Comfort for Troubled Hearts

John 14:7-14

INTRODUCTION

John 14:7-14 describes an important moment in the life of any follower of Jesus Christ. In those verses are some of the most amazing things Jesus ever said. Christ's claim to be God is staggering, and His statement that we will do greater things than He did is also incredible. Even more monumental is His concluding statement that whatever we ask in His name, He will do it. So John 14:7-14 not only declares who Jesus is, but also states what Jesus will do through those who belong to Him.

We will never comprehend the fullness of what John 14:7-14 says until we have perfect knowledge in heaven. But we will try to learn as much as we can from those verses. Before we do so, let me give you some background information and set the scene.

The events in John 14 took place on the night before Christ's crucifixion. Many things transpired in the course of His three-year ministry, and now He was about to die. On that last evening Jesus gave His last address to eleven of His disciples. Judas was dismissed in John 13 to carry out his betrayal. The Lord's last hours with the disciples were crucial because He had to prepare them for the traumatic shock they would soon experience when He died. He taught them, showed His love for them, and gave them commands and promises. He shared His final words with them.

LessonJohn 14 is the comfort chapter of the New Testament. We've already seen how Jesus comforted the disciples in the first six verses by telling them He would come back for them. He explained He was leaving them so He could prepare a place for them. Then in verses 7-14 the Lord continues to comfort the disciples by giving them three great revelations: the revelation of His Person, the revelation of His power, and the revelation of His promise. Although Jesus had already stated different aspects of those revelations to the disciples in the past, they took on a new meaning because He was soon to leave them.

I. THE REVELATION OF CHRIST'S PERSON (vv. 7-11)

Christ found it necessary to reaffirm who He was because the disciples were trying to figure out how He could be the Messiah if He had to die. They were wondering why He couldn't defend Himself not only against a hostile world, but against one disciple who would deny Him and another who would betray Him. Christ knew what the disciples were thinking, so He reveals His Person to them in a new way. What did Jesus reveal about Himself? He revealed that He was God.

An Indisputable, Unavoidable Claim

Christ's claim to be God has been debated throughout history. Everyone who studies about Christ encounters His claim to be deity. Some people conclude that Jesus is a madman who had delusions of grandeur. Others conclude He was a fraud, and some say He was simply a good teacher. (That third option isn't possible because a good teacher wouldn't claim to be God.) And finally, there are some who say that Christ indeed is God. But the issue is this: Is Christ God or not? Jesus said in John 14 that He was nothing less than God.

How could that information comfort the disciples? In John 14:4, Jesus told the disciples He was going away, and that they knew the way to where He was going. What did He mean by that? The disciples knew that Jesus had come from the Father; He had told them that all along. That's why He could say they knew the way to where He was going. But the disciples were probably scratching their heads in confusion, and Thomas said, "Lord, we know not where thou goest; and how can we know the way?" (v. 5). Jesus responded, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (v. 6).

The disciples were still confused. They were probably thinking, "What does God look like, and how do we get to Him? How does a person find his way to the Father after he dies? We don't know where He is or what He looks like." Jesus said He was going to the Father and that He would take them to the Father later on (John 14:2-3). But the disciples weren't so sure; their faith wasn't strong. So in their confusion about the Father, Jesus told them, "Don't be confused about the Father. If you know Me, you know the Father because I am God."

Jesus reassured the disciples by telling them He was one with the Father. In John 1:14 we read, "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father)." Jesus Christ is God. With that in mind, let's look at the dialogue from verse 7 on.

A. The Reaffirmation (v. 7)

1. Pointing out a lack of understanding (v. 7a)

"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also."

Jesus was telling the disciples, "If you really knew Me, you wouldn't be worried about who the Father is." The disciples didn't have full knowledge of who Jesus was. However, they had confessed that He was the Messiah, the anointed of God. Peter said that Jesus was "the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16:16), recognizing His deity. But Peter did not come to that conclusion on his own; Jesus said that truth was revealed to Peter by the Father (Matt. 16:17).

Even though the disciples had a basic knowledge of Jesus, their knowledge was limited. That's why Jesus said that if they really knew Him, they would know the Father also. If the disciples were so unsure about the Father, it was because there were loopholes in their knowledge about Christ. If they fully knew Jesus, they would have fully known God. They would have not been worried when Jesus said He was going to the Father to prepare a place for them. They wouldn't have worried about getting the directions to reach the Father. The disciples' anxiety resulted from their failing to see Jesus fully as God. That's why they had their fears and doubts.

