Page 97 - The Gospel of John - Student textbook

things that we’ve been able to see. But now, please give us the big one, then we’ll be satisfied. Do just one more
miracle. Peel back the veil and let us see the face of God.”

If ever we find Christ manifesting exasperation with His disciples, it is here. He said: “Have I been among you all
this time without your knowing Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say,
10
‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I speak to
you I do not speak on My own. The Father who lives in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the
11
Father and the Father is in Me. Otherwise, believe because of the works themselves.” Jesus had to go over the
whole question of His oneness with the Father once again. He reiterated: to see Him is to see the Father. He is in
the Father and the Father in Him. The words He taught were given Him by the Father and the Father (who dwells
in Jesus) gave miracles to corroborate Jesus’ teaching. All these were implications the disciples should have
drawn from the things they had heard Jesus say and seen Him do.

Jesus’ last words here were a challenge to all the disciples, and indeed, to us as well: “believe Me that I am in
the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.” It was time, Jesus
said, for the disciples to understand in a life – changing way that He is the Son of God, preferably because He
said, but if not then because His miracles proved it.

12 “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.

R. C. Sproul admits, “that I have struggled all my life to fully understand this verse. I think I know what He meant,
but I’m not sure. I can hardly imagine that you or I would ever be capable of doing the works Jesus did, and it’s
unthinkable that we would do greater works than He did in His lifetime. But I think our Lord was getting at
something that is extremely important for the church in every age to understand.”

When Jesus performed miracles during His incarnation, He did so because He was endowed in a miraculous way
by the Holy Spirit, which came upon Him at His baptism. The same was true for Moses, who also did many
mighty works by the Spirit’s power. We know of the Spirit’s role in Moses’ miracles because of the account in
Numbers 11. Moses became overwhelmed with the burden of leading the Israelites, whereupon God
commanded him to bring 70 elders of Israel to the tabernacle and said, “I will take of the Spirit that is upon you
and will put the same up on them” (verse 17). When God did that, the 70 elders were appointed and
empowered by God for ministry. So, we see the Spirit that was up on Moses, the mediator of the old covenant,
distributed to those who were his followers.

On that occasion, two of the 70 elders designated to receive the Spirit that was up on Moses remained in the
camp for an unexplained reason rather than coming to the tabernacle. But when God laid His Spirit on the other
elders, the two also were anointed and began to prophesy in the camp. Joshua, jealous to protect Moses’
unique authority, complained about that and said, “Moses my lord, forbid them!” (Verse 28). But Moses
rebuked him and said: “are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the
Lord would put His Spirit up on them” (verse 29).

That was only a wish expressed by Moses, a prayer at best. But later, in the Old Testament book of Joel, that
wish became a prophecy. The prophet said, “And it shall come to pass afterword that I will pour out My Spirit on
all flesh” (2:28). In other words, God said He would anoint the whole church, all believers, with His Spirit. That
prophecy became a reality at Pentecost (Acts 2).

13 Whatever you ask in My name, I will do it so Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in
14
My name, I will do it.

96