Asking Him

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

ASKING HIM

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 had just told them that if they knew and have seen him, they also know and have seen the Father and Phillip makes that bizarre request. What did Jesus just say? We have seen the Father? Alright, Lord, show the Father and that will be enough. What? Did he not hear what Jesus said? Maybe he did not believe what Jesus said. It seems Jesus was taken back a bit by the response of Phillip. “How can you say that”? Jesus then goes into a discussion of how He and the Father are one. This gives us the whole idea of the perfect triune aspect of God. Jesus does not include the Spirit at this time, but we know he does later. He does go on to explain all the miracles he did are a result of being one with the Father or having the Father in him and he in the Father. But here is the biggest issue it seems we need to deal with. Jesus told them and we would have to believe he meant everyone, that if we had faith in him we would do what he has been doing. In fact, Jesus says we will do even greater things then he did because he is going to the Father and that whatsoever we ask in his name, he will do it. Hold on just a minute! Did he actually say that we could ask for anything in his name? Yes, he did! Why then do we fail so much in asking for anything? Is it we really do not believe him? Yes, we also say that it has to be in accordance with his will.

1 John 5:13-15

 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of him.

NIV

Maybe we get stuck on this issue, his will, and spend too much time trying to determine his will, rather than just asking anything in his name. Maybe we want to give ourselves an “Out” rather than simply believing. Granted, we most likely should not ask him to give us a million dollars or something really self-centered. Maybe we should be asking for things that bring glory to the Father. What about doing greater things than Jesus? What does that mean? What did he do? He healed, he taught, he spoke the truth, he brought glory to the Father. He fed people, he turned water into wine. He led people to God. That doesn't seem too much, does it? Why do we think we cannot do that also if we ask Jesus to do it through us? We do have to say we have had some super fabulous miracles in our lives. However, do we get caught up in the ideologies of the world too much and start looking to human effort, rather than faith in Jesus? It seems many believers spend much of their time trying to live a holy life, rather than doing greater things than Jesus did, by simply asking him for anything in his name and watching him do it. It seems it does appear easier to do things ourselves, then trust in Jesus. Sure, we know we cannot save ourselves and we have to believe in him for salvation, but after that, what else to we believe in him for? We think it is time to get back to pure belief. To start believing in Jesus for every aspect of our lives, doing greater things than he did, whatever that looks like, we are ready. We know that we are in Christ and he is in us and that we and the Father are one, we are one with Christ, we are united with God, so then we should be living as though we are, asking him for whatever brings him glory.