Part of the Dying Declaration of Jesus Tells Us That We Will Do Greater Works Than He Did

Most people are interested in the life of Jesus, and the miracles of Jesus, and the fact that Jesus heals, and in his signs and wonders. In the latter part of the gospel of John we hear Jesus talking about how things will be after he is gone, and we hear him make one of the most amazing, exciting, and yet baffling statements imaginable in John 14:12: "He who believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do because I go to my Father."

The Dying Declaration of Jesus Christ

John chapters 12-17 can be called the 'dying declaration' of Jesus. They were the last statements of Jesus before going to the cross. These last chapters in John occurred during the last three days of Jesus' life, and they are his dying declaration.

It can be said that the life of Jesus was summarized during these last three days. The previous 3 ½ years was all the work of Jesus, but these last three days brought everything into sharp focus. What were the greatest things he was trying to emphasize? We only have space to cover one of them here.

Jesus, the Son of God says, "Greater Works Will You Do"

This is a real mouthful if you seriously contemplate it. He did more miracles, healings, and signs and wonders than anyone else. He even walked on water, calmed a raging storm, and fed many thousands of people with almost nothing. He raised the dead. He turned water into wine - a miracle that makes religious people gasp.

Yet he says we will do greater works than he did! The first thought is often that maybe he spent too much time out in the hot sun the day he made this statement!

What did Jesus mean by this? I know there are contingents in the church who claim this literally, and who say that we should be doing greater physical works than Jesus, and if we're not, then we're just not living in faith.

See this: we are told Jesus healed ALL who came to him. Do you know anyone who heals ALL who come to them? As we lawyers say, "The defense rests its case."

Natural Things in Life vs. the Invisible Spiritual Kingdom

Our minds tend to gravitate toward the natural - the physical. We want everything to be explained by sight and sound and the human senses. But Jesus was talking in terms of covenant, and he was initiating the New Covenant in his blood (which he had done in communion shortly before saying these words).

He came to do the will of God by setting the a course in miracles  Covenant law aside and inaugurating the New Covenant gospel (Heb 10:9). Hebrews 9:9-10 calls this 'the time of reformation.'

The physical was indeed included in Jesus' words, but I don't think he was only focused on physical healings and physical miracles, as we most often are.

Jesus Totally Knew the Heart of His Father to Bless us

The Old Covenant had both blessings and curses. But Jesus came and took the curses, leaving us only with the blessings. He took the liability of sin away by becoming sin for us. He gave us the Holy Spirit. He made us one with the Father - having no need for temples, sacrifices, a priesthood, feasts, or any other shadows of things he came to fulfill. He gave us his very own divine righteousness.

Jesus Imparted the Power of the New Covenant to Us

Everything became 100 times better because of the cross, and the inauguration of the New Covenant. All things that had been longed for by God's people for 4,000 years now became reality. And we can do greater works than Jesus because we have the power of the Holy Spirit in us, and the authority of the New Covenant behind us. NO one in the history of the earth has had what we now have.

We have the power to forgive sin. We have the authority to proclaim righteousness and perfection in Christ. We have within us all spiritual blessings to bestow on others. We have a new dispensation, reformation, transformation and translation into the Kingdom of God. We are given the faith of Jesus himself to live out upon the face of this planet.

This Includes Miracles, Healings, and Signs and Wonders

Even though everything is not physical and natural, it absolutely does include the physical and natural - the fact that Jesus heals through us. This is part of the package. Because of who we are in God, and what we have been given by God, we should be seeing more healing and miracles today.