Jesus was making a substantial claim in John 14:7. In verse 6 He said He was the way to God, the truth about God, and the very life of God. Now He says He is God. Keep in mind that He isn't a manifestation of God; He is God in the flesh. The Sabellian heresy taught that Jesus was just a manifestation of God--that He merely possessed the essence of God and wasn't really the eternal God Himself. But He is God manifest--there's a big difference between the two. So Christ told the disciples that He is God, and made that more evident in the following verses. The disciples knew Jesus cared for them, and He wanted them to know that God would carry out His love and protection because He and God are one. They didn't need to worry about how to get to God or wonder about the Father, because if they knew Jesus, they also knew the Father.

2. Promising a full understanding (v. 7b)

"From henceforth ye know him, and have seen him."

That's a difficult statement to interpret. It has two possible explanations. I'll give you both, and tell you which one I believe is better.

Jesus said, "From now on [that's what henceforth means], you know the Father." Earlier in verse 7 He said, "You don't really know Me, so you don't really know the Father." So it seems to make sense that He would next say, "But from now on, you will know Him." The problem is, when does the time "from now on" begin?

a) The argument for immediate understanding

The first possible interpretation is that the disciples would know the Father beginning immediately. That would render Jesus' statement to say, "Men, from this moment on, you will know the Father. I have just said if you knew Me you would know Him. From now on, you will know Him and have everything straight."

There is a problem with that interpretation. Jesus had told them about the Father before without them fully understanding. Why would they necessarily have full understanding here? In fact, they didn't, because in the very next verse Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us" (John 14:8). He was saying, "If you show us God, that will help us." He still didn't know who Jesus really was. I don't believe the fulfillment of John 14:7b took place at that time, because the disciples were still confused in verse 8.

b) The argument for eventual understanding

The other interpretation involves a close look at the grammar of the Greek text. The Greeks often used tenses that we would consider incorrect in the English language. Sometimes they used the present tense and the past tense to refer to the future. Sometimes when they spoke about future events that were certain to happen, they spoke of them as if they had already taken place. I believe that's what Jesus was doing in John 14:7. He was referring to a time in the future when the disciples would begin to understand the truths concerning Himself. Their eventual understanding was so certain to Him, He could speak of it in the past tense. And during the events of Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit, they understood clearly. Some of the disciples were convinced after the resurrection. When Thomas saw Jesus after the resurrection he said, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). Yet Thomas didn't understand before the resurrection. At first he didn't even believe Jesus arose. Basically it wasn't until the events that led up to the day of the Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit came to dwell in them permanently, that the disciples had full understanding.

So, Jesus promised the disciples they would understand about Him and the Father. The Holy Spirit would particularly help them with that understanding. As we learned in the previous lesson, the Holy Spirit's ministry is to point to Christ and declare who He is. The Spirit did that in the apostles' lives, even as He does in our lives today.

B. The Request (v. 8)

"Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us."

As I said earlier, verse 7 could not have been immediately fulfilled or Philip wouldn't have asked that question. It was a shallow question asked out of ignorance. Philip had heard what Jesus said, but he still didn't understand what Jesus meant. His knowledge of both Christ and God was incomplete. He did what many other people in history have done: He asked for a visible manifestation. That brings up the matter of faith and sight again. It wasn't enough for Philip to believe; he wanted to see the Father.

Perhaps Philip had in mind Exodus 33:22-23, when Moses saw the tail end of God's glory from a cleft in a rock. Or maybe he thought about when Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel "saw the God of Israel ... as it were the body of heaven in its clearness" (Exo. 24:10). Philip may have recalled Isaiah 40:5, which says, "The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." But in John 14:8, Philip showed he was a faithless disciple who wanted sight to substitute for faith. He wanted Jesus to back up what He was saying with full visible proof.

Philip was basically saying, "If You are leaving, and things are going to become bad for us, then couldn't You show us the Father so that we know You're not kidding us? How can we be sure You're really going to the Father's house to prepare us a place, and that You're going to come get us? Can't the Father come and confirm all those things?" Philip's statement shows his lack of faith. His belief that Jesus was God and his security was dependent on sight.

The other disciples also showed their lack of trust in Christ. In Acts 1:10-11, when they stared as the Lord ascended all the way up into heaven, two angels asked them, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?" (v. 11). I sometimes wonder if when they were watching Christ ascend, they were hoping to see how to go to the Father. They may have been afraid that once Jesus was gone, they would be deserted without any way of getting to the Father. Philip tried to clear up his fear by asking Jesus to show the Father to the disciples. The sight of God would be like a pledge that the future Jesus promised them really did await them. Yet depending on sight is typical of one who has little faith.

