Believe Me

GETTING STARTED

Our family was sick one Easter Sunday, and my husband and I realized that, in our almost forty years of life, we had never missed going to church on Easter weekend. I hated that of all the weeks to miss it was the very week of celebrating why we get to call ourselves Christians in the first place. If Christ had not risen and proven he was God then, to some, he might have been just another prophet speaking truth. But, in fact, Jesus said and did many works to prove he was God before his resurrection as well.

  • What things caused you to believe that Jesus was God?

READ THE WORD: JOHN 14:1-14 (ESV)

14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

DIGGING DEEPER

NOTE: Today’s questions focus on verses 8-14. Verses 1-7 were covered yesterday.

  1. What was Philip’s plea to Jesus? What did he really want?
  2. How did Jesus answer him—i.e. who did Jesus say you have seen if you have seen him (vs. 9)?
  3. What does Jesus say he will do if you ask him anything in his name? Why (vss. 13-14)?
  4. What do you learn about Jesus from this passage? What do you learn about God the Father from this passage?
  5. How are you praying to the Father lately? Are you believing as you ask in Jesus’ name?

RESPOND TO GOD

Philip’s doubt is synonymous with our lack of faith. Jesus was challenging him as he is challenging us today. Jesus’ words and works all pointed to the fact that he is God. There wasn’t really a need for more proof. In contrast to Philip’s doubt, Jesus said that great things await those who believe. When we come to the Father in Jesus’ name, we are asking not with our name as sinners, but in Christ’s holy and worthy name. If we are pure in our motives and are asking in the will of God to the best of our knowledge, then we can be assured he will answer.

  • Ask God to help you to pray in his will with pure motives.
  • Thank God that Jesus sacrificed himself so that we can go to the Father with requests in Jesus’ name.