WHAT GREATER THINGS?

Jesus stresses the intimate connection between the Father and Himself. Jesus brought a full revelation of The Father, so that God's people have a real knowledge of Him.

God is not passive or remote from His creation but dynamically involved.

NIV John 14:10-15.10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He 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 Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. 15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command.

Jesus said He did not act on His own but He participates in the work of God The Father, the One who actually was doing the deeds.

By the fact that The Father was actually doing the works, disciples should believe Jesus and The Father were united in each other because of the works done.

Jesus' disciples are to believe that He is in The Father and The Father is in Him because of His works. Jesus asks people to believe this because of His miracles as evidence. He said those who do believe would do greater things than He Himself had done. Greater works are not based on human achievement.

Greater things are miracles and all of Jesus' works, that depended upon Jesus going to The Father after His resurrection, because they are works done in the strength of The Holy Spirit. Christ's death was not a defeat but a triumph.

The only way disciples of Jesus would be able to do greater works was by Jesus sending The Holy Spirit to indwell believers, when He returned to The Father. The power and strength of The Holy Spirit is only available to believers.

Believers will not be doing the works but works will be done through them. The Holy Spirit will do the works of Jesus and The Father. Just as The Father did the works Jesus did, The Father will work through believers His wonders to perform.

Jesus Christ had performed truly impressive miracles during His earthly ministry, but He said greater works would glorify the Father through the gospel preaching of His Spirit-filled followers. Greater works are the acceptance into God's Kingdom, those who respond to the announcement of the good news of salvation through Christ, and the testifying to the Truth about Jesus. Greater works than Jesus point to believers being co-workers with God, as they witness growth in the church.

Even though Jesus talks about miracles of great works, salvation of many would be included, for it is a greater miracle for a soul to be saved than miraculous works of healing, or food or raising the dead. A servant of God is to bring salvation to the world, to bring into God's Kingdom a great harvest because of the wisdom of God.

God is active in human lives through The Holy Spirit by the gifts
He has given The Body of Christ. The works are for God's purposes
and His Kingdom in pursuit of His glory alone.

Jesus' followers are to continue His works and to preach in His Name, to the glory of The Father. His disciples are to become witnesses to all the world through the power of the indwelling and the infilling of The Holy Spirit until Christ's Second Coming. It is a God- given responsibility to witness of Christ's Death, Resurrection and Ascension. The disciples proclamation of the Gospel would provide signs and wonders following, the same as Jesus performed.

Miracles done by the believers is not whether they worked miracles but how they did, by faith in The Name of Jesus. The greater works would be in extent throughout the world. Many would be brought to Salvation because of The Holy Spirit dwelling in disciples. Salvation is grounded in the Works of Christ and in God's love, sharing with others the privilege of entering into the presence of God through the work of Jesus Christ.

All the works of Christ are to be performed by Christians, together with the Living Christ. They are greater because of the belief in Jesus and what He had done during His time on earth. The Church, which is His Body, also has a world-wide influence as 'fishers of men'.

It is to be understood that it is God doing His works through believers and not believers themselves who have to line up to the works that Jesus did. Believers themselves are not on their own having to produce miraculous works.

Prayer is aimed at carrying forward the work Jesus did, by The Father working through Him by The Holy Spirit. Jesus promises to do whatever believers ask, it is a condition for them to be in harmony and unity with Him. If a believer is united in Christ by obeying His Commandments, they need only ask in Jesus' Name and it will be given by the Will of God.

Jesus' ministry and works continue on earth in a wider scale with results possible rendered by The power of the Holy Spirit through effective prayers. The works are to be accomplished by believers who through prayer use Jesus' Name. The Name of Jesus has the greatest authority in the universe by all that He accomplished.

Jesus' works on earth were confined to Palestine, His disciples would preach anywhere and see the conversion of thousands of believers in Jesus as Lord and Saviour, through the forgiveness of their sins.

The Holy Spirit is active in the world but His acts go unnoticed by those other than believers. The Holy Spirit is in believers doing greater works.

The obedient Christian who believes the Truth of Christ and who His is, will continually do the works of Christ. Love and obedience are linked together. The Holy Spirit will always stand by those who follow Christ. The works would also include evangelism, the conversion of the uninformed.

Christians are called upon to share Jesus' mission, to believe that Jesus is One with The Father. The works of miracles were not just for the early church. Disciples sometimes shrink back from following Jesus just because of the fact The Father might call them to do great works as those done by Jesus.

One of the works done by Jesus was literally giving up His life. This is expected of believers, if it is the will of God. Disciples who confess their dependence and trust in Jesus as the Messiah who accomplished His work, can rely on His character and reputation.

Jesus demonstrated His work with compassion, in supporting the weak, in healing the sick, in comforting the bereaved, in feeding the hungry, changing sinners.

Jesus confirmed His works with faithfulness during His earthly ministry unto death. He was faithful in sending The Holy Spirit, in His promises and is faithful to believers in all circumstances. Jesus was obedient in submission to The Father, showed humbleness in the freedom from self-interest and willing to serve others. He was dependent upon The Father. Jesus showed the supreme quality of love.

Jesus totally carried out The Father's Will. He displayed God's patient character, as well as God's power. Jesus showed The Wisdom of God in His teaching and His dealings with people. Jesus, as Shepherd, sought lost sheep.

Jesus called believers to follow His example in self-denial, endurance, faithfulness, love, patience, forgiving others, gentleness and humility, purity and prayer, to help the poor. He stayed focused on His Work.

Disciples are able to do this work because Christ sent The Holy Spirit to empower them. There is a spiritual gift which is referred to in Corinthians 12 as the Gift of miracles.

Mankind will never individually or corporately outdo God, for no human can take upon himself the sin of mankind, being rejected by God.

There is unity amongst the Godhead and all are involved in all things together.
The Godhead is not separated from each other in any work done through disciples.

SCRIPTURE John 14: 10-15.
QUESTIONS 1] Who is actually doing the greater works? 2] How can believers do greater things than Jesus? 3] What would be included as great works? 4] What is the greatest work of all?

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