Divine Election Partners with Christ in Life and Service John 14:12-14
by Pastor Jesse Licardo
Saturday Fellowship
May 25, 2024, Lakewood CA
““Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
John 14:12-14 ESV
Pre-requisite for an answered prayer:
Let’s look at the overall context
The farewell discourse
The disciples of Christ are given the privilege of receiving his power and help to fulfill his will and to do his work.
Let’s see the context of the passage.
I. Verse 12
““Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”
John 14:12 ESV
Remember: you can only come to the Father by the authority of Jesus Christ
John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
1. Promise of greater works
- Christ disciple is guarantee the power of god when they do the works of god
2. Condition of the promise
- Whoever believe in me
so you must believe in Jesus. Your belief must be so strong that it will result in forming your life for obedience.
The Greek word for “believe” is pisteuo/pistis. Which means so much more than just believing something in your head, it means believe in, entrust, to rely on, to cling to. Taken from Strong Bible dictionary G4100.
Verse 11 “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.”
John 14:11 ESV
Why did Christ perform miracles ?
- “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
- John 20:30-31 ESV
- The works of God, the miracles was always given as validation of the Truth. In this way the world will know that Yahweh is truly God.
- Works. From the Greek word erga. Which means to toil, labor, deeds, performance, action.
Erga carries carries the connotation of something deserved because it has been earned by conduct or activity. It is something that is earned. It is merited because of things that we have done.
- Will also do the work Jesus did.
- What are these works?
- casting out demons (Luke 11:14-23)
- healing (Mark 1:32-34/ 3:10-11/ 6:56; John 20:30)
- His works in creation (col. 1:15-18)
- raising of the dead (John 11:43-44)
- multiplication of food ( Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:31-34; Luke 9:12-17; John 6:1-15)
- Turning water into wine ( John 2:1-11)
- walking on water ( MATTHEW 14:22-23)
- preaching etc. ( Mark 1:14)
- What are the grounds for doing Christ work?
- because he is going back to the father
Why are the grounds for the disciples to do greater works, because Christ is going to the Father?
In John 14:16-17
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”
John 14:16-17 ESV
John 16:7
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”
John 16:7 ESV
Their ability to do greater works is because of the Holy Spirit being with them and in dwelling them.
The Holy Spirit of God that has empowered Jesus To do the work that the father sent him to do, the same Holy Spirit will be with the disciples.
Observation: Acts 1: 4-5
“And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.””
Acts 1:4-5 ESV
Acts 2:1-4
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Result of the in dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
They preached in Jerusalem, with power, they preached with just facts about Christ and thousands believe and were added to the believers
Acts 2:41
“So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”
Is the greater work only promised to the disciples?
Verse 12
““Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”
John 14:12 ESV
Ephesians 1:13-14
“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”
So the promise Holy Spirit is not only for the disciples but is given to anyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ.
To believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is to yield your life to him in total obedience.
What is greater works?
The Greek word for greater is megas, 4 ways to employ this word.
- Refers to that which is greater in age.
- Refers to measure or height
- Refers to intensity and degree
- Refers to greater in number and quantity.
In this context they will do Jesus work but more of them because of the greater number of the disciples and the farther reach of their ministry.
Matthew 28: 18-20
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them inthe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””
II. Verse 13
“Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
John 14:13 ESV
When you pray according to the will of God, the result is answered prayer.
In Greek Ask is aiteo- meaning to ask, to beg, to desire, to require, to plead with intensity to the point of demanding.
Taken from Vines Greek New Testament dictionary.
What is the Qualifier?
“in my name “
How is the Father glorified in his name?
The father is glorified when the disciples pray in his name because now he has many people who are thinking, desiring, serving, like Jesus disciple who loves to do the will of God like Jesus, bearing much fruit. This glorifies the Father.
John 15:8
“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
What does Jesus mean when he said, “ I will do whatever you ask in my name?”
Primarily the name of the person in the Hebrew language represent everything about that person. It represents:
- Their character/nature
- Their will
- Their Life
- Their command
- Their authority
When Jesus said,” whatever you ask for in my name,” he is saying whatever you ask that is in accordance with what my name represents.
- According to his will
- According to his character/nature
- According to his authority
- According to his life
- According to his command
If you ask according to this, He will do it.
Why don’t we receive what we pray for at times?
James 4:3
“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”
To pray in the name of Jesus doesn’t mean you ask for whatever you want, it is to ask what Jesus want in your life for his purpose, for his will.
Truths about answered prayer
- Answered prayer is the result of praying by faith. You must believe.
James 1:5-7
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;”
Matthew 21:21-22
“And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.””
- Answered prayer is the result of praying by the will of God
1 John 5: 14-15
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”
- Answered prayer is the result of obeying God’s command.
1 John 3:21-23
“Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.”
- Answered prayer is the result of abiding in Christ
John 15:7-8
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
It is about having an intimate relationship with Him.
To abide in Him is to make our abode in Him and his word.
- Answered prayer is the result of God’s grace to you .
John 15:16 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”
John 16:24
“Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
- Answered prayer is a validation that you are saved
1 John 5:13-15
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”
III. Verse 14
“If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
When Christ said in his name, it is praying in all that represents him. Meaning all that represents Jesus is covering us. We are not coming from our own self righteousness but by His righteousness. We are coming covered in the name of Jesus, We are coming covered in the righteousness of the son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
