“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” (John 14:12).
Here was Jesus, He never left the borders of Palestine. Think of what Jesus actually did during His lifetime on earth. He never preached outside Palestine. During His time on this earth, Europe never heard the gospel. It was into the Mediterranean world that the early disciples went and won for Christ. Peter, on the day of Pentecost preached the gospel to thousands of people. The Bible said three thousand people were added to the church. I don’t think of anytime that Jesus had that type of response. When it came to a matter of numbers and extent and changing power, the message of the cross and the resurrected Christ were even greater than the works of Jesus in His earthly ministry.
In fact, one time in John 6 He said to His disciples, are you leaving too? Jesus never had big crowds that lasted very long. At certain times in His earthly mission, it seemed as if Jesus was engaging in a failed project. When His mission encountered serious opposition in Galilee, His followers too began to fall away. Jesus was the Suffering Servant, He endured pain, suffering, and sorrow. Whenever crowds followed Him, He talked about suffering, death and the cross and they couldn’t stand it. When Jesus was giving instruction in Capernaum, many of His disciples on hearing it exclaimed, ‘This is more than we can stomach. Why listen to this talk. From that time on, many of His disciples withdrew and no longer went about with Him. On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” (John 6:60). From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. (John 6:66-67). So you see, you and I have been given the power to be great witnesses for Christ, and to do greater works than He did.
- Thank you for reading our devotional on “Greater Works”.