Let us turn to the chapter that
we read in the Gospel according to St. John, John 14, and I'll read for a text the
verses 12, 13 and 14. In John 14, verse 12, 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. And whatsoever ye
shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my
name, I will do it." Now coming to these particular words, I
want today to say something on the theme of great works greater
works and the greatest work. Great works, greater works and
the greatest work is what we have in these three verses that
we've just read. In the context it is evident
that the Lord Jesus is clearly speaking of both his words and
his works in the previous verses. Verse 10 he says, Believest thou
not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words
that I speak unto you I speak not of myself, but the Father
that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I
am in the Father, and the Father in me, or else believe me for
the very words' sake." Both his words, but also his works, are
the evidence of his oneness with the Father. He and the Father
are clearly one. And again, we see it in what's
said previously, At verse 7, he says to his disciples, If
ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. And from
henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him,
Lord, so is the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto
him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not
known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen
the Father. And how sayest thou then, show
us the Father? Believest thou not that I am
in the Father, and the Father in me?" Oh, the Lord is clearly
declaring then the truth that by His words and in His works
they have the evidence that He is one with the Father. and see how he emphasizes this
truth. We have, as it were, a question
there at the beginning of verse 10. It's in the interrogative
mood there, he asks a question, Believest thou not that I am
in the Father, and the Father in me? But then he repeats that
in verse 11, but it's an imperative, it's a commandment. He says,
Believe me! that I am in the Father and the Father in me in
all his words and in all his works then he is revealing the
Father to them and see how this is so clear in this whole passage
of scripture what does he say there in the middle of verse
10 the words that I speak unto you," he says, I speak not of
myself. On another occasion he says,
my doctrine, my teaching is not my own, but is that sent me. And again back in chapter 3 verse
34 he says, he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God. and so he is asserting again
and again the truth that he is one with the Father in the words
that he is speaking in every part of his ministry all the
message that he is proclaiming it's not just his words it is
the word of the Father who had sent him but then also it's the
same with regards to his works here at the end of verse 10 He
says, The Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works. And again at the end of verse
11, He says, Believe Me for the very word's sake. All these works,
these works that He is doing, these mighty deeds, these miracles,
with everything about His life, the very life that he is living,
a life of willing submission to the Holy Lord of God, a holy
and righteous life. In all these things he is performing
the works of God, obedient, and obedient he will be even unto
death, even the death of the cross. So, both the words but
also the works are the evidence of his oneness with the Father
who has sent him. And see how he speaks here in
verse 12 of great works and even greater works. 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." Great works and greater works. Well, let's
for a while just consider those two aspects of his works. He says they're great works,
first of all. Great works. And what are the
works, then, that he is speaking of in this fashion? The great
works. Are they not the miracles that
He is able to perform? The mighty deeds, the healings
of the sick, the giving sight to the blind,
and ears to the deaf, and feet to the lame, and the rising again
to life those who are dead? These are great works. And of
course, all these great works that he has been performing are
the proof that he is that one who has been sent by God, that
he is truly the Christ. And Peter reminds the Jews of
that in his sermon there on the day of Pentecost. in Acts chapter
2 and verse 22. He says, Ye men of Israel, hear
these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you
by miracles and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst
of you, as ye yourselves also know. See how Peter clearly understands
that the works are not just the works of the Lord Jesus, but
they are the works which God did. God did them by him. Or they are the proof that he
is that one then who has been sent by God as the promised one,
the Messiah, the Christ. We know how in the eternal covenant
he stands forth as that one who is God's servant. We often quote
those words of the prophet Isaiah 42.1, Behold my servant says
God, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit
upon him. Here is that one then who has
come as God's servant and later in this chapter we see him acknowledging
God He says there in verse 28, My Father is greater than I. My Father is greater than I. In what sense? In the sense that
He is God's servant in terms of the covenant. He is the mediator
of the covenant. Again, we see it in the words
that He speaks in Mark 13, 32, speaking of the last day, Speaking of the day when He will
come again in power and glory of that day and that hour, He
says, knowest no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven,
neither the Son, but the Father. It is Christ speaking there in
terms of His mediatorial offices. He is subject to the Father. The Father is greater than I
am, he says, in that the Father is the one that sent me. My meat
is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work.
