the greatest miracle that can possibly be done.

Hi. 

Today I wanted to respond to a couple more comments on Wednesday's post about prayer. One phrase was, "Telling his followers they could do even greater things than He if they believed," which is part of a Bible verse from the book of John. I'd like to really look at the context in which this verse appears. It is not a good idea to grab a Bible verse or part of a Bible verse away from its context, and seek to understand it by itself.  

The other comment was "Maybe all those children died because of lack of faith in the healing power of prayer/Lack of faith by those praying for the children." I (strongly) disagree with this idea and will discuss it again in the final post in this four-part response. But today as we look at what it means to pray in the name of Jesus, see if you can discern any truths about the efficacy of faith and of prayer. Why and when is faith powerful? Does it relate to something in us, or to the nature and character of the object of our faith? Why and when is prayer powerful? Does its power come from something in us, or from the nature and character of the person to whom we are praying?

John 14:12 reads as follows. Jesus is speaking to his disciple, Philip. Pay attention to that word "because." :) 

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. 

We'll come back to this verse in a bit, but we need to look at the context surrounding it.

I remembered that my Pastor (who is also my brother-in-law Stephen) preached through the book of John back in 2004, and I listened to one of the sermons again online and took some notes while I listened. So this is from his own study of and exposition of John 14. Thanks, Stephen. :)

In John 14, Jesus is speaking to His disciples on the night before He will be crucified, to comfort them before He leaves them. As he speaks to them, he focuses on (1) who He is, (2) what He will do, and (3) what He has promised. 

Jesus' disciples are upset with Him as He speaks about His impending death. They are shocked to hear that one of the disciples (Judas) will betray Jesus, and that Peter will deny Jesus. (See John chapter 13.) They are upset, because the death of their Messiah is not what they were expecting. From their perspective, it sounds like Jesus is going to be killed by men, and all His plans are going to fall apart.

The disciples believed in the deity of Christ, and had expressed it, but hadn't really understood the unity between Jesus and the Father. They hadn't really yet grasped that Jesus was one with the transcendent God. They hadn't really wrapped their brains around that idea that Jesus was not a manifestation of God; He was God manifest, in the flesh.

Imagine coming to grips with this truth as you speak with the man you have laughed with, eaten with, and journeyed with for the past three years. God fully God, in a man. They are anxious and confused as Jesus speaks of His own death.

And Jesus says, listen. Be reminded of who I am. 

Look at John 14:1-7:

"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going."

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

Jesus is saying, if you knew that I am one with the Father, if you really understood this, you wouldn't be panicked and worried. From now on, you can quit worrying about how to get to the Father. You are looking at Him. You have seen Him.

Jesus is telling them that "from now on" -- from the time of his death and resurrection onward -- they will finally truly understand what He has been telling them about Himself all along.

Look at verses 8 through 11:

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 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 authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. 

Philip is asking for sight. Jesus is telling Him to have faith. You've already heard my words, and you've already seen my works, Philip, and now you're wanting another sign that I am God? A sign is not an end in itself. You don't stop at the sign. A sign points to something. You've already seen the signs. Keep going. You need to have faith.

So Jesus tells his disciples to take comfort in who He is. He also tells them to take comfort in what He is going to do. Here we are, back to verse 12, which is really very shocking:

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. 

So let's think about some of the "works" that Jesus did.

He walked on water.

He healed people.

His words raised the dead.

He could feed thousands on a few loaves of bread and a few fish.

People could touch the hem of his garment and be healed.

So in what sense could we, or the disciples, possibly do "even greater works" than Christ?

And "greater" in what sense? Greater in number? Maybe, because there are more disciples, and they'll probably have more time than Christ had in his three-year ministry to do things. Peter lived about 30 or 35 years after Christ.

Or greater in power? When we think of greater works, we tend to immediately make the same mistake the people made during the life of Christ…we want to see the SIGNS! What can be more powerful than calling forth the dead with your voice? How can more power than Christ had be manifested in us? 

To understand how we can do greater works than Christ, we have to look at this verse in its greater context. There are two things that dictate what it means that we will do "greater works than Christ." 

Remember I said to look at that word "because"? Look at it again. :) You will be able to do greater works than I do, says Jesus, because I am going to the Father.

So why? What's going to happen when Jesus goes to the Father? 

The Holy Spirit is going to come, that's what is going to happen! Hooray! (Note: My brother-in-law does not typically punctuate his sermons with "hoorays". That's more my own touch.) That's what the whole next section of John 14, starting with verse 15, is about. So here's why you're going to be able to do greater works than I do, says Jesus. I'm leaving, and you're going to be indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

So we're going to do greater works than Jesus did because of the Holy Spirit, but in what sense are these works greater? Because even with the power of the Holy Spirit, what are we going to do that is greater than calling forth the dead? 

