Hi everyone. Welcome back to our logical
Bible study. We're continuing in the farewell
discourse in John Chapter 13 onwards.
Today we're looking at John chapter 14 verses 7 to 14.
So as always we want to look at the text start by reading it and
then dive into the literal sense of the text.
What did it probably mean in the mind of the original author, as
far as we can? We can get to that.
So, here's the reading for today, Jesus said to his
disciples if you know me, you know, my father too, from this
moment, you know, him and have seen him.
Philip said, Lord let us see the father and then we shall be
satisfied. Have I been with you all this
time? Philip said Jesus to him and you
still do not know me to have seen me is to have seen the
father. So how can you say let us see
the father, do you not believe that I am in the father and the
father is in me? The words I say to you, I do not
speak as from myself. It is the father living in me.
Who is doing this work? You must believe me when I say
that I am in the father and the father is in me I believe it on
the evidence of this work if for no other reason.
I tell you most solemnly whoever believes in me will perform the
same works. As I do myself, he will perform
even greater works because I am going to the father Whatever you
ask in my name, I will do. So that the father may be
glorified in the son. If you ask for anything in my
name, I will do it. So, let's have a look at this
gospel text. So the context here, what's been
happening? We're in the Last Supper.
So Jesus has begun the farewell discourse which begins towards
the end of chapter 13 and the things he's just said.
Prior to the reading today is my father's house has many
mansions. I go to prepare a place for you
and then he also said, I am the way, the truth and the life.
No one comes to the father, except by me.
So what we're about to hear is actually an extension of that
very thought. No one comes to the father
except by me so verse 7, if you know me, you know, my father
too, from this moment, you know, him and have seen him. so the
disciples are worried that they don't know the father and they
don't know the way to the father, but Jesus here says He's
reassuring them. That he is the way to the
father. If they know him, they do know
the way to the father. Jesus, the way we can look at
this is Jesus is the perfect representation of the father,
he's the perfect messenger. So if one truly knows the sun,
they know the father and this is a consistent theme all
throughout the Gospel of John Jesus, he is says that if they
have seen him, they have seen the father.
That's how closely United they are.
But then Philip says, Lord, let us see the father, and then we
shall be satisfied. So Philip has this really strong
desire. He wants to See, the father.
Now Jesus has kind of just answered this though.
Jesus has just said that they have already seen the father.
So why does Phillip here feel the need to say?
Lord let us see the father well he certainly doesn't understand
what Jesus has said. Maybe Phillip is thinking that
Jesus has just promised to show them the father in the future.
Rather than Jesus saying it's something that they already have
access to. So maybe Phillip is hoping for
some sort of grand theophany big Grand experience of the father
kind of like what Moses says in Exodus 33 where Moses says Lord
let me see your glory maybe it's he's expecting this big thing
like that so that's certainly possible to Verse 9 have I been
with you all this time. Philip said Jesus to him and yet
you still do not know me. So, Jesus has been saying all
throughout his ministry, things like I and the father are one.
So, by now, Philip in the other Apostles should have understood
this basic principle, in fact, Philip was one of the first two
cycles to be called, right. In John chapter 1.
So, Philip should have understood Jesus, basic identity
by now. Jesus continues to have seen me
is to have seen the father. So how can you say let us?
See, the father. Now, Jesus, you have to be
careful here. Jesus is not claiming to be the
father, but rather to be the perfect representation of him
and if you go through the Gospel of John, you'll see but that is
the specific claim. Jesus is making, he is the best
perfect representation of the father later in the New
Testament. This is developed more Hebrews
talks about him being sort of the if it image of the father
and Colossians 1:15 calls Jesus, the in the visible image of the
invisible, God So this has a lot of implications for our Theology
of the Trinity verse 10. Do you not believe that I am in
the father? And the father is in me.
So there's this deep Union between the father and the son.
The father is in the sun and the sun is in the father.
That's how present they are to each other.
The words I say to you, I do not speak as from myself.
So Jesus emphasizes here as he does in lots of places that he's
not speaking his own words, he's speaking the words of the
father. Either Jesus mission is to
reveal the father to people that's what's going on.
It is the father living in me who is doing this work.
So other translations have this as Works plural the father, does
his works and that would make sense because in the context of
the Gospel of John Works means Miracles.
So here we learn that, the father actually dwells within
Jesus, this is probably new information.
We knew that Jesus had the approval of the father and
speaks the words of the father. But now we learn that the father
actually dwells within Jesus himself.
He carries out actions through Jesus, when Jesus does his
healings. Not only is it designed to point
people back to the father, it is in a real sense.