All of these works, it is all the Father's work as He seeks
to fulfill all that is undertaken in that covenant. The works in
are the proof that God has sent him. And so he can speak with
authority, as God owns and acknowledges him by these mighty works. But
at the same time, at the same time, these great works, these
miracles, also prove his equality with the Father. Yes, He is God's
servant in terms of the covenant that He has come to fulfill,
but of course, at the same time, He is never anything less than
the eternal Son of the Father, equal with the Father. And that
is revealed also in the miracles. We're told here in chapter 2
and verse 11, this beginning of miracles. where he turns the
water into wine. This beginning of miracles did
Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth his glory and
his disciples believed on him. Oh, he manifested forth something
of his own glory in the miracles, the mighty deeds. and they believed. What did they believe? Oh, they
were the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Yes, He is the Christ
in terms of the covenant, but He is always the Son of God,
the Son of the Father in truth and in love. And both of these
aspects are seen, of course, in the miracle that He performs
in Chapter 5 of this Gospel. healing of the impotent man at
the pool of Bethsaida. There we see how the Lord Jesus
is that one who was sent by God, but at the same time in chapter
5 we also see that he is that one who is equal to God. Look at the language that we
have there in that chapter. In chapter 5 at verse 17, He answers them, you see the
Jews come and they make accusation, they persecute him, because he
has healed this impotent man on the Sabbath day. Verse 17,
Jesus answered them, My Father worketh either two and I work,
or the Father is working and He is working at the same time,
they are equal. Again he says at verse 21, As
the Father raises up the dead and quickeneth them, even so
the Son quickeneth whom He will. And what the Father does, the
Son is also able to do. There is an equality, and that
is evident in the works. And yet at the same time there,
we see that He has come to serve the Father. and in a sense he
has a dependence upon the Father. Verse 19, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what is he of
the Father do? For what thingsoever he doeth,
these also doeth the Son likewise. We see both these truths at the
same time then, that he is equal with the father he can do the
same works as the father does and yet as he comes it is not
to do his own will but is to do the will of the one that has
sent him and to finish his work he is about his father's business
always he is that one who has been sent and now here in the
text you see he is speaking to his disciples and he is the one
who sends them to their work Verily, verily, I say unto you,
either believeth on me, the works that I do, shall he do also."
And remember when the Lord Jesus chooses the twelve and sends
them forth to preach, He also gives them power to perform miracles. Or they can do even as the Lord Jesus Christ dead. There in Mark chapter 3 and verse
13 following we have the commissioning of the twelve He goeth up into
a mountain called us unto Him whom He would and they came unto
Him and He ordained twelve that they should be with Him and that
He might send them forth to preach and to have power to heal sicknesses
and to cast out devils. And then we have the names of
the twelve. He sends them forth to preach
but at the same time he also gives them power to heal, to
heal the sick, to cast out the demons, to do mighty works, even
the same sort of works as he did. And we see how they did
have that power when we come to the Acts of the Apostles after
the Lord has died and after he has risen from the dead and ascended
on high. Remember how Peter speaks to
the lame man at the beautiful gate of the temple there in Acts
chapter 3 silver and gold have I none but such as I have give
I unto thee in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth arise and
walk and the man stands up and doesn't walk he runs and skips
and dances and yet that man was lying there lame at that gate
of the temple they were able to do mighty works as the Lord
Jesus Christ sent them forth. And all these works, of course,
are authenticating the message that they are proclaiming. Again,
we're reminded of these truths there in the second chapter of
the epistle to the Hebrews. Verse 3. Paul says, How shall
we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first
began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by
them that heard him, God also bearing them witness, both with
signs and wonders, and with diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy
Ghost according to his own will." All the mighty works, the great
works that Christ did, they also were able to perform. And that
was certainly the case with Paul, how he has to remind the church
at Corinth, there were those who would come into that church,
false teachers, false apostles, and they were taking the people
there away from the truth of the gospel that Paul had preached
to them. And he has to defend himself,
he has to defend his own apostleship. And what does he say? In 2 Corinthians
12, truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all
patience in signs and wonders and holy deeds. Who was the one who was performing
those mighty works? Why, it was Paul himself. He's
defending his ministry. He was truly an apostle because
he was able to do the very works that Christ himself had done.
