Jesus Will Do It
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“I assure you: The one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
Truth: Jesus has to leave the disciples and go to the Father because He wanted to grant to them, to us, the priviledge of answered prayer.
So, as a result of Jesus going to the Father, the believer will do the same works that Jesus did and do even greater works than He did.
So too, as a result of Jesus going to the Father, the believer, who asks, will have his/her prayers answered, because Jesus has gone to the Father.
So, therefore, the believer will do the works that Jesus did, and greater, if he/she asks, anything, in Jesus’ name, Jesus will do it, because Jesus has gone to the Father.
So then, why do the sick still suffer, the oppressed are still oppressed, the dead remain dead and evil leadership still leads? Why is injustice still justified and the powerless, still impotent?
If Jesus is truthful in all He says, why does He still allow good things to happen to bad people and bad things happen to the good? Is Jesus a liar and powerless?
Why does prayer seem not to work?
Jesus says, those who believe in Him will also do the works that He does, greater work actually, and anything asked in His name will be done (Jn 14:12-14). What am I missing? Jesus says, you will do and I will do. Why will I do and Jesus do? So that the Father may be glorified in the Son (v.14).
Is the Father glorified in the Son by my actions, thought and person?
Story of Moses, Miriam and Aaron (Numbers 12)
Miriam and Aaron were critical of their brother Moses because of the Cushite (or Ethiopian) woman he married. Cushites were the people group found in the African region of Nubia.
We surmise that Miriam deemed the relationship inappropriate; Moses marrying a foreigner, having “dark skin” (Jer. 13:23). The irony is Miriam is punished by God with leprousy, her skin becoming white as snow, “bleached”.
The relationship between Moses and Zipporah (presumed to be Exodus 2:15-22) is deemed acceptable to God, by rebuking Miriam’s complaint with leprousy. Israel was not a “pure race” coming out of Egypt and through the wilderness as they intermixed with people of other cultures and people groups. The interracial marriage and relationship is deemed okay with God, though some unions were prohibited (i.e. a Canaanite Gen. 28:1, 6; Josh 23:11-13). Remember, God created all flesh in His image (Gen. 1:27).
Picture of God’s acceptance of “foreigners” into His Kingdom, “His people” (Exodus 6:7), but not those who worship a foriegn god (Canaanites). God forbids man to be unequally yoked (2 Corinthians 6:14, 15 - “Do not be mismatched with unbelievers…What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever”). Do relationships matter to God? Absolutely. Because a wrong one can lead you down the path away from God, instead of remaining in Him.
Even though God created all flesh and created them equal, He did not give all flesh the same roles and responsibilites. The relationship between Moses and God was different than between God, Aaron and Miriam, Moses’ siblings. Aaron and Miriam assume a mistaken position, a relationship and role that did not exist, that was not given to them by God.
They said, “Does the Lord speak only through Moses? Does He not also speak through us?” And the Lord heard it.
The LORD summons the three to the enterance of the Tent of Meeting and calls forth Aaron and Miriam:
He said: “Listen to what I say: If there is a prophet among you from the Lord, I make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My household.
I speak with him directly, openly, and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. So why were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” The Lord’s anger burned against them, and He left.
As the cloud moved away from the tent, Miriam’s skin suddenly became diseased, as white as snow. When Aaron turned toward her, he saw that she was diseased and said to Moses, “My lord, please don’t hold against us this sin we have so foolishly committed.
The world has literally been lite on fire with the flame of inequality over color of flesh and gender. Some of it justified, some of it not. A lot of it used for political gain and to divide people, even divide the church. We assume the battle is over equality, and for some of it, it is and one can agree. Some flesh has been deemed less equal than others; some gender less equal than others. But a lot of the fire is about having the same roles and responsibilites. Just as Miriam and Aaron assumed a position, a role and responsibility with God equal with Moses, men and women do the same. God rebukes Aaron and Miriam for their assumption that “the LORD speaks through us as well” (v.2). Their criticism of Moses is unwarranted, unfounded, misguided and misinformed. God speaks directly with those who are faithful, not with those who assume the same relationship when they have not put the work of faith in.
Aaron and Miriam did not have the same role and responsibility with God because they were not chosen to be in that role, nor were they as faithful as Moses was. They were all made in the same image of God, as we all are, but their role and responsibilities were different. Their relationship, their faithfulness was not the same with or towards God. Aaron, appointed as priest, including his line, was persuaded to make the Israelites a god, a golden calf for the people to worship, because Moses was a longtime coming from being on Mount Sinai with God (Exodus 32). That act of rebellion led to the death of 3000 men by the LORD’s hand that day and the infliction of a plague on the people (Ex. 32:28, 35). His sons, Nadab and Abihu, died in the LORD’s presense because they presented unauthorized fire before the LORD (Num 3:4). Their lineage did not continue, as they had no sons. Miriam was inflicted with leprousy, by the LORD because of her prejudism.
