The Promise of Greater Works
(A Night Like No Other – Part 4)
#140 in Series: “The Life of Christ – in a Harmony of The Gospels”
On Thursday night of Passion Week, Jesus met with His disciples in the Upper Room. They shared the last Passover meal together. Jesus demonstrated humility and service by washing the disciples feet, and giving them a lesson about love… Jesus revealed the fact that one of them was to betray Him, which was Judas of course, and that before morning arrives, even Peter – the leader within the inner circle of Jesus’ disciples would be … denying that he even knows Jesus…
This was … a long night…
John takes four chapters – chapters 13-16, to tell us of what Jesus said that night in the Upper Room… In fact, this section has been referred to as “The Upper Room Discourse”, and John is the only one who recorded these words…
Last time, we focused on Jesus’ words of compassion and comfort in His word to them about … the promise of heaven… We will pick up today with His words found in the next 8 verses – but for context sake, let begin at the beginning of the chapter and re-read last week’s text, and continue through the portion we will think on today:
John 14:1-14
1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.John 14:7-14
7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
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.
Pastor:“This is the Word of the Lord”
Congregation:“Thanks be to God”
Our focus today begins with verse :7, where Jesus makes a profound statement to the remaining 11…
Let’s think about this under the heading –
1. Jesus Reveals the Father
John 14:7a
If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also…
Jesus isn’t saying anything new here! He has been saying this over the past few years to His disciples…
John opened his gospel report with this strong point –
John 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.
This is Oneness language… Jesus came from heaven to earth … to not merely bring a “word” from God (though He is the logos John 1:1-3, 14) – He came to “explain” God to us!
The short of it is this; if you know Jesus – this is, if you know Him, not just about Him – if you know Jesus, you will know the Father… If you know the Father, not just about the Father – it is because you know Jesus!... Remember verse :6 that we camped out on last week?
Jesus said –
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Jesus is now explaining why He is the only way to know the Father – it is because He is the perfect representation of God – the perfect expression of God to the world… To know Jesus is to know God.
Listen, throughout His ministry, Jesus has been … revealing the Father. John recorded a few of those times –
John 8:19
So they were saying to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.”
When Jesus explains to His disciples that the world is going to hate them, He says it is because the world hates Him… He says –
John 15:24
If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well.
Later Jesus said –
John 16:3
These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me.
Later on, in this very night, when Jesus is praying in the Garden, He says to the Father –
John 17:3
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Again, this is Oneness language… The Father and the Son are in perfect unity and harmony…
Jesus also expresses the desire that His disciples would know something of this … unity. His prayer, in behalf of His disciples is –
John 17:21
that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
A couple of verses later, we read –
John 17:23
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.
Matthew, and Luke also recorded this same theme in Jesus’ words… Matthew 11:27 and Luke 10:22 are almost verbatim … the same –
Matthew 11:27, Luke 10:22
All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
This is a theme that Paul, and the writer of Hebrews addresses as well –
(2 Corinthians 4:6, Hebrews 1:3)
But, let’s return to our text –
John 14:7
If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
This last part may sound a little odd to our ear. What does Jesus mean by using this “from now on” language?... Have they not been “knowing” the Father already?
I think Guzik says it best in his commentary on this passage –
David Guzik – “The disciples certainly had learned and known much about God in their three years of apprenticeship under Jesus. Yet Jesus understood that since they had not yet seen the full revelation of God’s love at the cross and His power at the resurrection, there was a sense in which they would only now know and see God.”
Now… though this truth – that Jesus reveals the Father continues through the text, let’s turn our attention to a nuance of this truth that also continues through this text. Let’s think about what Jesus says about His relationship to the Father in our passage… Let’s think about –
2. Jesus’ Unity with the Father
Jesus said to His disciples that night –
John 14:7-8
7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”
Let’s pause here for a moment… What is behind Philip’s question?... Why does he raise this question?... Some have suggested that even though Philip had seen and experienced much in the three plus years of following Jesus – he is acknowledging that he has not “seen with his own eyes” – he has not seen the Father!... He is asking the Lord to allow them to see the Father with their physical eyes – and perhaps that experience would bring them the assuranceand courage they were needing in order to face what they are about to face…
Listen, if your faith is always in need of a greater experience … you will not grow much in the faith!... The Christian faith is a life of faith – which is greater and more reliable than a life of “sight”... To put it another way – “Believing is seeing – not ‘seeing is believing’”...
