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John MacArthur · Citado em PreceptAustin
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MacArthur explains Jesus' command to believe - The disciples needed to have that same kind of faith in Jesus when He was no longer visibly present with them. The Lord was not calling the disciples to believe savingly in Him; they had already done so (Jn 13:10–11). The present tense form of the verb pisteuo (believe) refers instead to an ongoing trust in Him. Though they genuinely believed in Jesus, the disciples’ faith was already beginning to waver. Soon, when He was taken from them and they faced the traumatic events of His betrayal, arrest, trial, and crucifixion, it would reach its lowest ebb.....Though He would no longer be visibly present with the disciples, Christ’s promise, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Heb. 13:5; cf. Gen. 28:15; Deut. 31:6, 8; Josh. 1:5; 1 Sam. 12:22; 1 Chron. 28:20; Ps. 37:25, 28; Isa. 41:10), would still hold true.....The presence of Christ is enough to calm the believing heart in whatever perplexing, troubling situation it finds itself. As the godly Puritan John Owen noted, “A sense of God’s presence in love is sufficient to rebuke all anxiety and fears; and not only so, but to give, in the midst of them, solid consolation and joy” (SEE The Forgiveness of Sin PAGE 16). (SEE John Commentary - Page 99) Matt Carter - The antidote for the virus of anxiety is trust in Jesus. Not emotions, experiences, or others, but Jesus....believe in me. Belief in Jesus will be their anchor in the coming turbulent days. Belief in Jesus will calm the troubled waters that rock their hearts (Exalting Jesus in John) Never let us forget that there are degrees in faith and that there is a great difference between weak faith and strong faith.... Strong, deep faith in Christ is the surest remedy for the troubled heart. Lowell
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MacArthur - This is one of the passages that refers to the rapture of the saints at the end of the age when Christ returns. The features in this description do not describe Christ coming to earth with His saints to establish His kingdom (Rev 19:11-15), but taking believers from earth to live in heaven. Since no judgment on the unsaved is described here, this is not the event of His return in glory and power to destroy the wicked (cf. Mt 13:36-43, 47-50). Rather, this describes His coming to gather His own who are alive and raise the bodies of those who have died to take them all to heaven. This rapture event is also described in 1Co 15:51-54; 1Th 4:13-18. After being raptured, the church will celebrate the marriage supper (Rev 19:7-10), be rewarded (1Co 3:10-15; 4:5; 2Co 5:9, 10), and later return to earth with Christ when He comes again to set up His kingdom (Rev 19:11-20:6). (BORROW MacArthur Study Bible) (See video I did on The Rapture) Warren
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MacArthur - Jesus alone is the way to God (10:7–9; Acts 4:12) because He alone is the truth (John 1:14, 17; 18:37; Rev. 3:7; 19:11) about God and He alone possesses the life of God (SEE The MacArthur Commentary) It is notable that the early church was known as "the Way" (cf. Acts 9:2; 19:9,23; 24:14,22). (What is “the Way” in the Bible?) F. F. Bruce emphasizes that Jesus "is, in fact, the only way by which men and women may come to the Father; there is no other way. If this seems offensively exclusive, let it be borne in mind that the One Who makes this claim is the incarnate Word, the revealer of the Father. If God has no avenue of communication with mankind apart from His Word (incarnate or otherwise), mankind has no avenue of approach to God apart from that same Word, Who became flesh and dwelt among us in order to supply such an avenue of approach. (BORROW The Gospel of John PAGE 290) Rod Mattoon - The Lord Jesus Christ says, “I am the Way.” This statement answers the question, “How can I go to Heaven?” The word “way” is the Greek word hodos. It forms, for example, the word “exodus” which means “the way out.” The word hodos means “a path, road, or journey from one place to another, a course at sea.” Jesus was telling us that HE is THE ONLY WAY to Heaven. There is no other way. If you want to go to God’s Heaven, you will have to go God’s way, not your own way. ....Jesus said, “I am the truth.” In this statement He answers the question, “How can I be sure I’m going to Heaven?” Jesus replies, “I am the truth.” In the Hebrew language the word for truth is emet which means “faithfulness, reliability.” In the Greek language, the language of the New Testament, the word for truth is aletheia. It means “truth distinguished from falsehood; that which is real and genuine opposed to that which is counterfeit and unreal.” The Lord Jesus Christ was the “truth” incarnate. He was the real thing when He stated He was God.....The Lord Jesus Christ is the way, truth, and life. Without the way, there is no going; without the truth there is no knowing, and without the life there is no living. He is the way, the truth, the life. As the Way, He is the path to Heaven; As the Truth He is the principle to live by; As the Life He is the purpose of life. As the Way, He is the route to Glory; As the Truth He is the reality of life; As the Life He is the reward of this life and eternity. As the Way Jesus is the boulevard to Beulah Land; As the Truth Christ is the blueprint for living; As the Life Christ is the blessing and bounty of our existence. All that you need is in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him we have a destination, not destruction; we have reward, not ruin; we have a purpose, not pandemonium; we have clarity, not confusion. Because of the Lord’s saving grace, we will enjoy the glories of Heaven one day and with great joy be able to say, “There is no place like home!” John Hall - Whosoever is not in Him as the Way, is out of the way and lost; whosoever is not in Him as the Truth is in fatal error; whosoever is not in Him as the Life is dead in sins. D A Carson - if Thomas’ question and