C. The Response (vv. 9-11)

1. The confrontation about Christ's deity (v. 9a)

"Jesus saith unto him, Have I been such a long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?"

What a statement! I believe Jesus was rebuking Philip as well as displaying deep emotion. Can you imagine how heartbroken Jesus was when after three years of intensive teaching, one disciple turned out to be a traitor, another a swearing denier, and the other ten were men of little faith? How discouraged He must have been! Yet here they were, the night before His death, and they still didn't know who He was. It's sad to realize that after all the repeated displays of Christ's deity, the disciples still didn't get the message. And it wasn't easy for Jesus to make those men disciples; they had been difficult to work with all along. Don't feel bad if you become discouraged about someone you disciple. Jesus experienced such discouragement.

2. The claim regarding Christ's deity (v. 9b)

"He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?"

Jesus could have said that only if He really were God; otherwise He could be labeled a lunatic. Jesus was telling Philip, "Here you are looking Me in the face, and asking Me to show you God. Open your eyes; you've been looking at Him for three years!" The writer of Hebrews said that Jesus is the express image of God's Person (Heb. 1:3). The apostle Paul said in Colossians 1:15 that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. In Colossians 2:9 he said that in Christ "dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." It must have been painful for Jesus to hear that the disciples still didn't know who He was, even after pouring His life into them for three years!

Discipleship can be heartbreaking. I can think of people who I had the privilege of leading to Christ and discipling for one, two, or even three years; yet there is little or nothing to show for it. That will happen sometimes, and it is tragic. Do you know what Jesus did when He was faced with that? He did all He could for the disciples, then turned everything over to the Holy Spirit (John 16:7). That's a good principle to remember in discipleship. You work with someone as long as you can, and move on.

3. The command regarding Christ's deity (v. 10a)

"Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?"

When Philip said, "Show us the Father," Jesus responded by simply saying, "Believe." He didn't do any special tricks or display the Father. In verse 11, again He said to believe in Him. Philip asked for visual evidence, and Jesus told him to have faith. That's what Christianity is all about: believing.

I have never seen Jesus (the disciples did). I have never heard voices from heaven. I have never seen a dead person rise again. I have never seen God with my own eyes, yet there is nothing I know any surer than that God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are real. My spiritual eyes perceive things my physical eyes could never see. Christianity is all about believing, not seeing. It does not deal strictly with visible miracles and strange phenomena. I don't want visions and ecstatic events to confirm God for me; I just want what the disciples asked of the Lord in Luke 17:5: "Increase our faith." It's by faith that we perceive God. Jesus operates on faith, and the Bible is a book on faith.

After three years with Jesus, Philip--and perhaps the other disciples--didn't have sufficient faith to settle their troubled hearts just by believing. They had to have a visible sign. No wonder Jesus often referred to them as men of little faith! What exactly is faith? Someone once defined it as believing in something you know isn't so. But in reality, faith is the opposite: It is believing in something that you know is so. Faith has evidence. In the latter part of John 14:10, Jesus gave Philip the evidence for faith.

4. The confirmation of Christ's deity (vv. 10b-11)

a) Through His words (v. 10b)

"The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself."

Jesus was saying, "Philip, have you listened to what I have said to you for the last three years?" What exactly did Jesus say? Here is a sampling from Scripture:

(1) John 3:34

John the Baptist said of Jesus, "He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God; for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him." The things Jesus said were right from the mouth of God.

(2) John 12:49

Jesus said, "I have not spoken of myself; but the Father, who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak."

(3) Matthew 7:28-29

Here we find a great illustration of the power of the words of Jesus: "It came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine; for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."

The words of Jesus ought to be enough to penetrate the mind and heart of any man and elicit faith. His profession to be the great I Am of Exodus 3:14 (John 8:58), His teachings, and His innate knowledge of the human heart should be enough to make people place their faith in Him as the true God. He answered questions before people were able to ask them. The faith of Christians is based on the words of Jesus.

b) Through His works (vv. 10c-11)

"The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me for the very works' sake."

If Jesus' words weren't sufficient proof of His deity, then His works would be. The disciples had seen Him do many miracles. In John 5:36 Jesus said, "I have greater witness than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me." He gave the same testimony in John 10:25. So Jesus was saying in John 14:10-11, "You don't need to see anything, Philip. What am I going to show you? I am God manifest. Believe My words and My works."

The Lord revealed to the disciples the tremendous truth that He is God. That should have been a source of comfort for them. If they would believe that, they would be able to rest easy knowing that they were secure in Him.

II. THE REVELATION OF CHRIST'S POWER (v. 12)

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father."

