Pastor’s Pen Pulpit Series: Truth for the Heart

January 30, 2005

GREATER THINGS

John 14:12

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 my Father.”

John 14:12 is an extremely interesting verse in the gospel of John. In the opening verses of chapter 14 Jesus is talking about His oneness with the Father. In verse eleven He says “believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.” Then in verse twelve He talks about the ministry of the apostles following His return to the Father. He informs them as to the extent of their ministry. They would not only do the works that He did, they would do even greater works than He performed. How is this possible? How could the apostles do greater works than Jesus Christ? The answer is not greater works in power but in extent. The apostles would not do more stupendous miracles than Jesus did. I believe it means that their outreach would be greater, as an example - Peter in one sermon had 3,000 converts. This was possible because Jesus had returned to the Father. When He went back to the Father He sent the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwelling the apostles could do the works of the Lord Jesus literally all over the world, while Jesus never left the boundaries of Palestine.

There is a principle here for us today:

Every pastor can say to his staff; every leader can say to his followers; every parent can say to their children, “you have the potential to do greater things than I have done.”

There is an element of Christianity today that believes that whatever Jesus performed in the area of the miraculous they can perform even greater miracles. However, no one has fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. No one has ever brought back from the grave a man who has been dead for four days, or spoken to a raging storm and the storm ceased. The greater things He was talking about were miracles within the spiritual realm. Jesus in His humanity, could only be at one place at a time. His followers can be literally be all over the world winning people to the Lord Jesus Christ. These are indeed greater things, not in physical power, but in extent. Jesus ministered solely in the area of Palestine. One church today may have missionaries in ten or twelve countries, as does our church. So you see it is important to have this verse in proper perspective.

The question I would leave with us today is this - Are we doing the works of Jesus where He has planted us in this world? If not, why not?

Kenneth Gangel wrote, “To empower and develop followers whose ministry exceeds the impact of their mentors is to follow the model of Jesus.”

God bless,