Nonetheless –
John 14:9-11
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.
Stop there… Jesus is speaking about His relationship with the Father…
The reality is, the disciples have “seen” substantial evidence that should have settled this issue in their hearts… They were privy to all that Jesus was doing – all the evidence that Jesus cited, in answer to His critics… Do you remember what He said to the Jews, after they protested Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath Day?
John 5:17
But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”
When Peter first preached in the Gentiles in Acts 10, he reminded them, that they too witnessed the uniqueness of Jesus, in His relationship to the Father –
Acts 10:38
You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Jesus demonstrated the uniqueness of His relationship with the Father, by accomplishing such things that only God could do!... The Holy Spirit was upon Him, like no one else in all of history! No one – no honest person – could consider such evidence and deny this fact!
Within these verses we also see –
3. Jesus’ Dependence upon the Father
Now there may be a better word to describe this than dependance, but let’s look carefully at verse :10, and you’ll see what I mean… Jesus said –
John 14:10
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.
Jesus says that He does not operate … independent of the Father. Jesus cites two points for His claim… The first are the words – the words that He speaks… And the second are the works – the works Jesus has already done! Everything Jesus says and does, is in direct relation to the Father!...
The words Jesus speaks are actually words “initiated” by the Father, and the works Jesus … performs are actually the works of the Father in Him!
Everything Jesus says and does, is in direct relation to the Father!...
You and I must learn that we too should carefully consider … our words and works! Do we reflect a … dependency upon the Lord in what we say and do?
The Lord wants us to be aware … and guarded that we are!
Quickly jump down to verse :20, where Jesus says –
John 14:20
In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
The disciples will understand these truths better, once the Holy Spirit comes, and brings these things back to their minds … with greater enlightenment to what Jesus is saying…
The balance of our text reveals a … profound statement Jesus makes concerning His disciples… Let’s consider –
4. Jesus’ Promise to the Disciples
Jesus begins this statement with a familiar expression; “truly, truly”... The Greek word is amen… It is interesting to note that Jesus is the only one to begin a statement with amen. He did so 25 times, and they are all recorded by John… The idea in this expression is that what is about to be stated is truth – and it is truth you need to hear. What is about to be stated is “trustworthy and certain”, and you need to pay close attention. Jesus says –
John 14:12-14
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.
This is one of the most … profound and sobering statements the disciples have ever heard coming from the Lord!
Let me offer five questions to consider as we think through what our Lord is saying… These questions can help us better grasp and understand.
This first question is –
To whom is this promise given?... The promise is to those who are born again. It is to those who “believe in” Jesus!
John 14:12
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me,...
Perhaps there is a bonus question we need to address; what does it mean to believe?... The term translated “believe” is the word pisteuō… This is no mere “intellectual assent to the facts”... Just coming to “believe” some facts about Jesus is not salvation… Pisteuō comes about when one is persuaded – persuaded commit themselves to that truth… Salvation is a matter of … heart belief.
Romans 10:9-10
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
“Confessing” is stating in agreement – agreeing that Jesus has indeed risen from the dead, but also agreeing with the truth that He is Lord – yes, your Lord!
The second question is –
What is the promise?... The accomplishment of great things.
John 14:12
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;...
Jesus links actions to belief… There is always a direct link between one’s beliefs and one’s actions! We do what we believe!
As the half-brother of Jesus later says –
James 2:17
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
If you are saved… you’re going to do something!... What are you going to be doing?... Well, Jesus tells His immediate disciples that they will be involved in something even greater than He has done!
