GREATER WORKS!

Miracles to us are merely works to Jesus. The works (εργα) Jesus did on earth often referred to miraculous deeds (John 5:20; 7:21) that no one else ever did (John 15:24). However, all of these works were part of one great work - the work Jesus came to do on earth - to save mankind (John 17:4). Jesus considered this work His greatest work.  "Works" are "a way of linking the miracles with the non-miraculous. It shows the whole of Jesus life glowed with divine glory" (Morris, John, p.689) as He worked out His salvation purpose.

Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, the works (εργα) that I do, he will do also; and greater than these he will do; because I go to the Father" (John 14:12). One of the proofs validating Jesus' claims is the fact that His followers do greater works than He did. The particle οτι is causal. His followers will do (ποιησει) greater works because Jesus goes to the Father. The departure of Jesus causes greater works to be done through His followers - by extension, us!

How did the disciples do greater (μειζονα) works than Jesus? Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead. How can our works be greater than those works? The Apostles certainly did some great miracles. People were healed when Peter's shadow fell on them (Acts 5:12-16), and God healed people by the sweat rags of Paul (Acts 19:11-12). Sadly, many today try to emulate these miraculous works not understanding that Jesus was talking about greater works than these. The comparative adjective requires a standard of measurement to apply to the comparison.

Our works are greater in power because they are done by God using weak, flawed and sinful humans. God chooses to get His work done through us requiring greater power than if He had done it Himself. When all is said and done, the works we do are ultimately His works done through us. That anyone in this world should be drawn to Jesus through our soiled works is an act of omnipotence!

Our works are greater in scope. Jesus left this world having accumulated 500 disciples after 3 years of work.  Peter preached one sermon and 3,000 people were saved. The works of Jesus have been expanded exponentially into a global kingdom by the followers of Jesus. Works expanded are greater works.

Our works are greater in value. Jesus implied that His own spiritual works were greater than His physical miracles (John 5:20) showing us that spiritual conversion is more valuable to Jesus than physical healing. There is no greater work in the mind of Jesus than the conversion of one soul. Jesus does His conversion work through us thereby using us to do greater works for Him. The miracle of conversion is the greatest work of all!

UNION AND INTIMACY

The union of the Father and the Son is proved by Jesus' words and the Father's works (John 14:10). Jesus proves that He is in the Father because He does not speak on His own initiative. He does not speak "by means of Himself" (απ εμαυτου). The Father proves that Jesus does not speak on His own initiative by the works God does through Jesus. The works verify the words.

The Father is living in Jesus (John 14:10). The word "living" (μενων) is a nominative participle modifying Father. It means enduring, continuing or remaining. The Father is continuously living in Jesus. Jesus says, "The living in me Father"  performs (ποιει) - on an ongoing basis - His works, thereby verifying the words of Jesus.

Jesus calls us to believe Him (John 14:11). What are we to believe?  Jesus defines the content of our faith not the cause of our faith in the expression "I am in the Father and the Father is in Me." The particle (οτι) should be translated "that" not "because" (Meyer, John, p 412). We are to believe Jesus when He says "that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me." This is an essential doctrine of Christianity.

Why must we believe that? We must believe Jesus' words about His union with the Father because the mutual indwelling of the Father and the Son is the foundation for the mutual indwelling of Jesus and His followers (John 14:20). We are in Jesus, and Jesus is in us. Jesus is in the Father, and the Father is in Jesus. The Father sends the Spirit of Truth to be in us (John 14:17). The Tri-Unity of God is the model for our unity in Jesus, so the Tri-Unity of God is an essential teaching of our faith.

The basis of our union with Jesus is His union with the Father. We must believe His union with the Father in order to experience our union with Jesus. The intimacy we enjoy with Jesus is grounded in the intimacy He enjoys with the Father.