Just before Jesus goes to the cross, he is conversing with his disciples and he makes an outrageous claim. The disciples are pretty accustomed to this so no one questions him, but I have to believe the are thinking it. Here is what he says “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:12. Do even greater things? What exactly would that encompass? In your wildest imaginations do you think about doing greater things than Jesus?

 Maybe we can assure ourselves that he was only talking to the Disciples. Maybe it was a special deal for them and really not intended to be taken so far as to suggest that the “they” is us. But the problem with that is what Jesus says in front of it, “..whoever believes in me…”. So the nifty escape clause is gone. Jesus certainly had his disciples in mind, but as usual he was gazing upon of multiple horizons. He was yes seeing the disciples in the foreground but beyond them, 2000+ years beyond them, he was looking at you, and he was looking at me.

All of this hinged on the very last clause in the sentience “Because I am going to the Father.” That was the key, and he clarified a little later in John 16: 7 “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”   You see the greater things that those who believe in him, those who are doing the works he was doing, were going to do was not going to be out of their personal efforts. They could be confident that Jesus was not going to leave them powerless. In fact, because of His return to the Father he was going to send the Holy Spirit. All of humanity would experience the presence of God in a new way. Not just an agreement and obedience with something outside of them, not just the teaching and miracles that they could see in the life of Jesus, but an indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. It was by this Spirit who comes not only upon but into us that would change the whole deal.  It is by this Spirit that we are Empowered.

Are you ready to discover what it means to be so empowered? Are you ready to accept the possibility of even greater things?

 See you at church.

Pastor Chris