neither believeth on me. The works that I do shall he
do also." And again, when we come to the end of his epistle
to the Romans, we see the Apostle saying something very similar
there with regards to his ministry. Verse 18, I will not dare to
speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought
by me. to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed, through mighty
signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that
from Jerusalem and round about unto Eurychum I have fully preached
the gospel of Christ." He preached the gospel of Christ and there
were those signs that followed the preaching. Mighty signs and wonders, he
says, by the power of the Spirit of God. Oh, there are then these
great works, these great works that the Lord Jesus Christ himself
was able to perform, and how the miracles authenticated him
as that one who was sent by God, but not only that, they were
also an evidence that he is that one who is the eternal Son of
God, equal to the Father. but how also the apostles were
clothed with the same authority they too performed great works
but then he goes on here to speak of greater works and greater
works than these shall he do because I go unto my father greater
works How are we to understand this? Some might say that in
a sense the works, the miracles of the apostles were more impressive. Some might want to argue that.
We certainly see remarkable things even falling under the shadow
of Peter would bring healing to certain people it seems. in
Acts chapter 5. And verse 15, we're told, "...in
so much that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and
laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow
of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also
a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem bringing
sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits, and
they were healed, every one. Even the shadow of Peter falling
upon people. Oh, surely these are greater
works, but they're not really greater works, are they? Because
the Lord Jesus Himself only had to speak a word, and by speaking
a word He could still the storm, by speaking a word it could raise
the dead. Their miracles, those mighty
deeds performed by the apostles were surely not greater than
the works that the Lord Jesus Christ himself did. There's a
sameness, there's a similarity, but their works are no greater
than his. But then some might say, ah,
but whilst their works might not be more impressive, yet they
were surely more numerous, and they're greater in that sense.
The greater works are the fact that there were more of them.
The Lord Jesus Christ was only one man, but there were the twelve. I know Judas Iscariot, falls away, but there's one chosen
to replace him, Matthias, and there's also the raising up of
Saul of Tarsus to be the apostle Paul. There were more apostles,
and surely they would have done many more miracles than the Lord
performed. And yet, the Scripture doesn't
suggest that at all. What do we read later in this
Gospel, in chapter 20 and verse 13? It says, many other signs
truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not
written in this book. Not all the mighty works, the
great miracles of the Lord Jesus Christ are recorded. And then,
in a sense, John repeats it right at the end of the Gospel. Verse 25 he says, there are also many other things
which Jesus did the which if they should be written every
one I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the
books that should be written those that are written are sufficient and they are recorded that you
might believe in his name says John but to suggest that the Apostles were able to do many
more miracles. Seems to be contrary to what
the scripture is saying. So what are we to make then of
the words? We recognize that the apostles
were able to do great works even the same as Christ did. Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that
I do, shall he do also. and what of these and greater
works than these shall he do because I go unto my father well
look at what it actually says and you will observe that the
word works after greater is in italics and you know the significance
of that it's been introduced it's an interpolation brought
in by those who are the translators If we omit that word, which we
can do, quite justifiably, it's not a translation of a particular
word from the Greek, it's an introduced word as it were, it
literally says, and greater than these shall he do, because I
go unto my father. So, we're not to think in terms
of the works, being similar to the great works there's a distinction
here they're different sort of works that are being spoken of
what are these greater things? what are these that are greater
than the miracles of healings and so forth? Well, I would say
this, that the greater things that are being spoken of are
the things of grace. The greater things are those
works of salvation, the salvation of sinners. Observe just what
he said here, what the Lord is saying. Greater than these shall
he do, and there's a reason, because I go on to the father
