John 14:12 states: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
Jesus did many great things, like calming the sea, healing the sick, raising the dead, feeding the people by multiplying the some loaves of bread and a few small fish, casting out evil spirits, prophesying, preaching the good news. But His life on earth was finite. So He said to His disciples that they can also do what he was doing and even greater than those. What do you think is it?
Update:To Bill – You are very correct, Bill. That is the answer that I am looking for. The Holy Spirit told us that the ministry of Jesus was only for three years since He said that He was going back to the Father and leave His disciples behind. He was about to die. But we can live many more years than that. So we can spread His word for a longer period. Jesus was confined in Palestine but we can preach His word not only to our surroundings but to the whole world via the Internet. Congratulations!
To Willow – That is a very good answer. We spread His words. Our reward? Eternal life in His kingdom in Heaven where He lives.
To Sapient – Which do you think you are better than Him? He said that you can do greater things than what He did.
To allen t – That is a very good answer. Jesus lived for three-and-a-half years only preaching the word of God. But we can live longer than that and we can continue on preaching until we leave our earthly existence.
Update 3:To ERIC S – Helping the poor man is all right but sharing His words will last longer for he can take that with him even beyond the grave.
To oblivion2130 – How about spreading His gospel?
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
The last evening before his death, he told his faithful followers: “He that exercises faith in me, that one also will do the works that I do; and he will do works greater than these.” How can we do “greater” works?
By Covering More Territory: Jesus’ sphere of activity was limited to Palestine, whereas his early disciples were told to witness “to the most distant part of the earth,” far beyond where Jesus himself preached. (Acts 1:8)
One of the signs that we are living in last days is "Matt. 24:14" "And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come." This is what the diciples asked him "Matt. 24:3 While he was sitting upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately, saying: “Tell us, When will these things be, and what will be the sign of your presence and of the conclusion of the system of things?”
Christ did not mean that his followers would do works of a more miraculous kind than he did, for there is no Biblical record that any of them performed a miracle surpassing that of Jesus in raising Lazarus who had been dead for four days. But, since Jesus was going to the Father, and his followers would receive the holy spirit to be witnesses of him “both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the most distant part of the earth” (Ac 1:8), they would cover a greater area and work for a longer time than did Jesus, in this sense doing greater works than he did.
Let's just look at the Apostles who did all the things Jesus did. People were healed just by having Peter's shadow pass across them.
They also had many more years to do it in than Jesus did. His ministry was only three and a half years.
Spread his message of Unconditional Love as the #1 Commandment across the world.
Unfortunately most Christians don't believe this even though Jesus said that there is a loving God and that Unconditional Love was the greatest command of all (Well he basically said this, Love thy God and Love thy Neighbor are the sum of the law and all commandments)
Technology and invention, protect people from illness (in the long run), help with poverty, get everyone to play their part in society by working and helping people, and we have a far greater sense of materialism than he ever will have in my opinion.
the jesus quote i am thinking of is near that one. jesus was telling the apostles about helping people: "when you do this for the least of these, you do this for me." i think that is what he was referring to in your passage too. therefore even the smallest help to a poor man is a very great work in the eyes of god.
Good question!
I think the original Greek actually means we will do more of the same, thus making His Works greater. I think its one of those funny Greek words that don't translate to English real well.
He was dead long before I was born, so I didn't have the chance to meet him. I'm sure he was better at some things than I, and that I'm better at some things than him. That's how it works with us humans!
Saving our planet by stopping pollution & global warming.
I think he means we have more resources and ability to affect more people because of internet, technology, etc in addition to doing miracles like he did...
Bring all his followers down to earth.