John Chapter 14 Continued
John 14:11 "Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake."
Jesus says here, If you cannot understand that the Father is in me, and me in Him, then let all these miracles that I have done show you that I am truly carrying out the Father's wishes, as well as my own.
Jesus did so many miracles that all the books in the world could not record them, had they been written down.
He did greater and more miracles than any one had ever done before.
When Jesus healed, He healed in His own name for there is no greater name under heaven.
We will see in the next few verses, that the believer in Christ can do miracles also, the only difference is that we must do them in His name.
We have no power to heal.
The power to heal is in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
John 14:12 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."
Jesus did not mean greater works in power, but in extent.
They would become witnesses to all the world though the power of the indwelling and infilling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8), and would bring many to salvation because of the Comforter dwelling in them.
The focus is on spiritual rather than physical miracles.
The book of Acts constitutes the beginning historical record of the impact that the Spirit empowered disciples had on the world.
The only way Jesus’ disciples would be able to be used to do those greater works was through the power of the Holy Spirit and He could not be sent as the Comforter until Jesus returned to the Father (verse 26 and 7:39).
Verily, verily tells us that this is absolute truth that the things said here are without doubt.
Many people believe that this statement is made just to the disciples and does not pertain to us.
I say unto you, is being said to the disciples there, but look what it says.
He tells the disciples that he (anyone), who believes on Jesus can do these things.
What things can the believer do? "...the works that I do..." (said by Jesus), includes raising the dead, casting out demons, giving sight to the blind, making the lame to walk, and many other things too numerous to mention.
Look at "...greater works … shall he do...":
The he is all who believe, and "greater works" means greater than the one listed above.
Then we need to look at the why:
"Because I go unto my Father":
The power of all the forces in heaven is behind the miracles.
Now we must look at the difference in us (Christians), doing these miracles as opposed to Jesus doing them.
In (verse 13), we will find that Jesus healed in His own name and we must heal in the name of Jesus, not in our own name.
We ourselves do not have the power to heal; it is the name of Jesus Christ our Lord that has the power to heal.
Jesus has given all Christians the power to use His name.
John 14:13 “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
In their hour of loss at the departure of Jesus, He comforted them with the means that would provide them with the necessary resources to accomplish their task without His immediate presence which they had come to depend upon.
To ask in Jesus’ “name” does not mean to tack such an expression on the end of a prayer as a mere formula.
It means:
(1)The believer’s prayer should be for His purposes and kingdom and not selfish reasons;
(2)The believer’s prayer should be on the basis of His merits and not any personal merit or worthiness; and
(3)The believer’s prayer should be in pursuit of His glory alone.
Look what our part is in all of this: to ask in the name of Jesus Christ.
Now look who does it: the "I" is Jesus Christ our Lord.
Who gets the glory?
The Father and the Son are glorified, not the one who prays.
We are just the mouth to pray and the hand God uses to touch.
He does all the rest.
John 14:14 “If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it."
In my name means “as My agent.”
The promise of answered prayer is based on the disciple acting as the agent of Jesus’ will (see
It is also linked here especially in the accomplishment of the “greater works.”
The promise is for unlimited resources to do the works of God.
In (verses
1.A supernatural helper (verses
2.A supernatural life (verses 18 and 19),
3.A supernatural union (verses
4.A supernatural teacher (verse 26),
5.A supernatural peace (verses
The key to all of this is verse 15 which relates that these supernatural promises are for those who love Jesus Christ, whose love is evidenced by obedience.
John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments."
Love for Christ is inseparable from obedience.
“My commandments” are not only Jesus’ ethical commandments in context (verses
So many ministers today are teaching that after you are saved and baptized, you can commit sin and not be guilty.
This one verse says, if you love Jesus, you will keep His commandments.
The only people who love Jesus are Christians.
Jesus in His own words says, that those who follow Him (love Him), keep His commandments. If we keep His commandments, we will not walk in sin. We will walk in the footsteps of Jesus.
John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;"
The priestly and intercessory work of Christ began with the request that the Father send the Holy Spirit to indwell in the people of faith (7:39; 15:26; 16:7).
The Greek word for “another”, specifically means another of the same kind, i.e., someone like Jesus Himself who will take His place and do His work.
The Spirit of Christ is the Third Person of the Trinity, having the same essence of deity as Jesus and as perfectly one with Him as He is with the Father.
The Greek word “Parakletos” literally means “one called alongside to help,” hence has the idea of someone who encourages and exhorts.
“Abide with you”:
Has to do with His permanent residence in believers (Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor.
The Holy Spirit is called another comforter because this is also one of Christ’s titles (1 John 2:1 translated “advocate”).
Jesus was and is, our advocate with the Father.
He petitions God for us all the time.
He is our intercessor.
Jesus prays to the Father on our behalf.
Jesus knew that the disciples and in fact, even Christians of today would be just lost without Jesus to fight our battles for us.
We feel despair many times.
Some even cry out, God where are you, I need you now.
When Jesus walked the earth with His disciples, they could lean on Him.