because I go unto the father in other words what he is saying
is my work will be completed he's speaking you see of the
accomplishments of that great work that the father has sent
him to do that really great work was the sacrifice of himself
his obedience not only in life but His obedience unto death,
even the death of the cross, the offering of Himself, the
shedding of His precious blood." Or remember how found in fashion
as a man He became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross. Wherefore, God also has highly
exalted Him and given Him a name above every name, the name of
Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess of things
in heaven and in earth and under the earth having humbled himself
to that death of the cross the father as highly exalted him
he is glorified and being glorified what has he done? Well, he has
sent forth the Blessed Spirit, the Holy Ghost has come. And
throughout this 14th chapter, into chapters 15 and 16, he is
speaking so much in these discourses of the ministry of the Holy Ghost,
who is to come, the Comforter. And we have that that's recorded
back in chapter 7, when he is there teaching in the temple
the words of the Lord Jesus chapter 7 and verse 37 the last day we're told that
great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying if any
man thirst let him come unto me and drink he that believeth
on me As the Scriptures hath said, out of his belly shall
flow rivers of living water, but this spake he of the Spirit,
which they that believe on him should receive. For the Holy
Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified. And that little parenthesis,
that bracketed 39th verse, so important, so significant, it
was when he had finished the work when he ascended to the
Father that the Holy Ghost was sent forth to do his mighty work
in this day of Christ therefore being by the right hand of God
exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the
Holy Ghost, says Peter, he hath shed forth this which ye now
see and hear." All those glorious events on the day of Pentecost,
when the Spirit came. And it's all an answer, of course,
to the prayer that the Lord was going to pray later in chapter
17. He would glorify the Father,
He would finish that work that the Father had given Him to do. What does He say there? In the
High Priestly Prayer, verse 4 of chapter 17, I have glorified
thee on the earth, I have finished the work which thou gavest me
to do, and now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self,
with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." All
he was to rise again from the dead, he was to ascend to heaven.
He was to be glorified as the savior of sinners. All power,
all authority was given to him. And they were to be the ones
who would proclaim this great message. This is the greater
work. greater works, or greater things, than these shall he do,
because I go unto the Father." And is it not so evident in what
we're told immediately there in the Acts of the Apostles?
We've referred to Peter and his preaching on that day, that auspicious
day, and then we're told the consequence of that preaching.
Three thousand. all three thousand souls awakened
brought under such conviction of sin crying out for mercy there
in verse 33 of Acts 2 where verse 33 speaks of his
greater gift of the Holy Spirit later isn't it after the sermon
verse 41 then they that gladly received His word were baptized,
and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand
souls. Now how they were pricked in
their hearts, you see, and how they cried out to Peter and the
rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? And
Peter answers, Repent and be baptized every one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and you
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." And it says, with
many other words, he testified and exhorted, save yourselves
from this untoward generation. And then we have that statement
about the 3,000. 3,000 souls as a result of one
sermon. All this surely is one of those
greater greater than these shall he do, because I go unto my Father."
And then, later in Acts, in chapter 4 and verse 4, we're told this, many of them
which heard the word believed, and the number of the men was
about 5,000. Again, this is the ministry of the apostles,
you see. And now we're told, there were
5,000. This is men only, let alone the
women also. These are the greater works. Again, chapter 5 and verse 14
there in the Acts, it says, believers were the more added to the Lord
multitudes, both of men and women. This then is how we are to understand
what is being said by the Lord in this twelfth verse. He is
speaking of what will be the consequence after he has completed
all the work that the Father had committed to him, that great
work that is so much the subject matter of the discourse at this
particular point, as we said at the beginning. the significance
of his works, as well as his words. And when that work, oh
it was a covenanted work, the eternal covenant of Christ, was
what he together with the Father and the Holy Spirit had purposed from all eternity.
