Dear Sister and Brother in Christ Jesus,
Jesus makes a statement in John 14 which has created headaches for religion and for many denominations the past 2,000 years. Jesus puts forth the assertion in John 14:12 that we, as Believers, can do the works Jesus did. Now, when we think about all the works Jesus did, the first thing that comes to the mind of many Believers is “I can’t do this, or I can’t do that.” However, it doesn’t end there. Jesus went on to say, in the same verse, the Believer will do “greater works than these.” Now, the poor Believer has toppled over with the “tilt” sign flashing on and off in their head.
John 14:12
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.
What in the world is Jesus saying in this verse? We’re not Jesus. Surely, we are not able to do everything Jesus did – and greater? I mean, Jesus is The Son of God. Can Jesus lie? No (Titus 1:2; Psalm 89:34). Therefore, if Jesus said it, it is the Truth. If we can do the greater works, does this mean we, as Believers, have more authority and power than Jesus. No, of course not. We have the same authority and the same power as Jesus. I John 4:17 tells us this.
I John 4:17
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He [Jesus] is, so are we in this world.
The Holy Spirit, through John, makes clear to us that we, in this earth, are just as Jesus is right now at the right hand of The Father. We have the same power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing (Revelation 5:12) as Jesus does right now. It is within us, in His Spirit. We are joint heirs with Jesus Christ and have received everything Jesus has received (Romans 8:17). Yes, we receive it the moment we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Are we doing anything with it?
Let’s examine Jesus’ works and then examine what the “greater works” are according to The Scriptures. Jesus announced His mission, the works He would be doing in Luke 4:18-19.
Luke 4:18-19
18 The Spirit of The Lord is upon Me [Jesus], because He hath anointed Me to preach The Gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of The Lord.
Jesus, after having been baptized and anointed with The Holy Spirit, was led into the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights by The Holy Spirit. Jesus overcame satan in the three temptations (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life). We won’t spend time on it in this message, but Jesus overcame Adam’s failures by overcoming satan in the three temptations. Adam had failed, but Jesus triumphed. Now Jesus can pick up where Adam failed and begin to fulfill the assignment God gave to Adam (be fruitful, multiply, replenish, subdue, and have dominion). Jesus returned to the region of Galilee and went to Nazareth, where He was raised. On the sabbath, Jesus, as a rabbi, was handed the reading for this sabbath. It was from Isaiah 61:1-2.
Isaiah 61:1-2
1 The Spirit of The Lord GOD is upon Me; because The LORD hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of The LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
The Scriptures tell us Jesus stopped His reading with this part of verse 2, “To proclaim the acceptable year of The Lord.” Why didn’t Jesus complete verse 2 and read on into Isaiah 61? We’ll learn as we examine Isaiah 61 in this and two more weekly messages. What we can discern is the part Jesus read are “the works” done by Jesus during His three-and-one-half year ministry.
Before continuing with the look at Isaiah 61, I would like to point out something very interesting and profound. In Jewish culture, a Talmid, which is a disciple or student of a rabbi, would dedicate their life to learning from their rabbi; not just acquiring knowledge but also adopting the rabbi’s lifestyle and practices. When the Talmid was ready for the office of rabbi, the leading rabbi or prophet would make the ordination statement of, “this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” This is what God said of Jesus in Matthew 3:17 when Jesus was baptized with water and The Holy Ghost. Amazing isn’t it! There is a reason and a meaning to every single Word in The Scriptures.
Isaiah 61:1-2 are the works of Jesus Christ that He refers to in John 14:12 with exception of the second half of verse 2. Everything we read in the four Gospels and early Acts are the works performed by Jesus. Everything in Isaiah 61:3-11, including the second half of verse 2, are the works performed by The Holy Spirit. These are the “greater works” spoken of by Jesus. The Holy Spirit indwells us as the anointing and the anointed (I John 2:20). One who is anointed by God can do things in the flesh that only God can do. Through the anointing of The Holy Spirit, and operating in The Kingdom of God, we, as Believers, can do the works Jesus did and the greater works of which He speaks in John 14:12.
When we review Isaiah 61:1-2, Luke 4:18-19, looking at Jesus’ works, His ministry during His time on earth, we see the following spelled out.
Spirit of Lord God is upon Me: Indicates divine empowerment and guidance.
Anointed Me: Jesus was chosen and consecrated for a special purpose before the foundation of the world (Acts 2:23; Revelation 13:8) and endued with power to do in the flesh only those things God can do.
Preach the good news (Gospel) to the poor: Jesus has been directed by God to bring The Gospel of The Kingdom of God to His Jewish brothers and sisters. As Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven,” so, too, are we to bring The Kingdom of God to the earth. There are no poor, sick, brokenhearted, possessed, infirmed, or joyless in Heaven; therefore, God has charged us, the Believers, with changing the conditions in the earth to that of Heaven by sharing the ministry of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:18) and The Gospel of The Kingdom of God, as Jesus did.
Bind up (heal) the brokenhearted: Jesus is to preach and exhibit, through signs and wonders, the healing and comfort of those suffering without hope. No longer is man hopeless against the attacks and bondage of satan and his forces. Now, we have The Kingdom of God and The Word of our King to speak against the powers of the kingdom of darkness because Jesus took all the authority and power of hell and death from satan (Revelation 1:18).
Proclaim freedom (liberty) for the captives: Jesus and The Kingdom of God liberates one from the physical, emotional, and/or spiritual bondage of the kingdom of darkness. Colossians 1:13 tells us God has delivered us from the power of darkness into The Kingdom of His dear Son, Jesus. We can live under the government and Spiritual laws of The Kingdom of God. We’re not living for victory, we are living from victory as a victor going to a success every single day.
Release (liberty) from darkness for the prisoners: Jesus brings light and freedom to those trapped in despair in what seems like a hopeless situation (debt, poverty, addiction, sickness, infirmity, etc.). The King of The Kingdom of God is a bright and shining light, greater than the noonday sun which resides in those that give their lives to Jesus Christ. There is no longer darkness because there is no longer an absence of light. The Light is in us as Believers. We must use The Light and The Love to put down the powers of darkness and free mankind from the bondage of the curse.
Isaiah 61:2
Proclaim the acceptable year of The Lord: Jesus declares an amazing statement which collapses time into an instant. “The acceptable year of The Lord” is known in Jewish tradition as “The Year of Jubilee.” Every fifty years, the Jewish people celebrated The Year of Jubilee according to God’s commandment. Jesus is now “The Jubilee.” In Christ Jesus, we don’t have to wait fifty years. We have all the blessings of The Jubilee right now, every second of every minute of every hour of every day for all eternity. The Jubilee brings:
Restoration of Property: Land that was sold or lost is returned to its original owners.
Release of Slaves: Hebrew slaves are freed, allowing them to return to their families.
Forgiveness of Debts: Debts are forgiven, giving everyone a fresh start.
Rest for the Land: The land is left uncultivated to rest and rejuvenate.
Proclamation of Liberty: A ram’s horn is blown to announce the start of the Jubilee.
The Year of Jubilee emphasizes rest, restoration, and renewal, reflecting the belief that everything ultimately belongs to God. While Jubilee, as we read it in Isaiah, has much to do with the physical aspect of things in the Old Covenant, in the New Covenant, it is both physical and Spiritual. We are not only released from physical bondage, but we are also released from Spiritual bondage through Jesus Christ.
We’ve reviewed the “works” Jesus performed as charged by His Father and our Father. We are to do these very same works and the “greater works,” which we will begin to examine in next week’s message.
Have a blessed week in The Lord Jesus Christ,
Larry