Jn 14:6a demonstrate that way is the principal theme, it follows that truth and life enjoy a supporting role: Jesus is the way to God, precisely because he is the truth of God (cf. notes on Jn 1:14) and the life of God (cf. notes on Jn 1:4; 3:15; 11:25). Jesus is the truth, because he embodies the supreme revelation of God—he himself ‘narrates’ God (Jn 1:18), says and does exclusively what the Father gives him to say and do (Jn 5:19ff; Jn 8:29), indeed he is properly called ‘God’ (Jn 1:1, 18; Jn 20:28). He is God’s gracious self-disclosure, his ‘Word’, made flesh (Jn 1:14). Jesus is the life (Jn 1:4), the one who has ‘life in himself’ (Jn 5:26), ‘the resurrection and the life’ (Jn 11:25), ‘the true God and eternal life’ (1 Jn. 5:20). Only because he is the truth and the life can Jesus be the way for others to come to God, the way for his disciples to attain the many dwelling-places in the Father’s house (Jn 14:2–3), and therefore the answer to Thomas’ question (Jn 14:5). In this context Jesus does not simply blaze a trail, commanding others to take the way that he himself takes; rather, he is the way. (BORROW The Gospel according to John PAGE 490) Leon
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MacArthur adds that "It was only after Christ's death, resurrection, ascension, and the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost (John 14:17, 26; 15:26; 16:13) that the disciples would finally understand Jesus' deity and relationship to the Father (John 20:28; Acts 2:22ff.; 3:12ff.; 4:8-12; 5:29-32). Because that understanding would certainly come in the future, Jesus spoke of it as if it were a present reality. (SEE MacArthur Commentary) A T
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MacArthur says "The astonishing promise to the one who believes in Christ is that the works that He does, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do. The greater works to which Jesus referred were not greater in power than those He performed, but greater in extent. The disciples would indeed perform miraculous works, as Jesus had (cf. Acts 5:12–16; Heb. 2:3–4). But those physical miracles were not primarily what Jesus had in mind, since the apostles did not do more powerful miracles than He had. When the Lord spoke of His followers performing greater works, He was referring to the extent of the spiritual miracle of salvation. Jesus never preached outside of Palestine, yet His followers would spread the gospel throughout the world. Jesus had only a limited outreach to Gentiles (cf. Mark 7:26ff.), but the disciples (particularly Peter and later Paul) would reach the Gentile world with the gospel. The number of believers in Christ would also grow far beyond the hundreds (Acts 1:15;1 Cor.15:6) that were numbered during His lifetime. The power to perform those greater works would only be available because Jesus was going to the Father. It was only then that He would send the Holy Spirit (John 7:39; cf. 14:16–17, 26; 15:26; 16:13; Acts 1:5) to indwell believers (Rom. 8:9–11) and empower them for ministry (Acts 1:8;1 Cor.12:4–11;cf.Eph.3:20). Christ’s promise to send the Holy Spirit offered further comfort to the disciples. Though Jesus would no longer be visibly present with them, the Spirit would provide them with all the power they needed to extend the work He had begun (cf. Acts 1:8). Lowell Johnson on greater works - Spiritual miracles are greater in importance than physical miracles because physical miracles are temporary. Christians have a greater message to give today. We not only have the O.T., we have the Gospels, the epistles, the book of Acts, and Revelation. The Lord never preached outside of Israel. We have the whole world at our disposal. Christians have been enabled to do greater works because the Holy Spirit works through the believer. On the Day of Pentecost 3,000 were saved. We are also able to do greater works because our Lord is interceding for us. Heb. 7:25 Our work is His work when He initiates the work and when the work is done for His glory. Isn't it just like our sweet, wonderful Lord to encourage and comfort us by saying, “I want you to do greater works than I.”? He Who could create a world could speak a dead man into life; but I think the greatest miracle this world has ever seen was the miracle at Pentecost. D L Moody has a most interesting thought on greater works - I used to stumble over that verse, but the longer I live the more I am convinced it is a greater thing to influence a man whose will is set against God, to have that will broken and brought into subjection to God’s will—or, in other words, it is a greater thing to have power over a living, sinning, God-hating man, than to quicken the dead. He who could create a world could speak a dead man into life; but I think the greatest miracle this world has ever seen was the miracle at Pentecost. The men who surrounded the apostles were full of prejudice, full of malice, full of bitterness, their hands, as it were, dripping with the blood of the Son of God; and yet an unlettered man, a man whom they detested and hated, stood up and preached the gospel, and three thousand of them were immediately convicted and converted, and became disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:41+). David Jeremiah - The Greater Works - It is exciting to me to understand what begins to happen as we pray. It’s not that we pray in order that we might do the work. Take another look at the verse: “And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do.” If you ask anything in His name, He will do it. That is no small distinction! Sometimes Christians get weary because we forget. We think God wants us to do His work for Him. That will make you tired very, very quickly. You can’t do it! I can’t do it! Our legs are too short to run with God! What Jesus is saying is this: When we pray, God is going to do His work through us, and we will be channels for His work. I remember hearing about a preacher who said he could build a great church even if there was no God. I’m not sure that’s a compliment. Sometimes we do commendable, praiseworthy things in the