“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe [Me] because of the [very] works themselves [which you have witnessed]. I assure you and most solemnly say to you, anyone who believes in Me [as Savior] will also do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these [in extent and outreach], because I am going to the Father. ” (John 14:11-12, AMP)
WOW! Do you believe these scriptures? If not, then you are telling the Lord that He is a liar, because it is He who is speaking these words!!! Jesus even re-enforces the words when He says… I assure you and most solemnly say… If you don’t accept these words… what do you do with and about them? Do you try and ignore them?
And if you do accept this as YOUR commission then how does it make you feel? Frightened? (Not of the Lord) Excited? (Not of the Lord) ‘Bemused, Bothered, and Bewildered’? (Not of the Lord) Humbled? All the above? None of the above? But regardless, what do you think? If it was too great, you never would have been given this authority. But look at the words – in extent and outreach. It is not telling us that we will be greater than the Lord but that the potentiality exists that we can reach more lives. Jesus’ ministry lasted only 3 years and look at what He accomplished! Ours can last longer and because of what’s available we can ‘do more’.
Personally, I have always been challenged by this scripture. When I look at what Jesus did… I don’t even come close. And that bothers me. If the Lord chose to provide the equipping and authority to do all that He did for me… why am I not walking in this? And if I’m not, how can I ever possibly do ‘greater’ things. I feel I fall so far short from what I can do, but it is a stimulus not a ‘whip’. At least that’s my chosen mindset… don’t always accomplish this.
Then again… maybe focusing on the ‘greater things’ shouldn’t even enter into the discussion. Where our focus should be is what’s at our hand. What can we be doing right now… right where we are. ? Why should we be focusing on what our ‘greater things’ may be when we aren’t even doing what we can? Think about it… perhaps part of our ‘greater’ is looking at what we can be and do… here and now.
