John 14:12. “He will do even greater works than these”

It is important for all of us to question the source of our beliefs. The Pharisees claimed that their beliefs came from Scripture but Jesus made it clear that they had misunderstood what God was saying to them. The source of true beliefs must be Scripture and not our traditions. This is a danger for all of us whether we are in independent, Pentecostal or other traditional denominations.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness . . .” 2 Timothy 3:16

We, like the Corinthian Church, have been warned,

“Do not go beyond what is written.” 1 Corinthians 4:6

The following sentence that Jesus said to his disciples shortly before he was crucified is astonishing,

“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.” John 14:12

During the last hundred or so years there has been a new understanding of this verse and this has come not from liberal scholars but from those who do want to exalt the Lord Jesus. This itself can be a problem as this new understanding may gain a credence that it does not deserve. What is this modern teaching? It is that the church can and will do even greater miracles than Jesus did and these miracles will authenticate its ministry in an unbelieving world. We are told that the reason these miracles are not occurring more widely is because of a lack of faith and possibly sin. The new teachers will emphasise the next verse,

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.” John 14:13

There have been some extreme doctrines derived from this verse such as the teaching that any Christian can ‘name it and claim it’. One preacher suggested people pray for a red Lamborghini car and then wait to see it appear. Some of the prevalent ‘Prosperity Gospel’ teachings are linked to this verse.

Attractions

Overlooking such extremes, we can surely accept that this doctrine is held today by some of the most enthusiastic branches of Christianity. Many contemporary Christians in traditional denominations feel disconnected from the vibrant, Spirit-filled ministries of the prophets and apostles described in the Bible. In the Old Testament, God delivered the people of Israel from Egypt through a chain of miraculous events. In the New Testament, those who watched the ministry of Jesus were seized with amazement at the miracles he performed (Luke 5:25), and didn’t the apostles in the early church regularly perform signs and wonders among the people (Acts 5:12). It is true that many of our dull and dreary churches often have little expectation of seeing God at work in a supernatural way and cannot appreciate the power the Living God still has and uses.

Christians all believe in a supernatural God who is able to do anything. It is impossible to be a Christian and not believe that God is the creator who made our universe out of nothing. All Christians have experienced a miracle in the new creation, our own rebirth spiritually; we now want to live for the glory of God and his Son and not for ourselves. God is clearly able to give people a red Lamborghini if he wishes. The question we must ask is whether this is what Jesus meant .

In support of this new view, it does seem to be the clearest basic interpretation of the text and the straightforward is the usual way to understand the meaning of Scripture. There is however always a danger of being over-literal. When Jesus referred to Herod as ‘that fox’ it is clear that we should not understand this literally. Christians are often asked,

“Do you take the Bible literally.”

A simple answer of ‘Yes, I do,’ or No, I don’t,’ will lead to many misunderstandings. It is much better to say,

“I take the Bible very seriously.”

We should wrestle with the text and try to understand what was originally being taught. Some people have tried to take the book of Revelation literally and this has resulted in some weird doctrines. The Jehovah’s Witnesses are taught by the Watchtower organisation that the 144,000 mentioned in chapter 7 is the literal number who will be with God in heaven. As the numbers of Jehovah’s witnesses has increased to many more than this number they have had to come up with new allocations, with much embarrassment. Their problem is accepting an over-literal interpretation of the meaning of the text.

Similarly a Roman Catholic will be told that at communion the wafer is transubstantiated into the body of Christ because of an over-literal interpretation of such texts as, ‘This is my body’ and ‘Unless you can eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you’ (John 6:53). They do this in spite of Jesus saying later in the chapter that he is speaking spiritually and not literally.

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” John 6:63

Nicodemus made the mistake of understanding the words of Jesus, ‘You must be born again’ (John 3:3) in a literal sense but recognised that that was impossible. Jesus was talking about a spiritual restart or rebirth in which the new life centred on himself. Jesus wants us all to think clearly and take the true meaning of his words into our hearts; a literal adherence saves nobody.