energy of our flesh. But when God begins to do the work through us, it is an entirely different proposition altogether. Incredible things begin to happen. (Sanctuary) Oswald Chambers - Greater works Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work. We think of prayer as a commonsense exercise of our higher powers in order to prepare us for God’s work. In the teaching of Jesus Christ prayer is the working of the miracle of Redemption in me which produces the miracle of Redemption in others by the power of God. The way fruit remains is by prayer, but remember it is prayer based on the agony of Redemption, not on my agony. Only a child gets prayer answered; a wise man does not. Prayer is the battle; it is a matter of indifference where you are. Whichever way God engineers circumstances, the duty is to pray. Never allow the thought—‘I am of no use where I am’; because you certainly can be of no use where you are not. Wherever God has dumped you down in circumstances, pray, ejaculate to Him all the time. “Whatsoever ye ask in My name, that will I do.” We won’t pray unless we get thrills, that is the intensest form of spiritual selfishness. We have to labour along the line of God’s direction, and He says pray. “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.” There is nothing thrilling about a labouring man’s work, but it is the labouring man who makes the conceptions of the genius possible; and it is the labouring saint who makes the conceptions of his Master possible. You labour at prayer and results happen all the time from God’s standpoint. What an astonishment it will be to find, when the veil is lifted, the souls that have been reaped by you, simply because you had been in the habit of taking your orders from Jesus Christ. QUESTION - Is it really possible for Christians to do greater works than Jesus ANSWER - In John 14:12, Jesus makes an amazing statement: “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (emphasis added). Jesus performed many amazing and wonderful works—raising the dead, walking on water, and feeding thousands come to mind—how can it be true that those who have faith in Him will perform “even greater” works than those? Jesus was not saying that every Christian would walk on water and raise the dead In saying that those who believe in Him would do the works that He did, Jesus was not saying that every Christian would walk on water and raise the dead. The apostles in the book of Acts performed some miracles that were similar to Jesus’ works, but even they did not walk on water or feed multitudes, as far as we know. The Holy Spirit gives different gifts to different people as He sees fit (1 Corinthians 12:4). Not everyone has the same set of gifts. Some believers have more public gifts, and others have quieter, more private gifts. this is not a reference to the works’ being greater in power. Jesus said that not only would His followers do the same works, but they would do “greater” works than He. Again, this is not a reference to the works’ being greater in power. Jesus had raised Lazarus, who had been four days in the tomb (John 11); humanly speaking, not even the apostles did a greater work than that. No one has ever exceeded the power or majesty of Jesus’ miracles. So, what did Jesus mean that His faithful followers would do “greater” works than He? So, what did Jesus mean that His faithful followers would do “greater” works than He? Without a doubt, the works of Jesus’ followers would be greater in extent. Jesus’ earthly ministry had been largely limited to Galilee and Judea; His disciples, however, were going to extend His ministry to the uttermost parts of the earth. When Jesus ascended to heaven, His followers numbered in the hundreds; forty days later, in response to the preaching of the apostles, that number leaped into the thousands (Acts 2:41). By the end of Acts, the gospel had made its way to Rome. Jesus links the works of His followers with the fact of His return to heaven. In fact, He says His absence is the cause of their greater works: “Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12, emphasis added). Jesus later told His disciples that the gift of the Holy Spirit depended on Jesus’ return to heaven (John 16:7). It was through the Spirit that the church is enabled to do the work of God. Jesus also links the greater works His followers will do to the promise of answered prayer. His very next words: “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:13–14). The words of Jesus in John 14 were of great comfort to His eleven disciples. He was about to be arrested and suffer a cruel and unjust death. The disciples themselves would be scattered that night. But Jesus assures them that, no matter what happens, God’s work will continue in the world. Even after Jesus’ earthly ministry ended, His work would go on. The followers of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, would continue to help and heal people. The gospel would have a worldwide impact. As God’s people pray in Jesus’ name, answers would come, and the greatest miracle of all—the spiritual transformation of a sinful heart through faith in Christ—would become commonplace, to the glory of God. Walter Kaiser - Hard Sayings page 468 - John 14:12 - What Greater Things? In John 14:12 Jesus says that those who have faith in him will do “greater things than these.” What are these “greater things” that he is talking about? Surely he could not be talking about greater miracles? How can any person do greater things than the Son of God? In the discussion of John 1:51 we saw that Jesus spoke of his miraculous works as “see[ing] heaven open.” He was the gate between God and human beings, so to speak, and through him the powers of heaven were opened to those on earth. He continues this theme in John 5:19–20. What Jesus is saying is that he does not act on his own but participates in the works of his Father. He is indeed a window into heaven, and while his listeners see Jesus in the flesh, the one actually doing the deeds is the Father. With this background we now turn to John 14. The request that began the discussion