During his farewell discourse with his apostles, Jesus makes one of the more shocking—and misunderstood—promises found anywhere in the gospels. He said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father" (John 14:12). This verse provokes an obvious and important question—what are the "greater works" Jesus' followers will do?
We've already looked at our culture's fixation on all things spectacular and the way it causes us to mistakenly focus on Jesus' power rather than on Jesus himself. This same cultural bias has also warped the way many have misunderstood this verse. For those shaped by pop consumer Christianity, "greater works" is automatically assumed to mean more spectacular works. This view believes that because Jesus walked on water, healed the sick, and calmed storms, then to do greater works means the true disciples of Jesus will accomplish even more astonishing signs and wonders. In a culture drawn to the spectacular, and in church traditions dedicated to attracting crowds, it's obvious why this interpretation is appealing.
However, there are a few problems with understanding "greater" to mean more astonishing. First, it is plainly obvious that most of those who follow Jesus are not doing more spectacular works than he performed. It's hard to be more spectacular than raising the dead, which Jesus did on multiple occasions, and the last time I checked most Christians were not emptying the cemeteries. Therefore, this interpretation would immediately call into question the authenticity of the faith of nearly every Christian alive, and indeed the faith of every Christian who has ever lived. Second, throughout the history of the church, most have not interpreted this verse to mean we would do more spectacular miracles than Jesus. This is a rather late interpretation that gained traction with the arrival of the charismatic movements—particularly in the United States and in the global south—in the twentieth century.
Rather than understanding "greater works" to mean more spectacular, most throughout Christian history have understood Jesus to mean his followers would do more works. In this case, “greater” means greater in quantity, scale, and influence. Remember, Jesus' public ministry was amazingly brief—approximately three years, and it was confined to a geographic area about the size of New Jersey. Before they died, the apostles Jesus was speaking to in John 14 would preach the gospel and start churches throughout the ancient world from the Iberian peninsula to the Indian subcontinent. Even in the Book of Acts, we see more people put their faith in Christ through the ministry of the apostles than ever responded to the preaching of Jesus himself. In this regard, their works were greater than Jesus’.
Later generations of believers would go on to invent hospitals, educate countless millions, and mobilize efforts to feed, clothe, and comfort more people than any movement in history. Although it may sound blasphemous it is nonetheless true that today alone the followers of Jesus will impact more lives than Jesus impacted during his entire earthly ministry. We lose sight of this remarkable fact when we focus only on the method of our works rather than on their outcome. We assume that to be "greater works" than Jesus' they must be accomplished through some supernatural agency rather than human ingenuity. This is, of course, ridiculous.
In the end, what matters is that we feed a hungry child—not whether the food appeared miraculously or arrived on the back of a truck. And maybe we need to rethink what qualifies as a miracle to begin with. After all, which is the greater wonder—Christ's power to transform water into wine, or his power to transform hearts to be generous, merciful, and loving? We should remember that God desires to do a great work in us, not merely through us.
John 14:12-17 (NIV)
12 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. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
Acts 4:32-37 (NIV)
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.
36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.
From George Cotton (1813 - 1866)
O God, who has made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on the face of the earth, and sent your blessed Son, Jesus Christ, to preach peace to those that are far off, and to those that are near; grant that all peoples of the world may feel after you and find you; quicken, O God, the fulfillment of your promise to pour out your Spirit upon all flesh, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