The father himself doing these Works through Jesus.
It's this really close intimate connection between the father
and the son will probably never fully understand it.
But Jesus uses language like this to help us understand it,
verse 11. You must believe me.
When I say that I am in the father and the father is in me
Notice that you must believe he's telling his Apostles
because they're going to be the leaders of the church that they
need to correctly. Understand the relationship
between the Sun and the father as far as possible in order to
preach the message of the kingdom of God.
Jesus then says believe it on the evidence of this work if for
no other reason. Other translations, render this
a little better. I think they put it as believe
me. For the sake of the works
themselves all throughout his ministry.
Jesus does Miracles or Works to help people understand his
identity. That's the point of them Jesus
here at the Last Supper, he recognizes that it's hard for
the apostles to understand the Deep connection between the
father and the son. So he encourages them to at
least believe even if they can't fully grasp this Trinity stuff.
He encourages them to believe at least based on what they have
seen the Miracles. The idea is, if they think
logically about the Miracles that they've seen, Jesus, do,
they should realize that these are only possible through the
father, so they don't have to fully understand the mysteries
of the Trinity. They just need to really think
about Jesus miracles and realize that he must be empowered by the
father. That's It's kind of Jesus almost
Last Resort here. He says, if you can't believe
what I'm saying, at least believe, because of the Miracles
verse 12. I tell you most solemnly.
So Jesus is about to say something quite important and
other translations might have this as amen.
Amen. I say to you or truly, truly, I
say to you, whoever believes in me.
Now remember believe means to trust in New Testament
terminology. So, whoever believes in me, is
someone who Trusts in Jesus identity and teachings,
continually not just believes in Him in an intellectual way to
trust in his identity and teachings will perform the same
works. As I do myself, he will perform
even greater works. Now, this is quite striking and
it's quite a controversial Passage It says that people who
believe in Jesus will be able to do better and Greater Works than
Jesus himself. So let's talk about what we do
know from this passage will clearly The Works are Miracles.
Jesus says that Believers, True Believers will be able to do
great Miracles even greater than what he did.
Now, the next verse clarifies that such Miracles are only
possible because Jesus himself will do them through people.
So people won't do it on their own strength.
Even Believers won't be able to do it.
On their own strength. It will in fact be Jesus doing
it through people. Now, does this apply to
everyone? Can every believer, do Miracles
equal to or greater than Jesus? Maybe it depends on what you
think about spiritual gifts and how Miracles work.
But we can say not necessarily Jesus is not saying that every
single believer will be able to do it to the same extent.
However, certainly the book of Acts, if you read the book of
Acts and then early church history, hurry.
It's Miracles were very active in the early church.
So Jesus might have in mind mostly the early church here,
there's healings, there's raising the dead, but even
today, lots and lots of these things are happening all around
the world. There's healings all over the
world, people are being raised from the dead.
Christians are still doing Miracles, a great book for this
and a incredibly eye-opening and Incredibly scholarly in-depth
book. The catalogs all of these
modern-day Miracles that I'll recommend you Is a book called
Miracles, and it's by Craig Keener.
So it's a two volume set Miracles by Craig, Keener, huge
book, but it really goes through all of these real-life examples
where Miracles have been recorded in recent times, not in
2000 years ago, but in recent times, it's quite Incredible
Book. So if you're interested in
seeing how Christians have been able to do even Greater Works
than Jesus, check out that book, And then Jesus says, because I
go to the father, so notice the word because this there's a link
between people being able to do Miracles.
And Jesus going to the father in context, this probably means
Jesus is trying to communicate that he's not simply going to
die or go out of existence. Once he leaves, he's actually
going to the Father in heaven so therefore he will be able to
continue his work from heaven and make Miracles possible.
A couple of verses later, we learn not in today's reading but
in next time that he will send his holy spirit to assist in the
process of doing Miracles, that's in verse 16 and 17.
So Jesus will be in heaven to help the miracles happen and the
Holy Spirit will be there as well.
There's another perspective on this though when it says,
because I send to the file, cuz I go to the father, in his
Ascension, Jesus body is glorified in Jesus, glorifies
Humanity. So, some schools of thought,
That may be, what Jesus means is through Jesus Ascension, he
enables these great works. These great miracles to be
performed because when the apostles do these works in the
book of Acts, they are united to the Risen Jesus, and in that
sense, maybe that's what it means by saying, the Miracles
will be greater, because by then Humanity will be glorified in
the Ascension verse 13, another controversial, passage whatever
you ask, for my name, whatever you ask for, in my name, I will
do. So we need to talk a bit about
name in the Bible particularly New Testaments time to do
something in a person's name was basically an affirmation of the
person's identity. So wasn't like a magic word or a
spell or something to invoke. A person's name was to invoke
their identity and everything they stand for.
