Summary: Jesus tells us through prayer, His followers would do greater works that He did during His earthly ministry.

In this passage Jesus tells us that those who have faith in Him will do greater works than He did while on earth. Just what did Jesus mean by “greater works?” How could those of us who believe on Him possibly do greater works than those Jesus performed during His ministry on earth? After all, Jesus gave sight to the blind; He made the lame walk; He raised the dead. Just what could His followers do that was greater?

First - They would be greater in quantity. Miracles performed by His followers would be greater in number than those done by our Lord.

Second - They would be greater in quality. The saving of a lost

sinner is a far greater miracle than healing the lame, deaf, or blind.

Third - They would be greater in nature. Jesus was referring to the miracle of the transformed lives of His followers. We aren’t surprised that God performed miracles through Jesus, but to perform miracles through you or me is a wonder, indeed.

Each of these is true. But I am also convinced God wants to perform miracles in the same sense Jesus performed them and on a greater scale than Jesus performed them through His church. The Scripture says that in the last days, God’s people will be used by Him to perform miracles that will cause unbelievers to wonder at His power and come to Christ.

“The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits and those of the people who understand shall instruct many.” - Daniel 11:32-33 (NKJV)

I realize that this is speaking of the church in the last days. But who knows whether or not we might be that generation?

The point is, I guess, that we really should spend less time trying to define the “greater works” that Jesus is referring to and more time learning how these miracles are supposed to come about through our lives as God’s people. Let’s just obey Jesus and leave the results to Him. Then we will then know for sure, exactly what Jesus meant by “greater works.” Jesus tells us that there are two reasons why God’s people can do “greater works.”

1. The Lord’s Presence With The Father - v. 12b

We understand far more than the disciples did when Jesus spoke these words, because we are living on this side of the cross.

We know the road Jesus traveled to go to the Father. It took Him through Calvary and an empty tomb. Along the way, He defeated sin, Satan, death, and Hell. Now He reigns as King and Lord over all. And since Jesus is Lord, there are two things we must we willing to do if we are to experience miracles in and through our life by His power:

A. We must submit to Him.

Jesus is Lord! That means that He performs miracles according to His agenda, not mine. He works in His timing, not mine. He does things for His purposes, not mine. Too few understand this truth. They want God to do things how they want them done, when they want them done.

“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” - James 4:3 (NIV)

If we are to see God work miracles, we must be willing for the Lord to work when He wants, how He wants, the way He wants.

One night a father overheard his young daughter praying. As he passed by her room, saw her kneeling by her bed. He was puzzled to hear her reciting the alphabet: “A, B, C . . .” He didn’t want to interrupt, but curiosity got the best of him and he asked, “Honey, what are you doing?” “I’m praying, Daddy,” she replied. “Why are you praying the alphabet?” he asked. She explained, “I wasn’t sure what to pray. So I decided to just say all the letters of the alphabet and let God put them together however he thinks best.”

B. We must commit to pray.

By virtue of Christ’s victory, the Father has decreed Satan’s power to be bound and the Spirit’s power to be released. All authority is given to Jesus, who has delegated His authority to us. We are now responsible to enforce the Father’s decrees resulting from the victory won by the Son, as we are led by the Spirit in prayer.

Five Levels of Growth in Prayer:

Level One: Imitation

Level Two: Initiation

Level Three: Intercession

Level Four: Invasion

Level Five: Invitation

"When man works, man works; when man prays, God works." - Anonymous

This brings us to the second reason why miracles are possible today.

2. The Power Of Prayer - vs. 13-14

Jesus repeats Himself here. If He says something once, it is enough. If He repeats Himself, we know we should really pay attention. Notice how He encourages us to approach Him in prayer.

A. The Motive Of Our Praying - “so that the Son my bring glory to the Father”

Pray that God would work in such a way that He alone gets the credit.

"Unless God’s glory is valued above all, His power will not be seen at all!" - Anonymous

B. The Means Of Our Praying - “in my name”

Pray with an understanding of the authority He has delegated to us. We pray as directed by His Spirit, enforcing what the Father has decreed in heaven concerning wants He wants accomplished on earth.

C. The Measure Of Our Praying - “whatever”

No request is out of line, for when we desire God’s will above all else, God will guide our prayers to be consistent with His will and ways.

D. The Might Of Our Praying - “I will do it”

The power of prayer is not found in the prayer we offer, or in the one offering the prayer, but in the One who guides and hears our prayers.

In 1540 Martin Luther had an friend named Friedrich Myconius. He became sick and on his deathbed wrote Luther a farewell letter. Luther sent a reply, “I command you in the name of God to live because I still have need of you in the work of reforming the church . . . the Lord will never let me hear that you are dead but will permit you to survive me. For this I am praying because I seek only to glorify the name of God.”

Fredriech, who had already lost the ability to speak, did soon recover and lived an additional six more years but then died TWO MONTHS AFTER LUTHER HIMSELF HAD DIED.

Why was Luther’s prayer answered? Because of the one who offered the prayer? No. Because of the eloquence of the prayer he offered? No. It was answered because of the power of God that is released in order to accomplish His will.

God’s work, done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply! If we are led by God in the work He has for us to do, we can approach His throne with boldness, and in His name, claim the miracle needed to see His work accomplished.

Conclusion: The Bible tells us that the church is the “body of Christ.” What does that mean? It means that working together with God, we are Christ at work in the world. Part of what that means, is that God wants to work miracles through His church to convince a lost world of His power to save. Yet, too many churches are devoid of that miracle-working power.

But, If we are the body why aren’t his arms reaching?

Why aren’t his hands healing, why aren’t his words teaching?

And, If we are the body why aren’t his feet going?

Why is his love not showing them there is a way?

Oh, that people might be confronted with the reality that is Jesus Christ through what they observe and experience among us! May they see through us, proof of what we declare: that our God is a miracle-working God!

For this reason, we must become a praying people!