Today’s passage reveals to us a wonderful promise, and an amazing privilege, that the Lord Jesus gives to anyone who has faith in Him.
Promise
Read John 14:12
• What will the Son’s main aim be after He’s gone to the Father (John 14 v 13)?
This shows us what it means for Jesus to “do whatever you ask in my name” (v 13). To ask for something in Jesus’ name is to ask in line with His priorities, and relying on His power. We should ask Jesus to do what Jesus always did when on earth, and works to do now from heaven: bring glory to His Father.
• Who will bring more glory to the Father: Jesus during His time on earth, or the person who “has faith in me” (v 12)?
• What is the reason that anyone who has faith in Jesus will be able to do these things (end of v 12)?
Read John 7:38
• What is going to happen when Jesus dies, rises, and returns to the Father; in other words, when He is “glorified”?
It’s God’s Spirit working in His people that enables God’s Son to bring glory through them to His Father. This is how the Trinity works throughout history: in perfect love and unity, seeking to glorify each other.
Privilege
We need to be clear. Jesus is not saying that we can each do better things than He did. How do you top raising someone from the dead, healing people with a word, or controlling the weather?!
What He is saying is that through each of us, as we ask Him to, Jesus will work through His Spirit to bring glory: and that this glory will be greater than God was ever given during Jesus’ time on earth.
What a privilege to be used by the Son to bring deserved glory to the Father!
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TIME OUT… John 11:38
God works through the Holy Spirit to give people new life from above, as individual Christians share the gospel message (John 3:1). How amazing to think that when anyone becomes a real Christian, it is a deeper miracle even than Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead!
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PRAY THRU
Lord Jesus, Thank You for working through Your people to bring Your Father glory. Please give me the privilege of being used by You to bring our Father glory today. Amen.
Commit to praying in Jesus’ name for some non-Christian friends or family, that they will be born again by the Spirit to the glory of the Father.
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This devotional is taken from Explore—a daily Bible-reading devotional from the good book company which enables you to engage with Scripture and which will encourage, equip and inspire you to live for Christ. Explore features contributions from pastors such as Dr Timothy Keller, Mike McKinley and Tim Chester.
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