This is a part of God unfolding His purposes in salvation history. You might know and remember that between the Old and New Testaments in the Bible, there is a period of about 400 years of silence. No revelation, no prophets, no news.

And then here comes John the Baptist, doing great works. He doesn't do miracles, but he's a man of God, and he is calling people to repentance, and calling them to baptism. And people are coming to him in flocks! And then in John chapter 1, he tells everybody that hey, there is One coming after me who is greater than I am, and I am not even worthy to fasten His sandals.

So in salvation history there is this transition from the time of silence to the time of John the Baptist, and then a transition from John the Baptist to an even greater time, when Jesus comes and has His ministry on earth.

And now Jesus is telling His disciples that although He is leaving, they're now transitioning to an even greater ministry, when they will be indwelt with the Holy Spirit. 

What is the work that the Holy Spirit enables us to do, and enabled His disciples to do, that could possibly be considered greater than the works of Christ? If you simply look at the physical miracles the disciples did in the book of Acts -- the apostles healed people and raised the dead, and people even wanted to stand in Peter's shadow to be healed -- those are great works, but greater than Christ's? No, you can't really say that.

But on the Day of Pentecost, when Peter stood up and proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ, what happened? Something that never, ever, ever happened in Christ's ministry while He was alive. 

Three thousand people repented of their sins and came to know Jesus Christ.

How many revivals were there during the life of Christ? Zero! People rejected him wholeheartedly.

Is that because He couldn't cause revival? No. Of course not. It was because it wasn't His purpose. Jesus came to die. He had to be rejected by men. The purpose of Jesus' ministry was not that the whole world would be revived and come to Him while He was on earth. His ministry while He was alive didn't extend beyond that little strip of land we know as Israel. 

But within less than fifty years of Christ's death, the Gospel went out to Europe, and Africa, and the uttermost parts of the world, because Christ left, and sent the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit goes before us and convicts the hearts of mankind, so that when they hear the Gospel, the souls of their hearts are softened, and they come to know Jesus as their savior.

The greatest miracle that can possibly be done is when we who are dead in our sins are made alive in Christ. It is a greater miracle that God has taken my soul, which was once dead in sin, and at enmity with God, and made it alive in Him. That is a greater miracle than if I could call forth the dead. It is a greater miracle that enemies of God can be turned to worshippers of God, than if I could walk on water.

Jesus tells His disciples, take comfort not only in who I am, and take comfort not only in what I do, but take comfort in what I promise you now. Look at verse 13:

Whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

The disciples had practical questions of Jesus: You're leaving! Who is going to provide for us? Who is going to teach us? Who is going to lead us? These people who have been taking care of us and giving us room and board don't care about us. We're a bunch of fishermen. They're putting us up because of you. What happens when you leave?

And Jesus answers, how far away will I be when I leave? I am only as far away from you as a prayer. You're not going to physically see me anymore, but you just have to say "Jesus!" and I'm there. 

Think about the greater context, about all that the disciples had heard from Jesus as they spent those three years with him. Think about Matthew 6.

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  

These are precisely the things the disciples were worried about: the physical, day-to-day realities of life. After Jesus' death, they went back to work. They had to be provided for. But Jesus was saying, I'll be right there. And in verses 13 and 14, He says that anything they ask -- anything -- will be provided for.

There's one qualification, and it's crucial. They have to ask in Jesus' name.

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. 

What does it mean to ask something in Christ's name? Is that just formulaic? Can I just say, Lord, here's my Christmas list? And in Jesus' name, hey, God is now obligated? Here are the things I want, God, and I said "in Jesus' name," so you gotta do it?

Is that what He is saying?

The idea of "name" here includes reputation, person, and every characteristic that is wrapped up in that person. To say "in [someone's] name" is to say everything that they stand for. Everything that they are. To pray something in Jesus' name is to pray it in the very character and nature of God. To say it in the very name of God, according to who He is, according to His character, according to His righteousness, according to His holiness. According to everything that He is and His person, that is what it means to pray "in Jesus' name".

Praying in Jesus' name is praying for only those things which are consistent with His person and His work.

Through the cross, He has made it possible for us to approach God. Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him.

Ephesians 3:20-21 says this:

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. 

Jesus says to His disciples, because I go, all of this is going to be possible.

Because He goes, the Holy Spirit comes, and no matter how far away He seems, He is only a prayer away. This is the comfort Jesus is leaving with His disciples the night before He dies. And we now can take comfort in this ... in who He is, and in what He is doing, and what He has promised. 

But we can't take the promise out of its context. There is only one way to receive that promise of comfort, and it's through the cross. The path to this glory and this kind of comfort was that Christ was going to the cross.

Those of us who believe these things now haven't seen them. We have the blessing of living by faith and not by sight. We are blessed because of this.

But there will be a time when our faith will be sight. :)