To assume roles and responsibilites, or to take liberties not yours to take, can have deadly consequences. Moses struck the rock in faithlessness. Whether because he was frustrated and angry with the people because of their constant complaints, disobedience and faithlessness, he calls them “Rebels!” (Num 20:10), Moses exceeded God’s instructions, allowance and permission. Moses was to speak to the rock, not strike the rock, and God would bring out the water from the rock (Num 20:8). As a result, Moses, and Aaron, were not allowed to bring the people into God’s promised land (v.12).
But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me to show My holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.”
When we presume a relationship, with God, that does not exist, we are in danger of assuming roles and responsibilites that are not ours to perform. Roles and responsibilities are given by God, in creation, but also assigned by God, in general and special revelation (i.e. prophets, apostles, teachers, hands and feet). How well they are done and performed is a matter or faith, trust and belief in God; one’s relationship with God.
How is our relationship with Jesus?
God the Father was not glorified by the actions of Miriam or Aaron because they assumed a relationship, with roles and responsibilities, that did not exist and were not theirs to assume. They lacked the faithful relationship with the LORD that Moses had. Therefore, they should not have assumed that had the same access to God, or intimacy or privledges, as Moses did. Moses glorified the LORD in what He did and how he thought. He was faithful in all the household of the LORD (Num 12:7). He saw the vision and “form of the LORD” (Num 12:6, 8). He had a trust with the LORD and expected the LORD to do what He said. As a result, he saw the miraculous and expected the miraculous.
What privledges, or roles and responsibilities, are we assuming with Jesus, that have not been established through intimacy with Him? Should we expect the miraculous, when we have been faithless?
Jesus says, “The one who believes in Me will also do the works that I do” even greater works, in fact (John 14:12). And anything that we ask in His name, He will do (Jn 14:13-14). Are signs and wonders, answered prayer for today? Absolutely! Hebrews 13:8 says,
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
The real question is: how intimate and faithful are we to Jesus? Are we doubtful and double-minded?
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Why could Jesus only perform a few miracles in Nazareth? Because of no belief in Him (Mt. 13:58; Mk. 6:5). And if there is no belief in Jesus as God, who He claimed to be, then why should we expect Jesus to answer prayer, do miracles, and work through us? If there is no relationship with Jesus, based on belief, faith and trust, why assume a role and responsibility that we have no business performing and expect Jesus to work as we ask? The apostles could not cast out the demon possessed boy because they had little faith that they could....but they forgot by whom they were indwelt with power and by who’s name they were to do their work. The Apostle Paul encourages us, that it is God who works in us and through us, enabling us to desire and work out His good purposes (Phil. 2:13). But do I have that level of relationship with Jesus? Before I can expect the power of Jesus in my life, I need to exercise faith and intimacy in Him.
Do I experience the power of Jesus through me and in me today? Why or why not? Is there blockages in my relationship with Him? Am I obeying Him and following His commands and words? The Psalmist writes, “If I have been aware of malice in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Ps. 66:18). Am I faithful to the words of HIs lips (Job 23:12)? Are my prayers not answered today because our relationship with God is faithless and we are not about His glory? Does Jesus get the credit He deserves? Is His name hallowed in my life (Mt. 6:9)? Do I know Jesus intimately? For if I do, I will know His will, His work and I will do it so He can work through me and do it.
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
When I pray, do I pray according to Jesus’ desires and wants? His will? For His Father’s glory? Or for me? My desires? My wants? My glory? If it is all about Jesus, He will hear and answer. If it is not, we should not expect an answer of yes.
Jesus says four things to us plainly about answered prayer:
Pray in Faith (v.12)
Pray in Jesus’ name (v.13-14)
Expect He will do it (v.13-14)
Pray in Loving Obedience (v.15)
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
Answered prayer is only possible if I have an intimate relationship with Jesus. Initimacy means a faithful, believing and trust-filled relationship with Him. I should not expect any answers if my relationship is all about me and my glory. I should not assume any postions and roles or responsibility if I am faithless. Equality is not the issue, faithfulness is. When we pray we should be asking ourselves, “What would Jesus pray?” How should we pray, when our Lord Jesus gives us the priviledge and responsibility of power in His name? Are we about honoring the name of Jesus?