I have tried to imagine what the generation of Christians would look like, that did the ‘greater works’ spoke of by Jesus in John 14:12.
“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.”
It’s amazing enough to do the works of Jesus but how can we do greater works than Jesus did? It appears that the key to doing the greater works is ‘knowing’ that Jesus has gone to be with the Father. It seems that Peter and Paul understood what this meant, for they did something that Jesus never did in His earthly ministry. In the Book of Acts we read that Peter’s shadow healed the sick.
“As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by. Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed.” Acts 5:15-16
Jesus never did that in His ministry, so this could be regarded as a ‘greater work’. The Apostle Paul’s work aprons were sent to the sick and they were healed and not only that they had demons cast out of them. In Jesus’ day you had to actually touch His robe while He was wearing it for virtue to be imparted to you. We see this in Luke 6:19
“God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” Acts 19:11-12
Today we struggle to see the Church do the works of Jesus let alone any greater works. I believe the secret to the Church doing the greater works lies in us knowing our position in Christ. God has been positioning His ‘Last Days’ Church for a revelation of who He is and who they are in Christ like never before. Its as if our path is getting brighter and brighter as we get closer to the Lord’s coming. It could never have happened in the Dark Ages, for they thought the blessings of God could only come through works. Slowly but surely we are understanding all that we have through grace.
Jesus said that we would know that He is in the Father and that we are one with Him, because He is living in us. This is why Jesus said that we would be able to do the greater works, because He has gone to the Father. It’s all dependent on our understanding this truth. We need to believe it even though we can’t see it, for ‘blessed are who have not seen yet believe.’
“So when that day comes, you will know that I am living in the Father and that you are one with me, for I will be living in you.” John 14:20
Paul says in Romans that we need also understand that we have been co-glorified with Christ. In knowing this truth of being in Him, in His death and resurrection, we can appreciate that, all that He has been given has been given to us too. We have been given all that He is and all that He has. Not only is this truth amazing, but He says that we can also share in His glory.
“And since we are his true children, we qualify to share all his treasures, for indeed, we are heirs of God himself. And since we are joined to Christ*, we also inherit all that he is and all that he has. We will experience being co-glorified with him provided that we accept his sufferings as our own.” Romans 8:17
*“But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” 1 Corinthians 6:18
It’s an amazing thought, that we can share in His glory, how can that be? It’s because we are in Him by grace with our sins forgiven that these blessings become ours too. It also makes sense that if we are ‘co-glorified’ with Him then, what He is now in heaven is what we are here on earth. We are told in the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ to ask that His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. It’s all to do with what we are in the spirit inside of us as new creatures in Christ. Paul prayed that Christ would be formed in the Church and John said that Jesus would become our life.
“By living in God , love has been brought to its full expression in us so that we may fearlessly face the day of judgment, because all that Jesus now is, so are we in this world.” 1 John 4:17
It says here that we are as Jesus is NOW, not as He was. He is now glorified and we are with Him in Heavenly Places where He has given us His glory. Jesus is not the baby in the manger anymore nor is He like the Jesus who walked the shores of Galilee. He is now glorified and has a glorious new body, which He has given to us and one day we will see that we are like Him. Jesus said at the Last Supper that the bread was His body given for us. He has given us His body. As it says in John 14:20, we are now in Him, and He is in us, and we are one with Him in Spirit. He that is joined to Christ, is one spirit with Him.
Paul says in Ephesians 1:16-23 that we the Church, are His body in which all His fullness dwells. If this is true then something should be happening?
As I said earlier I have tried to imagine what this Glorious Church would look like and what some of these greater works would be? If you follow my train of thought then these things are possible.
The glorious Lord is different to the one that walked the shores of Galilee. He has been transfigured, and all authority has been given unto Him in Heaven and Earth, so He would be awesome in power.
“He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed - but he marches on forever.” Habakkuk 3:6
The thought has come to me that this glorified Jesus can look at people and make them tremble. If this is true then the glorified Christ who is in us (we are as He is now), then we should start believing that as we too look at people prayerfully that the presence of God will come upon them. If they are in sin, that they will sense the fear of God. If they are sick they will be healed and if they are His children they will experience His wrap around presence. This would be a greater work like Peter’s shadow healing the sick wouldn’t it? Paul told us to believe that God will do far above what we dare to ask or think. Ephesians 3:20 so we need to be thinking bigger.
“He who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke.” Psalm 104:32
It says here that when He touches things they catch alight. Could it be that this Super Generation is able to impart the fire of God to all those they touch? An impartation even with the shaking of a hand?
Jesus in His glorified body was able to go from one place to another in the Spirit. We read of Ezekiel being lifted up by God and taken to different places as well. We also see that Philip did a greater work after Jesus’ death and was taken up and transported from one place to another.
“When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.” Acts 8:39-40
The world is waiting for the manifestation of the Sons and Daughters of God, a generation who will do the greater works. A people who are like their glorious Lord, a people who have been prepared to handle the greater works. A people who will shake the heavens and the earth for the Lord is the King of their hearts. We read of God’s Army in Joel chapter 2. I don’t think they will literally shake the earth but there will be a seismic shift in the spiritual realm when they are on the scene.
“Before them the earth shakes, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The Lord thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty is the army that obeys his command. The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?” Joel 2:10-11
So these are some things I can see taking place in this End Time Church because Jesus has gone to the Father and we are in Him. This End Time Army are not distracted by the world and its trinkets, for they have overcome the world.
“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:21-22