The works to which Jesus is referring are the same kind of works that Jesus Himself has performed… And indeed, we see the apostles witnessing such works after Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit comes… They witnessed supernatural works in their lifetime… But we know that Jesus was not saying that they would be performing more powerful miracles than He did… How do we know that?... Because they didn’t…
In fact, Jesus has something even greater in mind… He is speaking about the extent – the greater extent that the disciples would see such God-glorifying works done!
There are those who erroneously believe that miracles in the physical realm are the greater works. No! The greater works are in the spiritual realm! The greatest miracle happens in salvation!...
Jesus never preached beyond the region of Palestine – but those who have come to believe – those who themselves have been transformed – they have preached all over the world!
Jesus preached to tens, hundreds, and thousands… Yet, there are many who have preached the gospel to thousands, and even millions in their lifetimes! Those are “greater works”...
The point is – those who believe Him – will get busy sharing Him!
How can this be?
John 14:12
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.
The power – the enablement needed to perform those “greater works” would come about – only when Jesus returns to the Father!
What happens when Jesus returns to the Father?... He sends the Holy Spirit!
It will be the Holy Spirit Who will actually accomplish these “greater works” through disciples of Jesus!
Just as Jesus said, shortly before His ascension –
Acts 1:8
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
We will lean into this even more next week, when we consider the balance of John 14, and The Promise of the Holy Spirit…
The next question to be answered is –
What is the purpose of this promise?
John 14:13-14
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.
The purpose of all of this is clearly stated near the end of verse :13 –
John 14:13
Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
God is pleased when people come to believe in His Son, and grow in relationship with Him, through His Son!... God is pleased when we are living our lives for His purposes! We are blessed – and He is pleased! God is glorified when we are doing life the way He directs us to live – and we are always better when we are doing life in relation to Him!
The seeming … secret to the Christian life is simply becoming the vessel through whom He accomplishes these greater works…
Look at our passage again, more closely –
John 14:13-14
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.
The Lord is the One Who will accomplish such things through His people!
David Jeremiah said – “Sometimes Christians get weary because we forget. We think God wants us to do His work for Him. That will make you tired very, very quickly. You can’t do it!... What Jesus is saying is this: When we pray, God is going to do His work through us, and we will be channels for His work.”
This is a concept that Jesus will later repeat –
You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.
And again in John 16 –
In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.
This leads us to another question we must answer –
What does it mean to pray “in Jesus’ Name”?
John 14:13-14
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.
This is why many of us end our prayers by say “in Jesus name”... But, are we understanding what this truly means?... I think the Greek professor, Merrill Tenney explains it best –
Merrill Tenney – “It was both a guarantee, like the endorsement on a check, and a limitation on the petition; for he would grant only such petitions as could be presented consistently with His character and purpose. In prayer we call on Him to work out His purpose, not simply to gratify our whims. The answer is promised so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.”
So, praying in Jesus Name, is praying – submitting our petitions to – the Lord’s will, the Lord’s purpose, the Lord’s timing, all for the Lord’s glory!
John later writes –
1 John 5:14
This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
Do you pray in “Jesus’ Name” – I don’t mean, do you actually say those words – I mean are you submitting to the will of God, the character of God, the purposes of God in all that you pray?... We are to do that, whether or not you say the words “in Jesus’ Name”...
What is it in your life that you need to submit to Him right now?... In Jesus’ Name, I implore you to do so…
Questions to Consider in Community Group
David Guzik – “The disciples certainly had learned and known much about God in their three years of apprenticeship under Jesus. Yet Jesus understood that since they had not yet seen the full revelation of God’s love at the cross and His power at the resurrection, there was a sense in which they would only now know and see God.”
David Jeremiah – “Sometimes Christians get weary because we forget. We think God wants us to do His work for Him. That will make you tired very, very quickly. You can’t do it!... What Jesus is saying is this: When we pray, God is going to do His work through us, and we will be channels for His work.”
Merrill Tenney – “It was both a guarantee, like the endorsement on a check, and a limitation on the petition; for he would grant only such petitions as could be presented consistently with His character and purpose. In prayer we call on Him to work out His purpose, not simply to gratify our whims. The answer is promised so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.”
