Are the promises in John 14:12-14 true?

[St. SteVen]

I've been suppressing my level of disappointment for some time.
- We are promised to do greater things than Jesus did.
- And whatever we ask in His name, He will do it. (sigh)

John 14:12-14 NIV
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing,
and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

 

[Jack]

I've been suppressing my level of disappointment for some time.
- We are promised to do greater things than Jesus did.
- And whatever we ask in His name, He will do it. (sigh)

John 14:12-14 NIV
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing,
and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

The only promises for those who don't trust the Bible are Hell Fire.

Quoting You: And clarity is further confused by the definitions shell game.
Why do we need a secret decoder ring to understand the Bible?
This is Freakin' nuts. (no wonder I don't trust the Bible)

 

[Lambano]

13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

I asked in Jesus's name for healing for my son's cancer. I didn't get it. Some brothers and sisters in Christ who are a lot holier and a lot more faithful than me joined me in that prayer. He still died, which glorifies neither the Father nor the Son. Now what?

Was that promise just for the 11 guys (12 apostles minus Judas Iscariot) in that room, not for us?

 

[Jack]

I asked in Jesus's name for healing for my son's cancer. I didn't get it. Some brothers and sisters in Christ who are a lot holier and a lot more faithful than me joined me in that prayer. He still died, which glorifies neither the Father nor the Son. Now what?

Was that promise just for the 11 guys (12 apostles minus Judas Iscariot) in that room, not for us?

Did you FAST? Fasting gets God's attention. That's why STUDYING the Bible is critical.

 

[Lambano]

Did you FAST? Fasting gets God's attention.

Damn, I should've thought of that. I guess it's my fault he died.

 

[Jack]

Damn, I should've thought of that. I guess it's my fault he died.

I'm so sorry for your loss!!! I know there's many things that we would love to do over. I was simply mentioning the weapons God gave us. Fasting in Faith works. I know. I apologize if I didn't say it the way I meant it. Hopefully others will be helped.

 

[Deborah_]

I've been suppressing my level of disappointment for some time.
- We are promised to do greater things than Jesus did.
- And whatever we ask in His name, He will do it. (sigh)

Even in the early church, not every Christian performed wondrous miracles (read Acts, and the letters).
The first promise is for the Church collectively, not for every individual Christian. And there's nothing mentioned about frequency.

The second promise is to grant the things asked for in Jesus' name - which means, the things He has given us authority to ask for. In other words, it isn't a "blank cheque"!
The things that He has authorised to pray for are those things included in the Lord's Prayer: the glory of God, the extension of His Kingdom, the doing of His will, the basic necessities of life, forgiveness of sins, and protection against the devil. These requests will (nearly) always be granted.
Prayers for other things (such as miraculous healings) may be granted, but the answer isn't guaranteed.

I am drawn to the story of Solomon and Bathsheba in I Kings 2. She came to her son and asked him to grant her request, and he assured her, "I will not refuse you." But then he did refuse her - because she asked for something that would destabilise the kingdom! I think this applies very much to our prayers: God promises to give us what we ask for, but there's so much that we don't know and can't understand that we often ask for things that are seemingly good (from our point of view) but would actually be detrimental or even dangerous.

 

[Jack]

Are the promises in John 14:12-14 true?​

Are God's promises true? lol

 

[St. SteVen]

I asked in Jesus's name for healing for my son's cancer. I didn't get it. Some brothers and sisters in Christ who are a lot holier and a lot more faithful than me joined me in that prayer. He still died, which glorifies neither the Father nor the Son. Now what?

Sorry for your loss.
This scene is repeated across the world, and for thousands of years, as we reach out to take hold of the promises in the Bible.
Only to be met with failure.

Was that promise just for the 11 guys (12 apostles minus Judas Iscariot) in that room, not for us?

It says right up front in verse 12,
"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me..."

 

[St. SteVen]

Damn, I should've thought of that. I guess it's my fault he died.

Perhaps Jack can tell us about all the miracle healings he has performed because he remembered to fast.

Why would we need to get the attention of an omnipresent God?

 

[Jack]

Sorry for your loss.
This scene is repeated across the world, and for thousands of years, as we reach out to take hold of the promises in the Bible.
Only to be met with failure.


It says right up front in verse 12,
"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me..."

Quoting STV: "
And clarity is further confused by the definitions shell game.
Why do we need a secret decoder ring to understand the Bible?
This is Freakin' nuts. (no wonder I don't trust the Bible)"

 

[Jack]

Perhaps Jack can tell us about all the miracle healings he has performed because he remembered to fast.

Please stop LYING STV. God performs the miracles, not me. Do you know what God said about "ALL LIARS"? I doubt you have a clue.

Why would we need to get the attention of an omnipresent God?

 

[St. SteVen]

Even in the early church, not every Christian performed wondrous miracles (read Acts, and the letters).
The first promise is for the Church collectively, not for every individual Christian. And there's nothing mentioned about frequency.

The second promise is to grant the things asked for in Jesus' name - which means, the things He has given us authority to ask for. In other words, it isn't a "blank cheque"!
The things that He has authorised to pray for are those things included in the Lord's Prayer: the glory of God, the extension of His Kingdom, the doing of His will, the basic necessities of life, forgiveness of sins, and protection against the devil. These requests will (nearly) always be granted.
Prayers for other things (such as miraculous healings) may be granted, but the answer isn't guaranteed.