was “Show us the Father” (Jn 14:9). Jesus’ response was “You have seen the Father in me.” He explains this by noting that the Father was the one actually doing the works. Thus the disciples should believe that he was in the Father and the Father in him because of the works. What are these works? We know that they are not his teachings, for he refers to his words as evidence for believing his teachings. Thus they must be “the miracles” (as the NIV correctly translates), for those are the works which in John are connected with people believing. It is immediately after this that Jesus says that “anyone who has faith in” him will do “greater works” than these. Given the context, the greater things can only be greater miracles. This brings us to the other part of the problem: how can believers do greater miracles than Jesus? (The greater works are not preaching the gospel, for Jesus has distinguished between believing his claims about himself, that is, his preaching, and believing his works, which in context are clearly his miracles; in this text it is greater works than his that people will do, not greater preaching than his.) For Jesus this is no problem. He will be with his Father and he promises to do whatever believers ask. Presumably this is conditioned by their being in harmony with him, for that seems to be the purpose of John 14:15. The next section in the chapter adds to this picture, for it describes the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is viewed as another of the same type as Jesus. He will “be in you” (Jn 14:17). This is amplified as “I will come to you” (Jn 14:18 RSV). Finally, Jesus notes in John 14:23 with reference to his Father, “We will come to him [the one who loves Jesus and keeps his commandments] and make our home with him.” Thus through the Spirit there is a unity produced: “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (Jn 14:20). Thus there is no problem with believers doing the works, for they will not be doing the works on their own at all. Through the Spirit the believer will have God inside of him or her. Just as the Father did the works which people saw Jesus doing, so he (or Jesus or the Spirit—the text refers to all as inside the believer) will do the miracles that the believers will do. This point of view would not be strange to the rest of the New Testament. Acts reports miracles done by the apostles which are fully as impressive as any done by Jesus. Are they greater miracles? We must respond, By what standard? They are at least equal in kind and could be viewed as greater in the sense that they are done over a wider area and thus on a scale that Jesus could not do while on earth but can do as glorified in heaven. Galatians 3:5 refers off-handedly to God’s having worked miracles through the Galatians (the issue there is not whether they worked miracles, but how they did, by faith or by following Jewish practices). First Corinthians 12 refers to a gift of miracles as if it were a known example of spiritual gifts. James 5:14–16 mentions effective prayers for healing in an end-of-the-letter context where one would expect to be reminded of old teaching, not introduced to new. Hebrews 6:4–5 indicates that that community had experienced the “powers of the age to come” (RSV), probably meaning miracles. In other words, wherever we turn in the New Testament, we find a miracle-working community of faith. John 14:12 would not have caused any of them problems. They knew their own limitations, but they also knew what God could do through them. So the deeper difficulty for the modern reader, once they understand that it is God doing the works through them and not their own having to produce the works, is why they may not be experiencing such events. At least part of the response John might make would be to point us to “If you love me you will obey what I command” (Jn 14:15). This is amplified in John 14:21, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.” This is not a legal statement but a relational one: if you are in harmony with me, then you will receive. The fact is that two cannot walk together unless they are agreed. Jesus lived in harmony with the Father, listened to the Father and did his works. The believer lives in harmony with Jesus (which includes obedience), experiences the presence of Jesus and his Father and does their works. Of course, we also remember that one of the works the Father had in store for Jesus was the cross, which is a form of following Christ that this section of John does not leave out (Jn 13:36). There are, then, two further responses to our question: maybe our naturalistic worldview keeps us back from hearing the voice of the Father calling us to do such works as these, and maybe also, having read the whole book, we shrink back from following Jesus to glory because we fear that (to use Johannine terms) our ladder to glory like his may turn out to be a cross. Steven Cole on greater works - does this mean that we should be doing the same and even greater miracles than Jesus did? A “yes” answer to that question was why the late John Wimber founded the Vineyard Christian Fellowship churches. He was convinced that we should be seeing God work miracles today as a common experience. But the fact that Wimber’s good friend, David Watson, died of cancer in his early 50’s in spite of Wimber’s praying in faith that he would be healed; and the fact that Wimber himself died of heart disease in his early 60’s; and the additional fact that none of the Vineyard Churches that I know of are seeing consistent miracles on a par with Christ’s miracles, should give us pause. In the Bible, miracles occur mostly in clusters, mainly at times when God’s message needed to be authenticated. These include the times surrounding the exodus; the times of Elijah and Elisha; Daniel’s time; and the time of Christ and the apostles. In Acts, we see some pretty spectacular miracles, such as Peter’s shadow falling on the sick and healing them and his raising Dorcas from the dead (Acts 3:1-9; 5:12-16; 9:36-41). Acts 5:16 reports, “Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.” Note, they