A. Explaining the Prerequisite

The key to the astounding promise in John 14:12 is the phrase "because I go unto my Father." The only way that the disciples would be able to do the works Jesus did and even greater works was if He went to the Father. Why? Because it wasn't until Jesus went to the Father that the Holy Spirit was sent.

B. Examining the Power

When the Holy Spirit came, the disciples were empowered to do tremendous miracles throughout the known world. They were able to do what Christ did and even greater things, not in power but in extent. That shows us why it's better to have the Holy Spirit indwelling every believer than to have Christ present on earth. Every Christian has the resident power of deity in the indwelling Spirit. That's why Christ was able to tell the disciples that they would do even greater things than He did. What a promise! The disciples were discouraged when Christ said He was leaving because they thought they were going to be reduced to nothing. But Jesus said they would be empowered to do greater things.

When Jesus said the disciples would do greater things than He did, He basically referred to the extent of their ministry, not the power they would have. No one could do any works greater in power than what Jesus did. But the extent of the disciples' ministry was much greater. For example, Jesus had never preached outside of Palestine. The disciples made far more converts than Jesus ever made.

1. Physical works

The promise Jesus gave in John 14:12 referred to the ability to do miracles. The disciples were empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit to do miracles. In Acts 3, Peter and John healed a lame man. In Acts 5 we read, "By the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people .... Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them who were vexed with unclean spirits; and they were healed every one" (vv. 12, 15-16). Hebrews 2:3-4 tells us that God bore witness with the apostles through signs, wonders, and diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The apostles were able to do the same miracles Jesus did. They had the same power.

2. Spiritual works

While the apostles had the same power to do physical works as Jesus did, they did greater things spiritually. When Peter preached to the crowd in Acts 2, three thousand people became saved (v. 41). Did that ever happen during Jesus' ministry? No, and neither did the gospel go to the Gentiles. That didn't happen until Peter visited Cornelius in Acts 10 and Paul preached the gospel to Gentiles all over Europe. Now it wasn't that Jesus couldn't do those things; the Lord simply designed to not do them. He chose to work through His apostles. Some time ago while I was in Israel, I couldn't help but keep thinking of how small the country is. The sphere of Jesus' ministry was small, and there weren't many people then. But now, we see spiritual miracles happening every minute all over the world. Those spiritual miracles are being done by believers through the power of the indwelling Spirit. And the greatest spiritual miracle of all is salvation. We are witnesses to the new birth every time we introduce someone to Christ.Can We Do the Same Mighty Works the Apostles Did?

The promise in John 14:12 was primarily directed to the disciples. We're able to do great spiritual works, but not physical works. If you don't believe that, go to a local cemetery and try to call people up from the grave. We can't heal sick people. James 5:14 gives instructions on what to do when someone is sick, and doesn't mention anything about trying to heal people: "Call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." To anoint someone with oil was to give them some medicine. In Luke 10, the Good Samaritan poured oil on the wounds of the injured traveler. Verse 15 continues, "The prayer of faith shall save the sick." We can see God heal by prayer. By the time James wrote that, which was around 50 A.D., the early church knew that the ability to heal had belonged only to the apostles. James didn't say a sick person should seek a healer; he said to have the church elders pray for him. The age of miracles was over with because the Word of God was becoming complete. The miraculous gifts were only to confirm that the apostles were of God before the Word was complete.

Although the ability to do miraculous physical works was restricted to the apostles, it's marvelous to see spiritual miracles happening in our own lives as we minister. It's exciting to be involved in what God is doing spiritually, and to be doing even greater things than what happened in Jesus' day. Did you know there was never a revival during Christ's ministry on earth? Yet since then we have seen great revivals in Scotland, Ireland, England, America, Korea, and Indonesia. Revivals are still going on today. You and I are in the midst of great spiritual miracles, and it's because Jesus returned to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit.

III. THE REVELATION OF CHRIST'S PROMISE (vv. 13-14)

"And whatever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it."

A. The Anxiety over Provisions

When Jesus told the disciples He would leave them, I'm sure they were thinking, "Where are we going to go for our resources?" Christ had fed them and taken care of them. He had helped them catch fish (Luke 5:4-6), and on one occasion even provided tax money from the mouth of a fish (Matt. 17:27). But now Jesus was going away, and the disciples knew the world didn't like them. How were they going to get jobs? How were they going to fit back into society? They had no resources; they feared having to be all alone.

B. The Assurance of Provisions

While the disciples were having those thoughts, Jesus said, "Men, I may be gone, but whatever you need, ask Me and I'll provide it." That's a fantastic promise! The gap between where Christ is and where we are is closed as instantly as we pray. Paul said, "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:19).Is Your Prayer List More like a Santa Claus List?

