John 14:12 (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.”

In the above passage, Jesus says something very remarkable-that whoever believes in Him will do the works that He has been doing, and will actually do even greater things. Now, what does it mean that we will do greater things? Just considering some of the works that Jesus has done, He turned water into wine, walked on water, healed the sick, raised the dead, multiplied food, and did countless other works of wonder. So, does Jesus mean that we will turn water to greater wine, or that we will multiply more food and so forth? Not only does it seem out of place to think such thoughts, but Scripture also does not support that as we read through the book of Acts. Hence, to understand what the greater works mean, the clue is in the passage that says “because I am going to the Father”.

In John 16:7 Jesus says something very similar to this passage “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” In this particular verse, Jesus says that it is better that He goes away, because when He does ascend to the Father, the Advocate will be sent to be with us-the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when we consider the message of John 16:7 with John 14:12, it helps us understand what Jesus meant when He says that we will do greater things-for the very Holy Spirit that enabled Jesus to minister and be raised from the dead, is the same power that is at work in our lives to continue the ministry that Jesus had begun. This is the ministry that the Apostles were empowered to continue in the book of Acts, and that work continues even today in our midst and throughout the world. The greater works is that the work of Jesus through the Holy Spirit is occurring not only in the confines of Jerusalem in its region, but it is being proclaimed also in Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth! (Acts 1:8).

Today, as we are engaged in worship, in ministry, and in prayer, we are living out the greater works that Jesus told us we would be doing, as we are part of the ministry to the ends of the earth. Let’s spend time today in praying for God’s kingdom to continue to come to our five churches and the cities we reside in.

-AK