I am drawn to the story of Solomon and Bathsheba in I Kings 2. She came to her son and asked him to grant her request, and he assured her, "I will not refuse you." But then he did refuse her - because she asked for something that would destabilise the kingdom! I think this applies very much to our prayers: God promises to give us what we ask for, but there's so much that we don't know and can't understand that we often ask for things that are seemingly good (from our point of view) but would actually be detrimental or even dangerous.

Where does that leave us?
When will the church do greater things because Jesus went to the Father?
Obviously verses 13-14 are not true as stated.

John 14:13-14 NIV
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

 

[Jack]

Where does that leave us?
When will the church do greater things because Jesus went to the Father?
Obviously verses 13-14 are not true as stated.

John 14:13-14 NIV
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Miracles are happening. You're just not paying attention, you're so busy attacking the Bible.

 

[Deborah_]

Where does that leave us?
When will the church do greater things because Jesus went to the Father?
Obviously verses 13-14 are not true as stated.

John 14:13-14 NIV
And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

I read an article a few years ago (unfortunately no longer available online) whose author argued persuasively that the "greater works" referred to healings and suchlike, not to the things that evidenced Jesus' deity (such as walking on water and changing water into wine). Well, the church has been doing healings ever since, and how do you know that none of them were greater than the healings Jesus did? The vast majority have never been recorded.

As for verses 13-14, it all depends on how you understand "in my name", doesn't it? It's not as simple as sticking a few formulaic words onto the end of any old prayer.

 

[Lambano]

Perhaps Jack can tell us about all the miracle healings he has performed because he remembered to fast.

Please stop LYING STV. God performs the miracles, not me. Do know what God said about "ALL LIARS"? I doubt you have a clue.

Just stop it, you two. Please?

 

[shepherdsword]

I've been suppressing my level of disappointment for some time.
- We are promised to do greater things than Jesus did.
- And whatever we ask in His name, He will do it. (sigh)

John 14:12-14 NIV
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing,
and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

It's my opinion that "greater things" mean we will reach a larger audience but I could be wrong. As for the rest, I think your focus needs adjusting. You should focus on what it means to be "in my name" It’s a statement of relationship and authorization, not a magical phrase or mystical incantation we tack on at the end of a prayer
Let's take a look:

The phrase “in the name of” carries a very specific and rich meaning. It does not simply mean “using someone’s name as a label.” Instead, it expresses authority, representation, presence, and power—all centered on Jesus.

Here are the core meanings as the New Testament uses them:

1. Acting with Jesus’ authority​

To do something “in the name of Jesus” means acting by His authority, the way an ambassador acts on behalf of a king.
Example:

• “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:6)

Peter isn’t just saying Jesus’ name—he is invoking Jesus’ authority to heal.

2. Representing Jesus

To act “in His name” means you are doing something as His representative or in alignment with His will.
Example:

• “Whatever you do… do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Col. 3:17)

This means to live in a way that reflects who Jesus is.

3. Invoking Jesus’ power and presence
In the ancient world, a “name” represented the character and power of the person.
So doing something “in His name” meant calling upon the real power of the risen Christ.

Example:

• “In my name they will cast out demons.” (Mark 16:17)

This is about Jesus’ power being active through His followers.

4. Identifying yourself with Jesus
When Christians are baptized “in the name of Jesus,” it means belonging to Him and entering into His covenant.

Example:

• “Be baptized… in the name of Jesus Christ.” (Acts 2:38)

This marks a person as belonging to Jesus’ community and kingdom.

5. Acting under divine authorization​

This echoes Old Testament usage where prophets or priests acted “in the name of the Lord.”
In the NT, Jesus’ name is the divine name through which God acts.

Summary
In the New Testament, “in the name of Jesus” means:

• by His authority
• in His power
• as His representative
• in alignment with His will and character
• invoking His presence
• identifying yourself as belonging to Him

 

[St. SteVen]

I read an article a few years ago (unfortunately no longer available online) whose author argued persuasively that the "greater works" referred to healings and suchlike, not to the things that evidenced Jesus' deity (such as walking on water and changing water into wine). Well, the church has been doing healings ever since, and how do you know that none of them were greater than the healings Jesus did? The vast majority have never been recorded.

As for verses 13-14, it all depends on how you understand "in my name", doesn't it? It's not as simple as sticking a few formulaic words onto the end of any old prayer.

This sort of whitewashing is infuriating.
I've heard it all my adult life.
This is why I am a recovering evangelical.

 

[Lambano]

Well, the church has been doing healings ever since, and how do you know that none of them were greater than the healings Jesus did?

Is the promise is to the church in general, then, and not individuals?

In verse 12, the Greek construction is, "The one believing in me", article in the nominative singular masculine followed by a verb in the participle form. I would interpret that as individuals, though you can look at the Church as a single organism. In verse 13, the Greek construction is a plural verb in the subjunctive mood, "anything ya'll might ask".

Maybe the emphasis is on glorifying Father and Son through the answering of prayer, not on the answering itself.

 

[Lambano]

The phrase “in the name of” carries a very specific and rich meaning. It does not simply mean “using someone’s name as a label.” Instead, it expresses authority, representation, presence, and power—all centered on Jesus.

How do we know when we can ask in Jesus's power and authority to, say, heal a particularly virulent form of brain cancer?