GREATER WORKS

“…he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and GREATER WORKS than these he will do, because I go to My Father” – John 14:12b

It’s been an exciting adventure meditating on God’s Works, but our Lord spoke of yet GREATER WORKS: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and GREATER WORKS than these he will do, because I go to My Father” (Jh.14:12). These words of Jesus, as startling as they sound, are inspiring and encouraging when we ponder them in their context. They infer that everyone who believes in Jesus will carry on His Work, and in an amazing way, do greater works. As a means to that end, God provides access in prayers such that we can ask for and receive whatever we need. These promises were not only for apostles or hyper-spiritual Christians, but for all who believe!

This is normal Christianity. However, Jesus was not speaking merely in terms of amazing miracles? At this point: Jesus had turned water into wine (Jh.2: 1-11); healed the official’s son (Jh.4:46-54); healed the man crippled for 38 years (Jh.5:1-9); fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish (Jh.5:1-14); walked on water (Jh.6:19); healed a man born blind (Jh.9: 1-7); and raised Lazarus from the dead (Jh.11:43-44). Now, He says: “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves” (v.11). That is, Jesus’ works are designed to help people believe. His works function to lead people to faith in Him!

Read in context, the Lord was saying: “When you believe in Me, I will work in you (like a vine works in a branch, Jh.15: 1-7), and your works, like mine, will lead people to faith in Me”! His work drew attention to the Glory of His Father: “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the WORK which You have given Me to do” (Jh.17:4). Meanwhile He says to us: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Mt.5:16). We do the works of Jesus by living as His aroma and the light of the world. We were “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph.2:10).

More significantly, every Christian is ordained to do greater works than Jesus did! This is not necessarily in terms of more spectacular miracles. Rather, such greater works derive from the fact of Christ’s going “to the Father”! On the way to the Father, He went to the cross, laid down His life for the sheep, rose from the dead, and ascended to God, from where He sends the Holy Spirit, so we who believe can do His works. After His resurrection, Jesus said, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (Jh.20:21-22).

The disciples continued Jesus’ work by receiving the Holy Spirit, who releases the life of Jesus. As the risen Lord, who dwells in us through the Person of the Holy Spirit, He will do greater things through us than He did when He was here in the days of His flesh, including spiritual works with global and eternal impact. Anything done to the spirit of a person is permanent; that which is done to the flesh is temporary. All those whom Jesus healed or raised from the dead died again; but spiritual transformation is eternal. Moreover, the Messiah’s Ministry is no longer limited by space and time.

The final part of this message is that everything that we need, we can ask for and receive (vv.13-14; Mk.11:24; Jh.15:7; 1Jh.5:14-15). The Lord is saying: “You will have everything you need to do the works that I did – even greater works. As you seek to continue My work in the world, and to let your light shine, ask Me for whatever you need and I will give it to you!