Jesus: The Embodiment Of God

The challenge is to believe Jesus—believe in Him as a person, as the Son of God Himself, and believe in His claim, that His testimony and witness to Himself is absolutely true.

What Jesus says is basically, “If anyone has a problem with believing My claim, that person should look at My miraculous works.” Believe Jesus because of His phenomenal miracles; do whatever is needed to secure the evidence, but believe and accept His claim.

Did you notice the purpose for Jesus’ miraculous works as it is revealed in verse 11? His miraculous works were performed to stir the belief that He is the Son of God.

READ 12-14. Two promises to the believer. And Jesus stresses these promises by saying, “I tell you the truth.”

1. The first promise is the power to do great works: the power to do the very same works that Jesus did and even greater. Let’s clarify. Jesus is saying that the genuine believer will work hard for the very same purpose as He did—to show the love and justice of God, to help those in need, and to lead others to believe in Jesus as the Son of God. Our works will be greater means that the true servant of God will reach more people than Jesus did.

2. The second promise is the answer to all prayers. This is one of the most powerful promises in the Bible. God hears the prayers of the believer.

Note that the only prayers heard and answered are those asked “in Jesus’ name.” What does that mean to pray “in Jesus’ name?”

It means that the believer prays knowing that:

• The only acceptance to God is IN JESUS. God hears the believer only because Jesus is acceptable to Him and the believer comes in the name of Jesus.

• The only Mediator between God and men is Jesus.

• The only Intercessor before God, the only Person asking God to accept man is Jesus.

• The only Person, the only name that is perfect enough to approach God is Jesus so the believer prays in the name of Jesus.

Does this mean that all we have to do to get what we want from God is to pray “in Jesus’ name?” No! To pray in His name means that the believer asks only those things that will honor his name, praise His name, being glory to His name, and lead to His name’s being lifted up. It means that the believer will ask nothing that would detract, lower, or lead away from His name. (And you’ve been wondering why some of your prayers haven’t been approved?)

Lastly, Jesus says, “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I WILL DO IT.” Jesus is claiming to be God and to have the ability to do anything. That’s a phenomenal claim. Yet it’s a reasonable claim for the Son of God.