were all being healed. Paul also saw some spectacular healings. Acts 19:11-12 reports, “God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.” But later in his ministry, Paul advises Timothy to drink a little wine for his frequent stomach problems, but not to claim healing by faith (1 Tim. 5:23). In his final letter, Paul reports (2 Tim. 4:20), “Trophimus I left sick at Miletus.” Why didn’t Paul heal him if he was still doing the miraculous works of Jesus? And, although it would have freed him for wider ministry, Paul never claimed deliverance from prison or from execution by faith. The author of Hebrews, writing to the second generation of Jewish believers, reminds them how God testified to the truth of the gospel by performing signs and wonders and miracles through the first generation of believers in Christ (Heb. 2:3-4). He was trying to convince them of the truth of the gospel so that they wouldn’t go back to Judaism. If those early miracles were still commonplace, the author would have had a stronger argument by pointing to the very miracles done every day in their midst. So I conclude that while God at times does spectacular miracles to authenticate His word, we are not living at a time where miracles are as commonplace as they were in the days of the early church. We should never doubt that if it is God’s will, He can miraculously heal or do other miracles through His people. But I do not know of anyone in our day experiencing near the same or greater miracles than Christ did. So the “greater works” that Jesus promised cannot refer to greater miracles than He did. “There is no greater work possible than the conversion of a soul.” -- J C Ryle What, then, are the greater works that Jesus’ followers are to perform? D. A. Carson (The Gospel According to John) argues that the greater works are those done on the basis of Jesus’ death, resurrection, and exaltation. The greater works point to the power of the gospel to transform lives as it spread through the apostolic witness. Through Peter’s preaching on the Day of Pentecost, 3,000 were born again, probably more than Jesus saw converted during His entire ministry! The Book of Acts tells how the message kept spreading, first around Jerusalem, and eventually to the Gentiles around the Roman Empire. J. C. Ryle succinctly observes (John Commentary), “There is no greater work possible than the conversion of a soul.” Thus as the Lord uses us to spread the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection, we are doing the works that He did and even greater works in the sense that the new covenant is better than the old (Heb. 8:6). And our works collectively are greater in number and greater in geographic extent than Jesus did in three years in one small part of the world. I might add that there have been and continue to be times and places where God’s Spirit works in unusual ways to bring thousands of people to Christ in a relatively short period of time. These are called revivals and it is thrilling to read about them. We should pray that God would do a work of revival here and now. But, there are other times and places where in spite of faithful witnesses and much prayer, few have come to Christ. (Doing Greater Works Than Jesus John 14:12-14) Related Resources: John
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MacArthur explains the significance of the addition of "in Jesus' Name" to our prayers - First, it means to make requests consistent with God's will and the purposes of His kingdom. In His model prayer, Jesus taught His followers to pray, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10). Second, it is to acknowledge one's spiritual poverty, lack of self-sufficiency, and utter unworthiness to receive anything from God based on one's own merits (Matt. 5:3). It is to approach God based on the merits of Jesus Christ (cf. John 16:26-28) and to acknowledge one's complete dependence on Him to supply every need (Matt. 6:25-32; Phil. 4:19). Finally it is to express a sincere desire that God would be glorified in His answer. It is to align one's requests with the Father's supreme goal of glorifying the Son. When believers pray in this way they pray in keeping with Jesus' name—His person, His purposes, and His preeminence. (See John Commentary) Lowell
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MacArthur - WHY GOD ANSWERS PRAYER Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do,that the Father may be glorified in the Son. JOHN 14:13 Why does God answer prayer? The last part of today’s verse gives the answer: He answers prayer for His sake as well as ours. He does it to put Himself on display. Understanding this concept increases our confidence in prayer: we can know God will answer because it is an opportunity for Him to receive glory. We will grow spiritually as we interact with God through prayer and see His power on display. The context of John 14:13 shows that the disciples were greatly distressed because Jesus told them He would be leaving. The disciples had relied on Jesus for so long that they feared being without Him. He had provided all their resources. He was their beloved friend and their spiritual, theological, and economic resource. He was their future as well as their present. They panicked at the thought of His leaving, but He left them and us the promise of John 14:13—whatever we need and ask for in His name, He will do. (SEE Truth for Today: A Daily Touch of God's Grace - Page 66) QUESTION - What does it mean to pray in Jesus' name? WATCH THE VIDEO ANSWER - Prayer in Jesus’ name is taught in John 14:13-14, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” Some misapply this verse, thinking that saying “in Jesus’ name” at the end of a prayer results in God’s always granting what is asked for. This is essentially treating the words “in Jesus’ name” as a magic formula. This is absolutely unbiblical. Praying in Jesus’ name means praying with His authority and asking God the Father to act upon our prayers because we come in the name of His Son, Jesus. Praying in Jesus’ name means the same thing as praying according to