answered!

To do something in the name of another person is to do something as their representative.

Illustration:

If President Clinton sends Al Gore to negotiate for him at a world trade conference, then Al Gore is acting "in the name of the president".

If you send your teenager to the mall with your credit card (GASP!), you might write a letter giving them authorization to sign your credit card for you, and they are acting "in your name".

When we pray "in His name", we need to be asking ourselves this question,

If Jesus were here right now, what would He ask for?

When we are truly asking for the very things that Jesus Himself would be (or IS) asking for, we're going to find our prayers answered.

4. Glorifying God.

Jesus said that His whole reason for answering our prayers this way was so that glory would go to God.

Will this prayer and it's answer really bring glory to God?

Or will is just make you a little more comfortable for awhile?

Will God be glorified?

Or is it your name that people will remember?

Are you willing to place God's desires and will above your own?

Quote:

An elderly pastor made this observation, "It is very hard to glorify God and yourself at the same time."

Illustration:

George Atley served with the Central African Mission.

There were no witnesses, but the evidence indicates that Atley was confronted by a band of hostile tribesmen. He was carrying a fully loaded, 10-chamber Winchester rifle and had to choose either to shoot his attackers and run the risk of negating the work of the mission in that area, or not to defend himself and be killed.

How must he have prayed? Lord, deliver me?

When his body was later found in a stream, it was evident that he had chosen not to shoot. Nearby lay his rifle -- all 10 chambers still loaded. He had made the supreme sacrifice, motivated by his burden for lost souls and his answering devotion to his Savior. With the apostle Paul, he wanted Christ to be glorified in his body, "whether by life or by death."

We need to grow in prayer.

Jesus said:

(John 16:23-24 KJV) And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. {24} Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Jesus wants to bless your life.

He wants you to experience fullness of joy.

May we learn how to pray.