When things happened that they could not handle themselves, they knew that Jesus was there to do it for them.
They knew no fear, as long as they were in His presence.
When He went back to heaven, they were troubled.
Jesus told the disciples to tarry in the upper room until the Holy Ghost came upon them. Just as Jesus sent the Holy Ghost to comfort them, He will send Him to help us also. The Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, is our teacher and guide.
The Spirit of God (Holy Spirit), comes and dwells inside the Christian to teach, guide, encourage and comfort.
John 14:17 “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
“Spirit of truth”:
He is the Spirit of truth in that He is the source of truth and communicates the truth to His own (verse 26;
Apart from Him, people cannot know God’s truth (1 Cor.
“Dwelleth with you, and shall be in you”:
Indicates some distinction between the ministry of the Holy Spirit to believers both before and after Pentecost.
While clearly the Holy Spirit has been with all who have ever believed throughout redemptive history as the source of truth, faith and life, Jesus is saying something new is coming in His ministry.
(John
When you become a Christian and make Jesus your Savior and Lord, there is a peace that comes over you, because the presence of God is with you and even in you.
It is called the peace that passes all understanding.
Peter is a very good example of the change that takes place.
Before Peter was filled with the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit (whichever you choose to call it), he was weak in his spirit, and even denied Jesus three times fearing what the Jewish leaders might do to him.
After Peter received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, Peter was able to stand up for Jesus even to be crucified without denying.
This Comforter gives us the courage to minister in ways that we would never have been be able to minister before.
The difference is, we have made Jesus our Savior before we receive the Spirit, but after we receive the Spirit, He is our Lord, as well.
We need not be frustrated, trying to make decisions about our lives.
If Jesus is our Lord, He makes the decisions for us, we just say, yes Master.
First in the next 2 scriptures, Jesus was referring to His resurrection, after which they would see Him
There is no record that any unbelievers saw Him after He rose (see Cor.
In another sense, this has reference to the mystery of the Trinity.
Through the coming and indwelling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Jesus would be back with His children (16:16; Matt. 28:20; Rom. 8:9; 1 John 4:13).
John 14:18 “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."
This is Jesus speaking. Jesus realizes they will need to be comforted.
Christens are persecuted by the people of the world.
Even today, Christians need to be comforted by the Spirit of God. Jesus will not leave us without comfort; He will come and comfort us.
In this veiled reference to His death, Jesus promised not to leave them alone (Romans 8:9).
John 14:19 “Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also."
Because of His resurrection and by the indwelling life of the Spirit of Christ, believers possess eternal life (see Rom.
The world will crucify the only one who gives eternal life.
He (Jesus), not only gives life, but is Life.
They who rejected Jesus will not see Him, nor experience the comfort of the Spirit of God.
In (1 Thessalonians 4:13), the last part says “...ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope."
Those who have no hope of the resurrection are those who have rejected Jesus Christ as savior and Lord.
One thing that comforts the Christian and brings hope in the Scriptures above is because Jesus lives, we shall live also.
The fact that He rose from the dead brings us hope that we Christians shall rise also.
Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you."
John 14:20 “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you."
This refers to His resurrection when He returns to them alive.
We see from this, that the Spirit of the risen Christ (the Holy Spirit), is what causes us to be resurrected as Jesus was resurrected.
If we are Christians, then we have the Spirit of the risen Christ dwelling within us.
We are hidden in Him.
Galatians 2:20 says “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in
me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
Just a few chapters earlier in this series Jesus told Martha “I am the resurrection and the life."
You see, if we have Jesus inside, we also have eternal life dwelling in us.
Jesus must become more and more in us, as our flesh fades out.
John Chapter 14 Continued Questions
1.In verse 11, Jesus says “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the _______ ______ ____ ___."
2.How many miracles did Jesus do?
3.Whose name did Jesus heal in?
4.Whose name do we heal in?
5.Who is Jesus speaking to in verse 12?
6.Who does Jesus say can heal?
7.Why does Jesus say, in verse 12, we can do greater works?
8.Name some of the miracles Jesus did?
9.What power had been given to the Christians?
10.Verse 13 says, whatsoever ye ask in whose name __________.
11.Why will Jesus do it, in verse 13?
12.Jesus said “If ye love me, ____ ______ _________ ___ ______________."
13.What will our walk be like, if we love Jesus?
14.What will Jesus give the Christians to abide with them forever?
15.Name two things Jesus does for us all the time?
16.What do we cry out sometimes when we feel despair?
17.What did Jesus tell the disciples to wait in the upper room for?
18.What are two other names for the Spirit of God?
19.Why can the world not receive the Spirit of truth?
20.Where does the Christian know the Spirit?
21.Why was Peter so different after Pentecost?
22.If we make Jesus Lord, how does that help us?
23.What does verse 18 promise?
24.1 Thessalonians 4:13 says, the Christians are not like the world who have no _______.
25.What do we learn about our resurrection in Romans 8:1?
26.In verse 20, who is in us, and we in Him?
27.In Galatians 2:20, we find that, if I am crucified with Jesus, I live by what in the flesh?