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. (NKJV)
What “works” is Jesus referring to here? Verse 11 which directly precedes verse 12 above tells us clearly what Jesus is referring to.
John 14:11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. (NIV)
The works which Jesus performed were irrefutable evidence that the Father—the One True Almighty God who created the heavens and the earth—is in fact in Him; and that Jesus is in the Father. He is of course referring to the miraculous works which He performed—the great majority of which were healing the sick and casting out demons—miracles that no human being had ever done. These unprecedented works were the indisputable evidence to the world that Almighty God is in Jesus. The works which Jesus performed were not simply—or primarily—for the benefit of born-again believers.
Jesus promised “most assuredly” that he who believes in Him would do those very same works—and even greater works.
Born-again disciples of Jesus Christ believe that the Word of God as recorded in the Bible is inspired and inerrant. Some scriptures, however, would appear to stretch our ability to embrace what they teach. One of them is John 14:12 above.
Has this solemn promise been fulfilled by every believer in the Church? Absolutely not. Only a few “anointed” ones in the nearly 2,000-year history of the Church, like the Apostles Peter and Paul, have ever fulfilled the Lord’s promise in John 14:12.
However…
…during these very Last Days when the Great Commission must be fulfilled among highly resistant people groups in the Third World, the Lord is now beginning to fulfill His solemn promise in John 14:12.
A very close and detailed study of the gospels and Acts where Jesus and the early disciples healed the sick miraculously and cast out demons can reveal to us the basic principles by which the miracles were performed. When we apply these basic principles especially in the context of reaching the Unreached in the Third World with the gospel, we are seeing the promise of John 14:12 fulfilled.
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But what about the “greater works”?
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This was fulfilled in the ministry of an Indian pastor named Simon Haqq (as well as in the ministry of others) who began training with The Elijah Challenge back in 2000 on our very first mission trip to India.
Over the years the Lord used Simon more and more powerfully and fruitfully to reach the Hindus in India using miraculous healing and the casting out of demons. On one particular occasion, each year over a period of three years Simon was asked to preach before a crowd of approximately two million Hindus. After the preaching when he asked the huge crowd to raise their hands if they wanted to repent and believe in Jesus, he saw approximately one million people raise their hands.
Then, using the supernatural authority given to disciples by the Lord, he ministered miraculous healing to those who needed physical healing in the huge crowd. Afterwards Simon asked those who had actually been miraculously healed from their infirmity to raise their hands. Simon then saw approximately one-fourth of the people in the crowd—numbering two million—raise their hands. Therefore, as Simon ministered to the crowd with the Lord’s supernatural authority, approximately one half million people were miraculously healed. Simon witnessed the same fruit each time he ministered to the crowd of two million people once a year over the three years.
This is one of many testimonies how the Lord is graciously fulfilling His promise in John 14:12 that believers will be doing the works that Jesus did, including even “greater works”.
How about you? Do you want to see the Lord’s promise in John 14:12 fulfilled in your life and ministry?
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