IS THAT THE RIGHT PASSword

 

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

John 14:14

“You may ask me 

for anything in my name, 

and I will do it.”  

Dear Jesus, I pray that You would keep all my family healthy, safe, and rich forever. In Your name, amen.

Dear Jesus, I pray that you would keep that parking spot, near the door for me, today. In Jesus name amen.

We have all asked some doozies in Jesus name, and we’ve all seen requests fall short of God’s to-do list. When God doesn’t keep the promises, we’ve twisted His words into making, we’re left wondering if He’s really trustworthy. This situation arises from the difference between two words: exegesis and eisegesis. You don’t have to remember these words, but you do need to remember what they are about. Exegesis is about drawing God’s truth from Scripture and eisegesis is about adding our ideas into Scripture, “reading into the text.”

What do we want to add into John 14:14? Well, we want to see a Jesus who’ll do whatever we ask Him when we have the right password “in Jesus Name.”

What truth waits to be drawn out? To find out, let’s look at who John was writing to, who Jesus was talking to, what else Scripture says, and what else was happening when Jesus said this.

Bible scholars aren’t positive who John was writing to, but they agree the book aims to make one of the Bible’s strongest arguments for Jesus as God’s Son (John 20:31). We know Jesus was talking to His disciples, at the Last Supper, this happened not long before His death. Based on this setting, we could take a guess at Jesus’ intentions, but John 14:1 spells out for us what Jesus was teaching, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” What else did Jesus say? In verse 13, Jesus told his disciples He will do what they ask, “… so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” What else was happening? The men Jesus was speaking to were about to see their leader killed, face great opposition, and then begin planting the Christian Church from scratch.

Now, what truth can we draw out?

John intended to show the divinity of Christ. Jesus intended to comfort and inspire His disciples right before His death. And there was a qualification: the Father should be glorified. Meaning, Jesus will do the things we ask for if they make God’s greatness known. If they are requests that bring Glory to God. 

So how do we ask this way?

We must ask from

• right relationships (Mark 11:24-25, 1 Peter 3:7),
• with right motives (James 4:3, Proverbs 16:2),
• through right living (James 5:16, Proverbs 15:29),
• in good faith (James 1:6-7),
• according to God's will (1 John 5:14-15).

In short, if you think Jesus would put His name on it, and it will make His Father famous, then ask and believe!!

REFLECTION

When I ask, am I looking to make God famous, or make me comfortable?