the will of God, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15). Praying in Jesus’ name is praying for things that will honor and glorify Jesus. Saying “in Jesus’ name” at the end of a prayer is not a magic formula. If what we ask for or say in prayer is not for God’s glory and according to His will, saying “in Jesus’ name” is meaningless. Genuinely praying in Jesus’ name and for His glory is what is important, not attaching certain words to the end of a prayer. It is not the words in the prayer that matter, but the purpose behind the prayer. Praying for things that are in agreement with God’s will is the essence of praying in Jesus’ name.GotQuestions.org Related Resource: What does it mean to do something in Jesus' name? Julie’s Prayer Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. —John 14:13 Today's Scripture : John 14:12-14 In 2008, the Day of Discovery film crew traveled to China on a special assignment—to retrace the life of missionary Eric Liddell, the 1924 Olympic gold medalist whose story was told in the movie Chariots of Fire. The crew took with them Eric’s three daughters, Patricia, Heather, and Maureen—allowing them to revisit some of the places where the two older sisters had lived in China. Also along on the trip was their elderly Aunt Louise. On one occasion, after the entourage had arrived in Beijing, they had to walk quite a distance with their luggage. As they did, Aunt Louise grew short of breath. Julie Richardson, a Day of Discovery crew member, sat down beside her, put her hand on her knee, and prayed simply, “Dear Jesus, help Aunt Louise to breathe.” Immediately, she began to catch her breath. Later, Heather retold the story and shared that Julie’s prayer had rekindled her faith. Julie’s simple act of faith reminded Heather of the continual connection we have with Jesus—a reality she had set aside in her life. God answers prayer, it is His sovereign way To freely give His blessings day by day; One earnest plea and lo! from heaven’s throne The answer comes, for God has heard His own. —Anon. God delights in the earnest prayers of His people. John 14:14 “If you ask Me anything in My Name, I will do it. Related Passages: Matthew 28:19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Acts 3:6 But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene–walk!” JESUS DIRECTS THIS PRAYER TO HIMSELF If you ask (aiteo) Me anything in My Name, I will do it - IF is a third class conditional sentence which speaks of potential action. Jesus essentially repeats what He stated in John 14:13 except that in this passage Jesus actually directs the prayer to Himself. These two passages can easily be misinterpreted and/or abused. Jesus is not giving "carte blanche" to His disciples in the upper room or to His disciples in the following millennia. In other words the words "in the Name of Jesus Christ" is not like a genie in a bottle which guarantees one will receive what they ask for. Clearly the asking must be done in the Spirit, praying according to God's will and seeking His glory. God always answers prayer, but it is according to His sovereign pleasure and the answer may be yes, no or wait. Sometimes "no" is the best answer we can receive because God is omniscient and He Alone knows what is best for us. A T
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MacArthur - Loving Obedience If I could simplify the Christian life to one thing, it would be obedience. I don’t mean just external obedience but a spirit of obedience. It’s not like the little girl who defiantly continued to stand up after her father had told her many times to sit down. Finally her father said, “Sit down, or I’ll spank you.” She sat down but looked up and said, “I’m sitting down, but I’m standing up in my heart!” That’s obeying outwardly but disobeying in the heart. A Christian should be willing to obey. One evidence of spiritual maturity is loving God enough to obey Him even when it is difficult. God is glorified when we willingly obey Him no matter what the cost. Each time we obey, we grow spiritually, and each time we disobey, we retard our growth. (SEE Truth for Today: A Daily Touch of God's Grace - Page 65) SINGING SET FREE He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. John 14:21 As Pastor A. J. Gordon walked to his Boston church one day, he saw a young boy carrying some birds in a cage. "Where did you get those birds?" asked Gordon. "Trapped them in the field," the boy replied. "What are you going to do with them?" Gordon asked. "Oh, I'm going to play with them for a while and then I'll feed them to the old cat at home," the boy answered. "They're just field birds and can't sing very well." The preacher responded, "I'll give you two dollars for the cage and the birds." "It's a deal," the boy answered, "but you're making a bad bargain." Gordon carried the cage behind his church and released the birds, which flew away—free and singing. The next Sunday, Gordon had the cage on the pulpit as he told the story. "When I released them," he told his congregation, "they went singing away into the blue and it seems they were singing, `Redeemed, redeemed.' " To HAVE A SAVED SOUL IS TO HAVE A SONG IN YOUR HEART James Smith - Handfuls of Purpose - LOVE’S REWARD John 14:21–24 The words of the Lord Jesus Christ are as fathomless as His unsearchable nature. “God is Love,” Christ is the perfect manifestation of that love. “He that loveth Me,” He says, “shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him.” In these words we have the promise and condition of the greatest spiritual inheritance that God in Christ can bestow upon a human soul. I. The Promise. “I will manifest Myself to him.” The revelation of Himself is the redeemed soul’s greatest solace. The purpose of the Holy Spirit in us is to take the things of Christ and show them to us. The quickened spirit of man must seek and yearn for God. “My soul thirsteth for God,” said the Psalmist. What Christ has done meets all the needs of a sinner; what Christ is meets all the needs of a servant. Philip may have been ignorant, but he was surely honest when he said: “Shew us the