John 14:12-14 (NIV)
“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. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
The three stunning promises in these three verses are actually three different aspects of one huge promise. Jesus had just mentioned the miracles He had been doing as proof that He and the Father were one. Then He pointed to a powerful additional proof: for those who put their faith in Jesus, an additional demonstration of His oneness with the Father would be the miracles that Jesus Himself would perform through them.
All those disicples had already done many miracles under Jesus’ authority, casting out demons and healing diseases, all as a testimony to the reality of God’s kingdom becoming a reality (Luke 9:1-2). But now, with His re-union with the Father looming on the very near horizon, Jesus was pointing to something even more amazing. All those with faith in Jesus from that point forward would find themselves not just blessed with Jesus’ authority, but with His very presence, enabling them to do all the things that Jesus had been doing, and even greater things than that.
But this was not some kind of magic lamp that Jesus was giving the disicples that would make all their dreams come true (and would corrupt them in the process). In order to act as conduits of Jesus’ presence and power, the things they asked Him to do through them had to be asked for “in His name.”
This phrase does not indicate that we should add those words to the end of a prayer. Instead, it simply means that the key to acting in Jesus’ power was and is to be acting as Jesus’ agent. The power would come to those who move in sync with Jesus throughout their day, who are actively involved in Jesus’ work, and who are asking for exactly what Jesus would ask for in that same exact situation. To ask in Jesus’ name is to act as His proxy – to stand in His footprints before the throne of God. All who do that can expect to receive all the power that Jesus Himself would receive to complete the work that they are performing in His name.
This amazing promise thus has strong limitations on it. Jesus Himself was not given power or authority to serve His own ends, to satisfy His own desires, or to impress others. Because He had given himself 100% to doing the Father’s will, the Father gave Him 100% of the power and authority that He needed to do it, even to the extent of walking on water, casting out legions of demons, and raising the dead. And that same breadth and depth of power and authority to accomplish Jesus’ continuing agenda is solidly promised to all who will seek and do His will 100%, both acting in and asking in His name.
Father, the power and authority that are promised here are nothing short of world-altering. It is easy to see why they are only given to those who are 100% sold out to You and Your agenda, to those who are actively doing Jesus’ work, who have died so completely to themselves and their own agendas that they are in no danger of being corrupted by that power, but are simply given everything they need to complete Jesus’ agenda as it is assigned. Help me, Lord, to be such a clear channel for Your agenda that You are completely free to work through me and to do all that You call me to do through me, every day. Amen.
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