The Problems

If this new interpretation is correct, we are all manifest failures. It is not just the evangelical churches who have failed, the Pentecostal churches have failed too. No churches are doing or have ever done greater miracles than Jesus did. Jesus raised the dead, all the sick who came to him were healed, he walked on water. His miracles were not performed in theatrical environments where peoples’ expectations and emotions have been raised using psychological techniques, they were real miracles where the laws of nature were broken during normal everyday existence and they were publicly acknowledged even by his enemies. It does look as if this modern interpretation is over the top, what Jesus did is not happening widely today. So often, when we pray for the miraculous, such as when a friend or member of the family falls serious ill, what we ask for does not happen.

Some have answered,

“Well, it did happen in the early church.”

At least this argument brings us onto common ground - the Word of God. We do have the infallible description of what happened in the early church in Acts chapters 1-28 and we have the letters of the apostles written at that time to see what their concerns were. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews summarised what happened when the church was being established,

“This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” Hebrews 2:3-4

It is clear that the apostles were attested in their early proclamation of the gospel by their performing mighty signs and wonders.

However if you compare the four gospels with the book of Acts it is already clear that there was no comparison between the number and range of the miracles of Jesus and those of the apostles. The feeding of the five thousand, the healing of a man born blind, the walking on water and the raising of Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, were out of this world. The miracles of the apostles largely copied those of Jesus. In a similar way the words of Jesus were incomparably greater than those of the apostles who largely recounted what Jesus had taught them. The temple guards were right when they reported back to the Chief Priest and Pharisees, after refusing to arrest Jesus,

“No-one ever spoke the way this man does.” John 7:46

The apostles did perform miracles but these were relatively few. They largely copied the miracles Jesus had performed and these were used by God to authenticate that they represented Jesus. It was the apostles, and not ordinary believers, who performed these miracles, a fact often overlooked.

“The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people.” Acts 5:12

“The things that mark an apostle – signs wonders and miracles – were done among you with great perseverance.” 2 Corinthians 12:12

Note that Luke and Paul and the writer of the letter to the Hebrews all speak of these miracles in the past tense and that they were performed by the apostles.

Other misunderstandings

Is there a way to be sure about the meaning of what Jesus said. For example, after his resurrection he entered the upper room, where the disciples were hiding and said to them,

“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone their sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” John 20:22-23

On this verse the superstructure the Roman Catholic view of confession and absolution has been built. We can discover what Jesus meant by seeing how the disciples understood him. Did the apostles develop the practice of the ‘confessional’? There is not a shred of evidence to suggest they did. The apostles never gave people absolution from their sins in the way Catholic priests do. They simply shared with people the promises of God such as,

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has passed over from death to life.” John 5:24

So an important approach to understanding Biblical texts is to see how the apostles understood them. How did the apostles understand John 14:12? There is no impression from their actions or from their letters that they taught that Jesus’ followers would perform greater miracles.

Paul discussed the question of supernatural gifts in his letters to the troubled church at Corinth. There the ‘pseudo apostles’, who had great influence, were misleading the church. Paul wrote to bring them back to God’s truth from their extremes of extrovert showmanship. After chapter 12, which deals with spiritual gifts, he writes,

“And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal.” 1 Corinthians 13:1

He then gives us, not a purple passage to be used at so many wedding services, but a critique of a mystical religious life that has omitted the very essence of God, his love. The following famous passage is really a judgment of the Corinthian pseudo-spirituality.

“Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude,, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. . . “ 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

If you study the other epistles they are all about who Jesus is, the status of those who have become his followers and the kind of lifestyle he expects his followers to obey. There is no mention of Christians performing miracles in these new churches, and there is no expectation such things were to be expected. The power of the Spirit was to be demonstrated in a faith that changed lives. The fruit of the Spirit’s presence was to be ‘love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control’ (Galatians 5:22-23).