Can we ask God for anything we want? Is Jesus' statement in John 14:13-14 a carte blanche for every whim of the flesh? No; there is a qualifying statement made twice in John 14:13-14: "in my name." Those three words qualify every prayer God answers. What does it mean to ask for something in the Lord's name? Some people think it means to say, "In the name of Jesus, Amen" at the end of their prayers. That's not what Christ was referring to. This is what He meant:

1. We're to acknowledge Christ's Person

To speak of the name of Jesus is to acknowledge all that He is and all that He did. When we pray in Christ's name, it's as if Christ Himself were making the request. By praying in His name, you are fully identifying with Him. It would be like saying, "Father, I ask that You do this for Jesus' sake." Having that perspective helps eliminate selfish prayers.

2. We're to bring before God the merits of His Son

To pray this way would be to say, "Father, here's my request. Give it to me because of all that Jesus has done."

3. We're to pray only for what is consistent with Christ's glory

Here's a practical test you can use when you make requests to God: Say, "Father, I'm asking this because I know it will bring glory to Jesus." You can't ask God for a new television set and say that it will glorify Christ. Using that test will help you pray for the things that really matter. And at the end of verse 14, Jesus said, "I will do it." He didn't say, "All right guys, that's your request--now carry it out." He said He would grant our requests. Jesus answers our prayers on our behalf.

CONCLUSION

Now you can see how Jesus lovingly comforted His disciples in John 14:7- 14. He gave them the revelation of His Person, His power, and His promise. What a comfort to know that He cares! Our prayer should be the same as that of the disciples in Luke 17:5. We shouldn't ask, "Lord, show me such-and-such," but, "Increase my faith to believe You so that I can see You at work in my life."

Focusing on the Facts

1. Why did Christ find it necessary to reaffirm to the disciples who He was?

2. Did the disciples have full knowledge of who Jesus was? Explain.

3. What are the two explanations of Jesus' statement, "From henceforth ye know him, and have seen him" (John 14:7)? Which seems to be the better explanation, and why?

4. When did the disciples fully understand who Jesus was?

5. Explain what Philip was asking Christ in John 14:8.

6. What did Philip's statement show about his faith? What was his belief in Jesus dependent upon?

7. When Jesus rebuked Philip by His statement in John 14:9, why was our Lord heartbroken?

8. What does Scripture say about Christ's deity?

9. What principle should you keep in mind when you disciple someone?

10. What did Jesus tell Philip to do when asked to show the Father (John 14:10-11)?

11. What did the disciples ask the Lord for in Luke 17:5? Why should that be all we want?

12. In John 14:10, Jesus said that the words He spoke were not His own. What other scriptures support that statement, and what do they say?

13. Other than by His words, how else did Christ confirm His deity?

14. What had to happen before the disciples would be able to do the great things Christ had done?

15. What was Jesus referring to when He said the disciples would do greater things than He did?

16. Describe the physical works the apostles did, supporting your answer with Scripture.

17. In what way did the apostles do a greater spiritual work than what Christ did?

18. To whom was the promise in John 14:12 primarily directed? Explain.

19. What great promise did Christ make in John 14:13-14? How is that promise qualified?

20. The gap between where Christ is and where we are is _____ as instantly as we _____ .

Pondering the Principles

1. There are many cults today that deny Christ is God, and there are some people who say He was simply a great man. However, Scripture is clear about the true identity of Christ. In John 8:58-59, some Jewish religious leaders wanted to stone Christ for claiming to be the great I am (cf. Exo. 3:14). Read the following verses: Isaiah 9:6; John 10:30-33; 20:28; Colossians 1:15-19; 2:9; Titus 2:13. How is Christ's deity affirmed in those verses? When a person denies Christ is God, he isn't recognizing Christ for all that He is and is perverting the truth. Memorize the verse references above or write them down inside the cover of your Bible so that you will always be ready to respond to those who say Christ is not God.

2. Because Christ is God, we know He can keep His promises and that He is sovereign. He has conquered death, and can cleanse us of our sins. He can meet both our spiritual and physical needs. Someday, He will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. In what ways do those truths comfort you? Share your thoughts with the Lord in a time of prayer and praise.

3. Christ promised the disciples that He would continue to meet their needs after He left them, and told them to present their needs to Him in prayer. We only need to keep in mind that the prayer requests we make are to be consistent with what Christ would want and with what would glorify Him. Memorize Christ's great promise in John 14:13-14: "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it" (NASB).