Following Jesus With Great Expectations

Following Jesus with Great Expectations

Scripture: John 14:12-14 (KJV)

John 14:12-14 (KJV) 12 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. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Introduction

John 14:12–14 is a part of the Upper Room Discourse (John 13–16). The disciples assembled to celebrate the Passover, not attend the Last Supper. It was a festive occasion, until Jesus broke the bad news. One of the twelve would betray Him (John 13:21). He was going away. And Peter would deny Him (John 13:38).

It seemed the mission of Jesus was doomed to fail. But in John 14:12–14, Jesus declares that this new phase of His mission will not only continue the work He performed on earth; it will exceed it. In a real sense, the Acts of the Apostles is a commentary on John 14:12–14. But it is not the end of the story. The mission of Jesus continues through you and me. This scripture gives three reasons why we should follow Jesus with great expectations.

1. We have a sovereign promise that enables us to do great things for God (v. 12).

12 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.

In order to embrace this promise, you must first recognize that Jesus is talking to and about born-again Christians. Jesus identified the beneficiaries of this promise as “he who believes in Me.” This promise is not limited to the original disciples, the apostolic age, or the early church. It applies to any and every believer. It also gives us an objective way to identify those who have true saving-faith.

a. True believers share the work of Christ.

The importance of Christian service. Jesus assumes believers work. We are justified by faith alone. But it is not a faith that is alone. True faith is accompanied by holy desires, loving obedience, and good works (Eph. 2:8–10). Faith works!

Ephesians 2:8-10 (KJV) 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

The nature of Christian service. Faith works. But the good works of true believers are more than random acts of kindness. We are to continue the work of the Lord Jesus. We are to fulfill the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20).

Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV) 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

b. True believers surpass the work of Christ.

What does it mean for believers to do “greater works” than Jesus did? It is “greater” in nature. It makes sense that the Father would use Jesus to represent Him, save the lost, and advance the kingdom. Jesus is the unique, divine, and sinless Son of God. But it is a greater work for God to use sinful people like you and me. It is also “greater” in scope. The ministry of Jesus was limited by time and space. But His disciples were commissioned to reach “the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). We have means of reaching the ends of the earth today that the early church could not imagine.

Furthermore, it is “greater” in effect. Jesus ministered to multitudes during His early ministry. But when the Lord ascended to the Father, His movement only consisted of 120 people (Acts 1:15). But on the day of Pentecost, more than 3,000 people were baptized as followers of Christ (Acts 2:41). Since then, untold millions have trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord. And there is no limit to what the Lord can do in and through us if we follow Him with great expectations.

2. We have a special partner that enables us to do great things for God (v. 12).

Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” This is the reason why the followers of Jesus will do greater works. The mission of Jesus is to continue through His disciples. This required the Lord’s departure. But the Lord’s departure would result in the Holy Spirit’s arrival. After the Lord Jesus was glorified through His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, He would send the Holy Spirit to abide in every believer (John 7:37–39). This is the reason we can live and minister with great expectations. We have a special partner who lives in us to help us to know the truth, live obediently, resist temptation, endure hardship, and do great things to the glory of God.