JESUS?
Did JESUS really mean we should do GREATER WORKS than He did?
I heard a sermon and the Preacher said “The Greater Works” referred to by Jesus (John 14:12) were a direct reference to evangelism and coming to Jesus for Salvation. I don’t think so.
These Words spoken by Jesus were a profound and prophetic proclamation, empowering every believer to follow in the footsteps and Works of Jesus. Read this…
John 5:18 “For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
19 “Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
20 “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.”
21 “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes
These are THE GREATER WORKS, as seen in verse 21
Now, Jesus turns His attention to us, His followers, His disciples…
John 14:10 “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 initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.
12 “Truly, truly, 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 the Father.
13“Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14“If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
These are THE GREATER WORKS, as seen in verse 12
So, why are we, the Disciples and followers of Jesus, so impotent?
Read further:
Matthew 17:14 “When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 “I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” 17 And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?”
20 And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. 21[“But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”]
Listen, dear brothers and sisters in our Lord: We huddle in our churches and shout or swoon at the words spoken by our leaders. We get excited by our music, our rituals and our gatherings. But our Lord has told us to GO, to DO and to BE.
GO – “GO therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
DO – “For if you DO these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
BE – “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. “BE diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
Unless we are perceived as hypocrites or lunatics, ourselves, let’s GO and DO and BE all that our Lord told us.
Your Brother in THE CAUSE
Mike Young