Bringing Glory

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

BRINGING GLORY

John 14:8-14

8 Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

9 Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

NIV

Jesus assured Philip but at the same time he sort of exhorted him to simply believe. Thomas wanted proof, asking Jesus to show them the Father, and Jesus told him he has already seen the Father. But the amazing and almost unbelievable statement is about that fact they, and we have to expand that to us, will do even greater things than what Jesus did and that if we ask in Jesus’s name, he will do it so to bring glory to the Father. Here is where he says if you ask me. Some would teach that we should ask the Father in the name of Jesus, but Jesus says that if you ask me in my name, but of course the Father and Jesus are one as is the Spirit. But the point here is that he will do it. So why do so many believers life a crippled life? If we have the power from God to do even greater things the Jesus did, and if we ask for anything in his name and he will do it, why then are we not doing that? Perhaps some only come to him in the midst of a crisis. Maybe some only ask for things they believe they cannot do for themselves. This is sort of a mystery in that so many believers pay so much attention to the do’s and don’ts but pay no attention at all to this statement of Jesus. Are we afraid to actually ask because we really do not believe he will do it? Are we afraid we might look foolish if we believe he will do it, if we ask? Why do we not ask? Could it be because we are presuming too much? He said he would do whatever we ask if we ask him in his name. Maybe we are so stuck on having to ask the Father in the name of Jesus that we just can’t seem to ask Jesus in his name. We have to know it was Jesus who did all those miracles, yet he said the Father was in him and he was in the Father. Neither of them are here now, yet they are, and the Spirit is here and the Spirit is in us, therefore so is the Father and Jesus, and thus we should have the power to do greater things than Jesus did, as we should be able to ask him for anything in his name and know that he will do it, so the Father will be glorified. The whole purpose of all we do and for what we ask for is to bring glory to God. So if we are living crippled lives, we are not bringing any glory to God, therefore let us go forward throwing off our crutches and live full lives, in the power of God, bringing him the glory he so desires.