Letters to the Prison - Week 162

Hello, everyone!  We’re continuing our study of John.  If you need a Bible, ask for one!  Last week, we saw Jesus making some very clear statements about who he is, what he is doing, and what our responsibilities are.  We also saw that the disciples just didn’t seem to get it.  After hearing Jesus’ claim to be God with all his attending power and authority, Philip nevertheless says:

• “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”  -John 14:8

Look how Jesus responds:

• 9 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’? 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 authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

This is about as plain as it can be.  God the Father dwells in Jesus.  If you’ve seen Jesus, you’ve seen God.  Jesus speaks perfectly according to the will of God because he and God are one.  Further, Jesus acts perfectly in accordance with the will of God for the same reason.  So, if we have a tough time believing Jesus’ words, we should believe because of his works…works that restore sight to the blind… heal the lame… feed thousands… raise the dead…

Belief in Jesus is the key.  In the first verse of this chapter, we see that belief is the key to Encouragement through terrible trials.  Belief is also the key to Empowerment.  Look what Jesus says next:

• “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. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.-John 14:12-14

In his 22nd “truly, truly” statement, Jesus lays out a stunning reality about those who believe in him:  Believers are Empowered to do great works.  We’re going to sit with this idea for a little while since it is, on the one hand, so profound.  On the other hand, we could misunderstand Jesus’ meaning very easily, so we also need to sit with these verses in order to understand precisely what he means.  To begin, what are the “works” Jesus is talking about?  And how will they be “greater?”  Certainly, Jesus did some shocking and amazing things during his ministry.  The disciples would, too.  Acts 9:32-42 and Acts 20:7-10 provide just a couple of glimpses of the Apostles doing precisely the same works Jesus did.  Note two things, though:  First, when Peter heals Aeneas, he says “Jesus Christ heals you” (Acts 9:34).  That’s an example of a believer doing a great work in the name of Jesus.  Second, note that the end result of these works is belief in God.  After the healing of Aeneas, “the residents saw… and they turned to the Lord” (Acts 9:35).  Again, after Peter raises Dorcas from the dead, “many believed in the Lord” (Acts 9:42).  We will continue to examine this next week.  We love you!

Dean A.