What exactly did Jesus mean? Admittedly, when we think of the works Christ performed while on earth, they are pretty hard to top. Raising people from the dead is a pretty magnificent work I doubt any one of us could pull off, let alone attempt. At this point, however, I think it might be good for us to reflect on something an older pastor told me once:
"Instead of seeking to lower the high and lofty meaning of God's Word to the level of our experience; we need to allow God to elevate the level of our experience up to the high and lofty level of God's Word." - Byron Moore
If there was ever a promise of God we might be tempted to lower to the level of our experience, it'd be this one. Instead, we need to allow God to elevate the level of our experience to the level of God's Word. But to do that, we must understand what Jesus means when He speaks of the works that He did and the greater works He says we'll do as believers.
1. How Jesus went about His work while on earth.
A good rule of thumb is to always consider the context of a passage in order to understand it. So let's read the verses before and after our text.
(Read John 14:8-14)
Phillip asked Jesus to show them the Father. Jesus said the Father had been revealed through His life. I believe we learn what Jesus meant about believers doing what He'd been doing. What'd Jesus been doing?
A. Jesus walked in communion with the Father - v. 10a
"I am in the Father and the Father is in me."
B. Jesus spoke the words His Father wanted Him to speak - v. 10b
"The words I say to you are not just my own."
C. Jesus did the works the Father wanted Him to do - v. 10c
"It is my Father, living in me, who is doing His work."
D. The Father was revealed through Jesus' life - v. 9b
"Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father."
When Jesus spoke of the works those who believed on Him would do, rather than referring to the miracles which the Father worked through Him; Jesus was referring to the manner by which the Father worked through Him.
2. Believers are to do the kind of works Jesus did and even greater.
How's God work through us? The same way He worked through Jesus. We are to commune with Him and have Jesus revealed in our lives by what we say and do. This is our purpose as the people of God.
"It was the Father who sent me, and I am now sending you in the same way." - John 20:21 (Easy to Read)
Believers are sent by Jesus to represent Him just as the Father had sent Him to represent Him. We do this like Jesus did. But how can God work through us in ways that are greater than His work through Jesus?
The work through believers is not greater in nature, but greater in number.
The greatest work of all time is the work of redemption accomplished through our Savior's crucifixion and resurrection. We will never do works that are greater in nature than what our Savior has accomplished. But we can do works that are greater in number. Why?
"Because I am going to the Father." This refers to Jesus' resurrection and ascension, after which the Holy Spirit would be sent to indwell every believer. Rather than being confined to one body, Christ would indwell and work through every believer; and through our lives, others would come to know Him. Today, because the Holy Spirit indwells every believer, the work of Christ continues 24/7, all around the world!
When Jesus appeared to Mary after his resurrection, He told her that though it had been good for Him to be among them, His going away would make it possible for Him to be with them in a way that's far better (John 20:17). Before the Christ's crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, the Spirit's presence had to be requested (Luke 11:13) and His presence wasn't permanent (Psalm 51:11). But note the difference Christ said would take place afterward.
"I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever. The Helper is the Spirit of truth. The people of the world cannot accept him, because they don’t see him or know him. But you know him. He lives with you, and he will be in you. I will not leave you all alone like orphans. I will come back to you. In a very short time the people in the world will not see me anymore. But you will see me. You will live because I live. On that day you will know that I am in the Father. You will know that you are in me and I am in you."
- John 14:16-20 (Easy to Read)
Notice the difference for the believer on this side of the cross:
A. The Holy Spirit's presence in us is permanent - "forever"
B. The Holy Spirit is not just with us, but in us - "in you"
C. Christ indwells us through the presence of the Spirit - "I will come back to you."
D. The Holy Spirit will enable us to know Christ better - "You will see me."
E. The same power by which Christ was raised from the dead, the power of the Holy Spirit, will be made available to us - "You will live because I live."
F. Because of the Holy Spirit, we will enjoy the same level of communion with Jesus as He knew with the Father - "You will know that you are in me and I am in you."
Note this last difference. Through the Spirit coming into our lives, it's possible to know the depth of communion with Jesus He knew on earth with the Father. By virtue of that communion, the Father was revealed in the life of Jesus by what He said and did. The same is true for us.
It is through our communion with Christ that we can be empowered to fulfill our commission from Christ.
Have you ever heard the expression, "I'm all in"? That's what happens when we believe in Christ as our Savior and Lord. If you remember the illustration of the chair we used last Sunday, you'll recall how we said it isn't enough to say we believe the chair can hold our weight; we have to go "all in" and sit down. When we do that, that is saving faith. And when we believe, not only are we "in Christ" but Christ is "in us." In other words, He is "all in." He who has given Himself for us now gives Himself to us.
By His presence, we can fulfill our purpose. As we invest in our love relationship with Christ, as we grow in our commitment to be "all in" with Jesus, we realize more and more the power by which we can live in such a way as to represent Him to others. We will realize how He is "all in" with us. (Read v. 13-14). Note that Jesus gives only one condition to this promise - to ask in His name. What does this mean?
"I give you the Holy Spirit. I give you the power of the crucified and risen Christ. And I now promise you that you can ask for anything in my name for this mission - for the glory of my Father. 'In my name!' That is, for my fame and not yours. Because of my divine worth and my infinite payment on the cross. And according to my sovereign wisdom. Put every request though that filter - my fame, my worth, my purchase, my wisdom. And every prayer will be answered. You will have everything you need to do the works that I do, and even the greater works." - John Piper
If you and I will go all in with Jesus, we will realize how He is all in with us; and we will be enabled by His Spirit to live a life where we can fulfill our God given purpose of living in such a way that every word we say and every action we take points others to Him.
"Over the last thirty years, we have created the most risk-averse society in history. We are the most seat-belted, bike-helmeted, air-bagged, kneepad-wearing, private-schooled, gluten-freed, hand-sanitized, peanut-avoiding, sunscreen-slathering, hyper-insured, massively medicated, password-protected, valet-parked, security-systemed, inoculated generation in history - and all it has done is make everyone more afraid of everything." - Scott Dudley
This thinking has crept into the lives of too many of God's people, who are living a cautious Christian life as opposed to a courageous Christian life; and rather than "expecting great things from God and attempting great things for God," as William Carey once exhorted the church, we don't expect anything from God or attempt anything for God.
Conclusion: God's purpose for Moses was fulfilled when he finally decided to be "all in" with God. When Moses stopped saying no; stopped making excuses; stopped being fearful; when he finally said "I'm all in;" look at what happened! He had a commanding performance before Pharaoh; two million people were freed from f slavery; the Red Sea was parted and two million people escaped on dry land; he received the Ten Commandments; wrote the first five books of the Bible; and experienced the miracles of the manna, Mount Sinai, the Promised Land, and the glory of God. In other words, the best years of Moses’ life happened only after saying "I'm all in!" And it was only after he decided he was "all in" that he discovered how much God was "all in" for him.
The same is true for us. When you decide to be "all in" for Christ, incredible things happen. On the other hand, nothing much happens to people who always say no. So which are you going to be? You want to live with a sense of eternal purpose? Then say yes, to being all in for Christ and then hang on for the ride of your life.