The role of the Spirit

So let us return to the text and see its context.,

“He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12

This phrase, ‘I am going to the Father’, often appears in John’s gospel. A little later during this teaching session Jesus said,

“But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” John 16:7

Jesus is making it clear that he must leave before the Holy Spirit can come. Jesus is saying that there was an ‘Age of Christ’ and an ‘Age of the Holy Spirit’. No-one believes that the age of the Holy Spirit is greater than the age of Christ, the Spirit always points people to Christ. Yet Jesus says that it is to our advantage that he goes away so that the Spirit may come. What will the Spirit do? Jesus continues,

“When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.” John 16:8

There is an important point here. The Spirit will ‘convict the world of sin’. Jesus’ ministry was localised to Israel, the ministry of the Holy Spirit will be to the whole world. Jesus convinced a small number of sin. At his cross we only read of one man, a poor penitent robber who was convicted of his sin before God. The Spirit’s ministry was to be to the whole world. Just before his ascension he said to the disciples,

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

Luke wrote his history in two volumes, his gospel and the book of Acts. The first is about the life and teaching of Jesus and the second, the life and teaching of the early church as they were empowered by the Holy Spirit. At the end of volume one, his gospel, the disciples are dispirited, they flee and hide behind locked doors. Jesus is left alone with just a few faithful women. This was a very tiny victory. At the end of volume two, Acts 28, Paul arrived in Rome, the centre of the whole of the civilised world. He was there under house arrest but many came to him and were converted. This is a vivid contrast, within about thirty years there is a mighty victory that has continued ever since, especially amongst Gentiles.

This contrast can be seen in the words Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple guard when he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane,

“Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come to me with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour, when darkness reigns.” Luke 22:52-53

It appears that the forces of darkness, the forces of state and of religion have won as they chain Jesus up and lead him away to his execution. But on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was given to all Christ’s people, the powers of State, religion and paganism were broken.

No wonder Jesus said,

“It is for your good that I am going away.” John 16:7

When the Holy Spirit comes, he will do a greater work, largely through his church. This is not because the Holy Spirit is more powerful than Jesus, but because, in the plan of God, this was to be how God’s ministry to the world will work out. God has always intended to use his people to achieve his ends. Jesus was to initiate the process and be the Saviour, the Spirit would then promote Jesus to the whole world. Jesus could only be in one place, his Spirit is with all God’s people. This is surely a much ‘greater work’.

“He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12

The meaning of ‘works’

The literal translation of the original Greek of John 14:12 reads,

“Truly, truly, I tell you, the [one] believing in me the works which I do that one also will do, and greater [than] these he will do, because I to the Father am going.”

Modern translations use the word ‘deeds’ instead of works. It is a shame that the Greek word erga is not translated uniformly throughout John’s gospel in many versions. The Revised Standard version does consistently translate it ‘works’. This word must surely refer to the extension of God’s kingdom on earth and not just to miracles. Let us briefly look at where this word is used elsewhere in John.

“But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John [the Baptist]; for the works which the Father has granted me to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear me witness that the Father has sent the Son.” John 5:36 RSV

Jesus expanded on John the Baptist’s message about the necessity of repentance, that is a personal turning back to God, but he also embodied God’s message, and this was supported by his ability to perform miracles.

“I told you, and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness to me.” John 10:25 RSV

Here again it is what Jesus said as well as his miracles that embodies his ‘works’.

“ . . . because I said ‘I am the Son of God’? If I am not doing the works of my Father then do not believe me.” John 10:37 RSV

“If I had not done among them the works which no-one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.” John 15:24 RSV

There is a Greek work, dunamis, from which we get our word ‘dynamite’, that is used elsewhere in the Bible for miracles, where the laws of nature are broken’. It would therefore appear that the word ‘works’ is a technical phrase summarising every aspect of the mission of the Lord Jesus into this world. It would appear to be an allusion to the great work of God in creating the world. He had sent his son to ‘remake’ his world. Genesis talks of God’s ‘creation’, John’s gospel talks of God’s ‘re-creation’.