So to do something in Jesus name is basically to express faith in
his identity and in Union with his will and because Jesus does
only the father's will. That means whenever we do things
in Jesus name, we're also doing it in accordance with the
father's will. That's the basic idea.
It doesn't mean just saying Jesus name at the end of a
prayer. It actually means doing
something in accordance with Jesus identity, and his will.
So the teaching here is that, if you ask it, at least for the
apostles, if the apostles ask for something in the identity
and in the will of Jesus, Jesus will do it.
Which makes sense because if it's Jesus will then it's the
father's will and if it's the father's will then he's going to
want to do it. So it's kind of an extension of
this principle in the Our father of your will be done on Earth as
it is in heaven. The key thing here, is the will
of the father and the son. This is a promise to the
apostles. Specifically, it may not be a
promise to all Christians today. In the early years of preaching,
the kingdom of God, particularly in the book of Acts, God has
deliberately set things up, so that there's going to be lots of
Miracles and gifts of the Spirit to get Christianity off the
ground in those early years. That's how God said it up now,
miracles, do continue to happen today.
Certainly lots of evidence for that but maybe that promise
that's given here does not apply to all believers in the same
way, I think, if you look at the book of Acts, it does appear in
the book. Book of Acts that anytime the
apostles asked for a miracle that's in line with Jesus.
Will it happens straight away. If you look at the world today,
it doesn't always happen. A lot of times, people are even
good Christians, pray for certain things that seem to be
in the father's will, but they don't happen.
So I suspect that this particular promise is just for
the apostles, which is who he's talking to at this time, not
that Miracles can still happen. They certainly can Next thing
Jesus says is, so the father may be glorified in the son.
Now, this is the purpose of all miracles that the father would
be glorified and particularly, in the early years, when the
apostles are trying to expand the kingdom of God, they want to
preach God's Will, and God's kingdom.
Jesus from heaven, will enable miracles to be performed because
he'll be at the right hand of the father.
And in that sense, he's going to glorify the father through the
work that he does from the right hand of the father.
And then he concludes by repeating.
If you ask for anything in my name, I will do it. so, there's
a lot in that theologically So this farewell discourse that
we've been looking at a continues in the lectionary, in
the coming week days, we're going to hear more of this
farewell discourse, but the very next part gets skipped.
So verses 15 to 21 which would come next after this.
The only time you can hear that in the lectionary is in on the
sixth Sunday of Easter in year a.
So you might want to go through our podcast, archives, to find
that one, the sixth Sunday of Easter in year.
A is the very next Out of this, farewell discourse.
So let's briefly take a look at some short catechism passages
which reference here. John chapter 14 verses 7 to 14
paragraph. 47 0 is in the discussion about the Trinity and
it's in the section about how is the Son of God, man.
Here's what it says, the Son of God, therefore communicates to
his Humanity, his own personal mode of existence in the trinity
in his soul, as in his body Christ, thus expresses humanly
the divine Case of the Trinity. And it references there, the
passage today from John chapter 14.
Particularly when it says, the father is in me.
So there's some deep trinitarian applications here from this
passage certainly that are well worth meditating.
On paragraph 5 16 says, Christ's whole Earthly life, his words
and deeds his silences and sufferings indeed his manner of
being. And speaking is revelation of
the father, Jesus can say whoever has seen Me has seen the
father and the father can say this is my son.
My Chosen listen to him because our Lord became man.
In order to do, his father's will even the least
characteristics of his Mysteries manifest God's love Among Us.
So, right in the middle of that catechism paragraph, there's a
quote, Whoever has seen me, has seen the Father which comes here
from John chapter 14. Paragraph, 2633 says, when we
share in God's saving love, we understand that every need can
become the object of petition Christ who assumed all things in
order to redeem. All things is glorified by what
we ask, the father in his name, and then there's a similar
thought in paragraph, 26 one, for which I will include in the
show notes. That talks about how that's a
new thing in the New Covenant. And then lastly paragraph 28 15
which is a discussion about the. Our Father, it says prayer to
our father is our prayer if it is prayed in the name of Jesus.
So the catechism talks a little bit about this idea of praying
in the name of Jesus and what it means to do things in the name
of Jesus. So we will leave it there for
today. It's a passage that's well worth
meditating on Thank you for listening and please tune in
again tomorrow.