Father and it sufficeth us” (v. 8). Let me see and know the true God and then I shall be satisfied. He had not yet understood that to see Jesus Christ was to see the Father (v. 9). This is the true God and eternal life. To meet this deep spiritual need in Philip, Christ manifested Himself to him. What a revelation this must have been to Philip. See how our Lord answered the somewhat similar question of Judas (not Iscariot): “How wilt Thou manifest Thyself unto us and not unto the world?” (v. 22). The Lord’s answer to this most important question is pregnant with vital teaching. He will manifest Himself in the Spirit of the Father to the man that loves Him by “coming unto him and making His—or Their—abode with him” (v. 23). This manifestation is not outward, or external; it is the coming of the Divine life and character in fresh and fuller power into the inner man. The indwelling presence of God is the most central, the most solemn and influential reality with which the Christian has to do. The craving of a pure heart is to see God. In times of sorrow, loneliness, weariness, fruitlessness, and failure, our real need is expressed in one word: “Himself.” We cannot possibly make too much of this fact and privilege of grace, that Christ eagerly desires to manifest HIMSELF as the Healer of all diseases, the Source of all fruitfulness, and the Victor in every fight. Whenever and wherever He manifests Himself, results worthy of Himself will be accomplished. When He showed Himself after His passion it was “by many infallible proofs.” Although the two men on the way to Emmaus knew Him not when He appeared, yet did He make their “hearts burn within them while He talked to them.” When He manifested Himself to Mary, there followed confession and commission (John 20:16, 17). When He manifested Himself to His unbelieving disciples, He first rebuked them (Mark 16:14), then when He had showed them His hands and His feet they were glad, and He breathed on them, saying, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (John 20:20–22). The result of His appearing to doubting Thomas was confession and worship (John 20:26–28). His appearing to the disciples by the sea shore turned their failure into great success (John 21). Three times did the Lord manifest Himself to the Apostle Paul for the purpose of encouraging him in His service (Acts 23:11; 18:9, 10; 27:23, 24). To the suffering and dying Stephen He revealed Himself as the glorified One (Acts 7:55). In the light of all this let us seek to grasp the significance and preciousness of this promise: “He that loveth Me … I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.” The manifestation of Himself to us is His infinitely gracious way of meeting and satisfying our every need. But how will He manifest Himself unto us and not unto the world? This brings us to the second point, namely— II. The Condition. “He that loveth Me.” This promise of Christ is for ever true, and this simple condition is for ever availing. Christ will manifest Himself to those who love Him. It is possible to be wise and scholarly, faithful and enthusiastic, and yet destitute of that deep joy and satisfaction which comes through the manifestation of Himself to the loving heart. Thank God, this greatest of all blessings is not promised to the learned, or the laborious, but to the loving. “Lovest thou Me?” was our Lord’s pressing question after manifesting Himself to His disciples by the sea of Galilee. The heart must become very sensitive that would receive and retain the image of the Son of God as revealed by the Holy Spirit. It is love, not knowledge, that creates capacity for Christ. Intense loving is more pleasing to Him than deep thinking. He who loves the Lord with all his heart will live in the continual vision of His comforting presence and matchless glory. The condition is love; but the proof of love is the “keeping of His words”—or teaching. “He that hath My words and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me … If a man love Me, he will keep My words … He that loveth Me not keepeth not My words” (vv. 23, 24). John, in his first epistle, restates this truth very plainly: “Whoso keepeth His word (teaching), in him surely is the love of God perfected” (2:5). The soul in which that love is perfected will be honoured with the apocalypse (unveiling) of Jesus Christ. It was to John, the most loving of His disciples, that the book of “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” was given (Rev. 1:1). The love of God can only be perfected in that heart where love answers to love. It is impossible to keep His words and to grow under His teaching, as He desires we should, unless there is in us a growing love and devotion to Christ’s person and work. In these days of intellectual and moral activity, let us be diligent to keep our hearts right with God, otherwise there will be no manifestation of HIMSELF as the sum of all power, and blessing, and success. Rod Mattoon - He puts a premium on obedience. In the history of Greece, when the Greeks worshiped images of their gods, it was said that when spiders stretched their webs across the eyelids of the image of Jupiter, the people were regular in their attendance to worship. They liked to feel that the spiders’ webs were preventing Jupiter from seeing their sins, and in their poor, feeble way were, no doubt, grateful to the insects for covering the eyes of a god, who, they thought, would punish them for their sins if he could see their ways. Unfortunately, some Christians have this same attitude toward the Lord. Like strong-willed children, they do what they can to disobey Him or His Word and hope they won’t get caught. Their attitude is “How far can I go?” Such an attitude reveals their lack of love and commitment for Him based upon what the Lord told us about obedience. Does this describe you? Bible Insights Concerning Obedience to the Lord 1. Success is the result of obedience. Joshua 1:8 2. It is Superior to our sacrifices. 1 Samuel 15:22 3. It Secures our entrance into God’s kingdom. Matthew 7:21 4. It is to be a Significant priority of our life. Acts 5:29 5. Sweet blessings are received from the Lord. James 1:25 There will be three effects of nearness to Jesus— humility, happiness, and holiness
