This week we are
looking at a section of this letter that has been preserved and recorded for us
in the New Testament of the Bible, called the book of John. Yesterday we looked
on as John explained that followers of Jesus will be able to arrive at a
knowledge that they living in true community and connection with Jesus as a
result of a lifestyle that loved
as Jesus loved and that was in line with the message and teaching of Jesus as an ongoing
reality in their life.
John then explained that the center and seat of a person’s emotions and
desires will move from the place of conviction and condemnation to the place of
ease and rest when confronted with the evidence of a genuine and authentic
connection with Jesus that is produced by a lifestyle that loves like Jesus
loved. John wanted the members of the church at
Ephesus to clearly understand that when the center and seat of a person’s
emotions and desires moves from the place of conviction and condemnation to the
place of ease and rest when confronted with the evidence of a genuine and
authentic relationship and connection with Jesus that produces a lifestyle that
loves like Jesus loved, the result is confidence before God.
And that confidence, that boldness, John explained results
in the reality that whatever we ask we receive from Him. John’s point is that
the reality of a genuine and authentic relationship and connection with Jesus
will produce a confidence and boldness to approach God in prayer, believing
that we will receive what we ask for in prayer. John then provides the reason
why followers of Jesus can have such boldness and confidence to approach God in
prayer, believing that we will receive what we ask for in prayer: because we
keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
John the explained that the reason why followers of
Jesus can have boldness and confidence to approach God in prayer, believing
that we will receive what we ask for in prayer, is due to the fact that we are
living in genuine and authentic relationship and connection with Jesus that is
evidenced by our obedience to the commands of Jesus and by a desire to live a
life that is pleasing Jesus and that makes much of Jesus.
John here is pointing followers of Jesus throughout
history to the very message that he received firsthand from Jesus in an event
from history that is recorded for us in the account of Jesus life that he
wrote. So let’s look at that message
together, which is found in John 14:12-14:
"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. "Whatever you ask in My
name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. "If you ask Me anything in My name, I
will do it.
Here we see Jesus, as part of His final conversation
with His closest followers before His arrest, reveal two amazing truths. First,
Jesus explained that those who place their confident trust in the claims of
Christ and the message of the gospel will accomplish more to advance God’s
kingdom here on earth than Jesus did while here on earth. Now a natural
question that arises here is “how can that be?”
Jesus point here is that His followers would have a
greater impact in terms of the extent and effect to advance His kingdom here on
earth. Think of it this way. At the time of Jesus death, how many followers of
Jesus were there on earth? In the book of Acts we read that there were 120
followers of Jesus huddled in hiding in Jerusalem after His death. How many
churches were there at the time of Jesus death? None.
You see, as a result of Jesus going to God the
Father in Heaven, the church was born and followers of Jesus were equipped and
empowered to advance His kingdom to a greater extent that Jesus did during His
time on earth. Just as Jesus was the vehicle that God used to reveal Himself to
the world, followers of Jesus would be the vehicle that He would use to reveal
Himself around the world.
Second, Jesus explained that whatever you ask in My
name, that I will do. Unfortunately, some in the prosperity gospel movement
take this verse to advocate a “name it and claim it mentality” when it comes to
prayer. In other words, if I just have enough faith, I can ask God for anything
and He will give it to me. The problem with that view however, is that Jesus is
not saying that here.
Notice what Jesus says here: "Whatever you ask
in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
Now the word glorified means to cause to have splendid greatness. In other
words, to glorify is to make much of someone in a way that makes one great.
Jesus point is that God will respond to the prayer that is focused on
accomplishing the mission of God in a way that advances God’s kingdom and makes
much of God. God enters into the prayer that asks for the ability to accomplish
God’s kingdom mission in a way the reveals and reflects the attitude and
actions of Jesus.
Jesus is encouraging the disciples to understand
that just because He is leaving, that does not mean that the message and
mission is changing. Just as Jesus was the vehicle that God used to reveal
Himself to the world, followers of Jesus would be the vehicle that He would use
to reveal Himself around the world.
John here is pointing followers of Jesus throughout
history to the very message that he received firsthand from Jesus to reinforce
Jesus own words that His followers could have the boldness and confidence to
approach Him in prayer as a result of the reality of their relationship and connection
with Jesus that was evidenced by a lifestyle that was marked by obedience to
the commands of Jesus and that desired to please Jesus and make much of Jesus.
And in case there was any question when it came to
what commandments John was referring to, we see John remove any doubt in what
he says next. Friday we will look at what John has to say next...
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