The works of Christ are all the redeeming acts of Jesus to save mankind. These would include his teaching, his godly character as well as his miracles. The Father had sent him to do these works so we must not limit the works of Christ to his miracles. Miracles are a very real way he convinced the world that he alone was the Christ who had come to save people in the world from their sin. He stands out from everyone who has ever existed in having this power.

Throughout John, ‘the works’ of Christ are illustrated by the miracles. Jesus came to give himself, the ‘bread of life’ for people and he illustrated this by miraculously feeding the five thousand (John 6). He came to open the eyes of the spiritually blind and he illustrated this by healing the man born blind (John 9). He came to bring life to the spiritually dead and he proved his ability to do this by raising Lazarus from being physically dead.

There is a use of the word ‘works’ in John that is not associated with a miracle,

“My food is that I may do the will of the one having sent me and may finish of him the work.” John 4:34 [Literal translation of the Greek]

He had just been talking to the Samaritan woman, a foreigner, who was not a member of God’s kingdom, it was his work to bring her and her friends into God’s kingdom by believing in him. The work of the Father is to bring the gospel to the whole world.

Many churches are active in relieving social distress. This is not wrong if the priority is to introduce them to the Saviour of the world. But alas too often social work has become a substitute for gospel ministry. Early in his ministry Jesus was being pressurised to increase his healing ministry. After rising early one morning to pray he made a decision,

“Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so that I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” Mark 1:38

Confusion abounds

The miracles that Jesus performed were astounding feats when the laws of nature, better called the Laws of God, were broken. It may seem like a miracle when a pain in the back or arm improves but, with time, that is normal. We must be honest and not fall for the modern propaganda of some sincere Christians. Some years ago we took out to lunch a young man who was to become President of his Christian Union. During the conversation he said that God had spoken to him and told him that everyone in his hall of residence was going to become Christian. He added that there were over a thousand in his hall! He saw the doubts cross my face and added,

“We believe in miracles. In our church the dead are raised, the blind see and the lame walk.”

When I asked him if he had witnessed any of these miracles he did admit that he had not, but added,

“I have been told, on good authority that these things are happening.”

Needless to say very few became Christians in his hall that year! Faith is never blind, it must be evidence based.

However the Lord is still a miracle working God. His nature has never changed. Just as he created this world miraculously so he can re-create us selfish people into his likeness and draw us into a loving fellowship with him, obeying his wishes. He can still break his own laws when and if he wants to. It is important to remember that no-one has ever matched the miracles of Jesus. We must always take seriously what Jesus did then. For some reason God is not readily doing these miracles today in our churches, not even in Pentecostal ones. There have been many proper studies that have shown this.

The danger is that we can be shy of talking about those extraordinary coincidences that the Lord is doing today. It was William Temple who was asked why he bothered to pray. He replied,

“I find that when I don’t pray, coincidences don’t happen; but when I do pray, coincidences do happen.”

As a result of prayer, amputated legs of humans appear not regrow today , the terminally ill with cancer are hardly ever raised from their death bed back to normal life. Too often enthusiastic Christians tend to forget those prayers that the Lord has not answered in the way we want. But the great work of God today is that he is still changing people miraculously and filling them with his Spirit.

A good example is the story of Joni, a paraplegic who broke her neck after diving into shallow water is Chesapeake Bay in the USA. She and others often prayed for a miraculous healing but God did not answer those prayers. Instead he enabled her to come to terms with her disability as the second volume of her biography clearly demonstrates, and she has helped many find a real relationship with God, the great work of God today.

Another great miracle will be when we are raised from the dead and given new bodies without our present disabilities – God has promised that we will see this. We do have a miracle working God, but he demands of us his followers that we remain honest and carefully work out what the Scriptures really teach.

Jesus was asked,

“What must we do to do the works God requires?’

He replied,

“The work of God is this, to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:28-29

BVP