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MacArthur - As with every blessing in the Christian life, peace comes from all three persons of the Trinity. The oft-repeated salutation in the New Testament Epistles, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:3; 2 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3; Eph. 1:2; Phil. 1:2; Col. 1:2; 2 Thess. 1:2; cf. Eph. 6:23; 1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2; Titus 1:4; Philem. 3; 2 John 3) indicates that God the Father and Jesus Christ are the source of peace. It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to impart that peace to believers (Gal. 5:22). Like the rest of the legacy Jesus left the disciples, the peace He promised to give them would come in fullness on the day of Pentecost. (See John Commentary) Do not let your heart be troubled (tarasso)(present imperative with a negative see need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) - This is the identical command Jesus gave the disciples in John 14:1. Clearly, in His omniscience, He knows that they needed to hear this a second time and trouble was just around the corner for Judas would soon bring Jesus' enemies to seize Him. Nor let it be fearful (present imperative with a negative see need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) - This is the only time in these last words to the 11 that Jesus commands them to stop fearing (or don't let it begin). I rest beneath the Almighty's shade, My griefs expire, my troubles cease; Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed, Wilt keep me still in perfect peace. -- Charles Wesley Peace (1515) eirene from verb eiro = to join or bind together that which has been separated) literally pictures the binding or joining together again of that which had been separated or divided and thus setting at one again, a meaning convey by the common expression of one “having it all together”. It follows that peace is the opposite of division or dissension. Peace as a state of concord and harmony is the opposite of war. Peace was used as a greeting or farewell corresponding to the Hebrew word shalom - "peace to you". Eirene can convey the sense of an inner rest, well being and harmony. The ultimate peace is the state of reconciliation with God, effected by placing one's faith in the gospel. In eschatology, peace is prophesied to be an essential characteristic of the Messianic kingdom (Acts 10:36). Peace is a condition of freedom from disturbance, whether outwardly, as of a nation from war or enemies or inwardly, as in the current context, within the soul. Peace implies health, well-being, and prosperity. Eirene in John - Jn. 14:27; Jn. 16:33; Jn. 20:19; Jn. 20:21; Jn. 20:26; See 6 page discussion of eirene in The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, p776 ILLUSTRATION - One of the best illustrations of BIBLICAL PEACE I have ever encountered is from missionary Jim Walton who was translating the New Testament for the Muinane people of La Sabana in the jungles of Colombia. However, Jim was having trouble translating the word PEACE. About this same time (don’t you love the PROVIDENCE of God!), Fernando, the village chief, was promised a 20-minute plane ride to a location that would have taken him 3 days to travel by walking. The plane was delayed in arriving at La Sabana, so Fernando departed on foot. When the plane finally came, a runner took off to bring Fernando back. But by the time he had returned, the plane had left. Fernando was furious (loss of peace) because of the mix-up. He went to Jim and launched into an angry tirade. Fortunately, Walton taped the chief’s diatribe and later when he translated it, he discovered that the chief kept repeating the phrase, “I don’t have ONE HEART.” Jim asked other villagers what having “ONE HEART” meant, and he found that it was like saying, “There is nothing between you and the other person.” Walton realized that God had just given him the picture he needed to translate the word PEACE into their language! To have peace with God means that there is nothing–no sin, no guilt, no condemnation–that separates us from God, PEACE possible only through Christ, Paul writing “having been justified (declared eternally in right standing before God) by faith, we have PEACE WITH GOD through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ro 5:1+). Do you have “ONE HEART” with God today? Outside of Christ there is no peace. Only those in Christ know peace! Peace - Borrow - The Experience - Henry Blackaby “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 Most of us aren’t looking for fame, fortune, or power. We just want to be happy. But somehow, circumstances keep getting in the way! Just when we think we’ve got it together, another problem hits us. Lots of things can send your life into turmoil. You’re caught in the middle of your parents’ divorce. Someone you love dies. You’re overloaded: too much to do in too little time. A friend rejects you. You’re the victim of a crime. Your health fails. How can you have peace when people and situations keep conspiring against you? The world offers lots of ways to cope. Bookstores overflow with advice on how to find happiness. Drugs and liquor promise to numb the pain. Money promises to buy your way out of troubles. Movies tell you what you need is a good romance. Some religions direct you to seek tranquillity within yourself. You can try every solution the world offers, and you still won’t have peace. Peace doesn’t come from the world, nor does it come from within yourself. Peace comes from God. God wants to give you the same peace he gave Jesus—a peace that carried him through the worst torment the world could dish out. Even while Jesus was being tortured and ridiculed on an excruciating cross, he had peace. God’s peace goes deep down into your soul where nothing and no one can touch it. If you’re looking for real peace, go to Jesus. He wants to give you peace that can never be taken away. C H