When that work was completed, and he returns to the Father
and sheds abroad the Holy Ghost so there will be a great work
accomplished in the souls of sinners and we have to remember
always of course how that in the Gospels where we have the
record of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ the miracles
always serve the Ministry of the Word. The Ministry of the
Word is acted as the prime place. What are the miracles and what
is the purpose of the miracles? Well, they authenticate that
message. As we've said many times before, It's so interesting that
here in this gospel according to Saint John the word that is
constantly used that we know as the word miracle is really
the Greek word for a sign. It's a sign. And what does a
sign do? Well, it points, it gives direction.
And this is what the miracles do. They direct us to the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ, who this man is, and what really
this man is about. You go back to the first miracle
that we've already referred to there at Cana in Galilee. It
literally says he's beginning of signs. did Jesus in Cana of
Galilee, and manifested forth his glory." In other words, the
miracle is a signpost which directs us to Him, the One who is now
revealing something of His glory, His greatness, as the Eternal
Son of God, and the disciples, it says, believe on Him. And it comes out time and again,
really, in the Lord's own ministry. that the miracles, great works
that they were are not so important as the spiritual
aspect of his preaching look at what he says in chapter 6
and verse 63 it is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth
nothing the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and
they are life and this is what we must always remember how men
can be so taken up you see with mighty deeds, miraculous works
in a sense these things impress the flesh we might say but the
important thing when we come to the word of God is to understand
the spiritual significance of God's words God's Word is
meant to reach into the souls of men. When God comes by His Spirit,
when He comes in His Word, is there not a blessed application?
Are we not made to feel something of the authority then of the
Word of God? Does it not then begin to take
hold of our minds? Are we made to wonder at those
things that are being stated concerning Jesus of Nazareth
and all that He is and all that He has done. And it's not just
a matter of the Word, as it were, taking hold of our mind as the
Spirit comes and enlightens our poor darkened minds. But we want
that Word to come and to dwell in our hearts and to take possession,
as it were, of our souls that we might be brought to feel to
feel these things or to know that blessed ministry of the
Spirit and so what our believers in a sense they are wonders greater
than these shall he do says the Lord because I go unto my Father
God's people when they are wrought on by the Spirit of God when
they brought to experience the blessings of that salvation that
the Lord Jesus Christ came to accomplish when he had finished
that work when he had returned again to the Father. Now the Spirit comes and works
in the soul and what is this person who comes to believe these
things? All the importance you see of
faith here He says, Verily, verily, I say unto you, either believeth
on me. This is what we must come to.
We must be brought to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And what
a wonder is that person, who in himself is a sinner, a soul
dead in trespasses and sins, and yet, when the Spirit comes
and there's that effectual work of the Spirit, that efficacious
call, that work of regeneration, What is this person? Well, that
person then is a wonder, a miracle of grace. Oh, the psalmist says,
I am as a wonder unto many, but thou art my strong refuge. Oh, that's what the believer
is brought to, is it not? To look to the Lord Jesus Christ
as his refuge, and he is a wonder. Again, look at the language that
we have there in Zechariah 3 and verse 8. concerning believers,
the people of God. It says they are men wondered
at. They are men wondered at. Oh,
is that true of us? The wonder to ourselves. Maybe
we feel sometimes we're a mystery to ourselves. We're such strange
creatures really. We feel it. We feel that conflict
between the old nature and the new nature. but are we those
who are a wonder unto others because we've come to embrace
the person who is speaking here in our text. But I want us this
evening to go on to see how in a sense the Lord in verses 13
and 14 speaks of the greatest work of all and that is that
we have We have an access to God, we can speak to Him, we
can pray to Him. And what does the Lord say? Whatsoever
ye shall ask in my name, that will I do. That the Father may
be glorified in the Son, if ye shall ask anything in my name,
I will do it. That is the greatest of all,
is it not, that we can come where God is and in the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ we can plead with Him, that He would yet come
and and manifest Himself and manifest to us His glory. But here in the twelfth verse
we have these two things in, the great works. Those miracles
that were the authentication of the message that was being
proclaimed first by Christ and then by His apostles, but then
after He had completed all that work, all that greater work, the salvation of sinners, the
calling of a multitude of souls out of darkness into light. May the Lord be pleased to bless
this text to us. Verily, verily, says Christ,
double 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. Well, the Lord
bless his word to us.