Doing greater deeds than Jesus?

[Jaxxi]

Hi guys,

In John 14:12, Jesus says this:

"I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father." (NET)

I understand that Him "going to the Father" implies that He will send His Spirit and empower us.

But, my question is: it seems to me no one has really DONE the kind of deeds / works Jesus did, never mind GREATER works.

So what is Jesus saying here? Thoughts?

Go!

No one can do greater deeds than Jesus. Before Jesus NO HUMAN SOULS went to heaven! He created a place in heaven for us! How can anyone top that?

 

[Ricky M]

No one can do greater deeds than Jesus. Before Jesus NO HUMAN SOULS went to heaven! He created a place in heaven for us! How can anyone top that?

So the scripture saying we would do greater things is a lie?

 

[Jaxxi]

So the scripture saying we would do greater things is a lie?

Maybe it means collectively as a whole but what can you think of that we could do that is greater than creating a place in heaven for mankind? We are not fortune tellers and cannot see into the future of what we will do but Jesus will be a hard act to follow! I would never say what is written is a lie. Ever.

 

[Ricky M]

Maybe it means collectively as a whole but what can you think of that we could do that is greater than creating a place in heaven for mankind? We are not fortune tellers and cannot see into the future of what we will do but Jesus will be a hard act to follow! I would never say what is written is a lie. Ever.

Jesus said we would do greater things than He did. You said nobody can. One of you is wrong.

 

[martymonster]

Hi guys,

In John 14:12, Jesus says this:

"I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father." (NET)

I understand that Him "going to the Father" implies that He will send His Spirit and empower us.

But, my question is: it seems to me no one has really DONE the kind of deeds / works Jesus did, never mind GREATER works.

So what is Jesus saying here? Thoughts?

Go!

He was talking about teaching scripture and showing other who God is. Raising someone from the dead physically is great and all, but it's only a temporary thing, and doesn't change the heart. Spiritually raising the dead however, is forever.

 

[BNR32FAN]

No one can do greater deeds than Jesus. Before Jesus NO HUMAN SOULS went to heaven! He created a place in heaven for us! How can anyone top that?

That’s a really good point which is why I believe it must refer to the number of works.

 

[BNR32FAN]

So the scripture saying we would do greater things is a lie?

Like I said earlier the Greek word megas can refer to the amount of something and since no one on Earth can ever pay for all man’s sins I would agree with Jaxxi that no one could ever top that work of Jesus which is why I believe it must refer to the number of works not greater works as our translation says.

 

[GraceBro]

Hi guys,

In John 14:12, Jesus says this:

"I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father." (NET)

I understand that Him "going to the Father" implies that He will send His Spirit and empower us.

But, my question is: it seems to me no one has really DONE the kind of deeds / works Jesus did, never mind GREATER works.

So what is Jesus saying here? Thoughts?

Go!

I believe He is referring to the restoration of the life of God, lost in Adam, which occurs when a person accepts Jesus Christ and is born again of the Spirit of God. There is no greater miracle than a person who gets saved and is brought from being spiritually dead to God to being spiritually alive to Him through the indwelling Holy Spirit. God living in His creation had not occured since the Garden of Eden. Nothing is better than that. The work of God is believing in Jesus Christ.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Hi guys,

In John 14:12, Jesus says this:

"I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father." (NET)

I understand that Him "going to the Father" implies that He will send His Spirit and empower us.

But, my question is: it seems to me no one has really DONE the kind of deeds / works Jesus did, never mind GREATER works.

So what is Jesus saying here? Thoughts?

Go!

Greater is "more of what He did" here on earth rather than the quality of a greater miracle. He spoke this directly to His Apostles and they did do more than Him as there were 12 of them and a longer period of time to spread the Gospel and accomplish what they were commanded to do.
Be blessed

 

[Guojing]

Hi guys,

In John 14:12, Jesus says this:

"I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father." (NET)

I understand that Him "going to the Father" implies that He will send His Spirit and empower us.

But, my question is: it seems to me no one has really DONE the kind of deeds / works Jesus did, never mind GREATER works.

So what is Jesus saying here? Thoughts?

Go!

1 Corinthians 1:22 states that the Jews always required signs and wonders. So it makes sense for the 12 to continue in signs and wonders since they were still preaching exclusively to Israel during early Acts. Peter's shadow and Paul's handkerchiefs healing the sick were my favorite examples of greater works.

But for us, non Jews, we are to walk by faith and not by sight. The era of signs and wonders have passed when Israel rejected their gospel by the end of Acts.

 

[Sabertooth]

What about 2 Kings 1:10-12?

You're right about that. I was thinking of Mount Carmel [1 Kings 18:20-40].

 

[Carl Emerson]

1 Corinthians 1:22 states that the Jews always required signs and wonders. So it makes sense for the 12 to continue in signs and wonders since they were still preaching exclusively to Israel during early Acts. Peter's shadow and Paul's handkerchiefs healing the sick were my favorite examples of greater works.

But for us, non Jews, we are to walk by faith and not by sight. The era of signs and wonders have passed when Israel rejected their gospel by the end of Acts.

Going back to what Jesus said in John 14:12 Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing.

Friend this is a reference to ALL WHO BELIEVE.

Jesus did not exclude the gentiles as you suggest.

Please stay with the truth of His words.

 

[Guojing]

Going back to what Jesus said in John 14:12 Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing.

Friend this is a reference to ALL WHO BELIEVE.

Jesus did not exclude the gentiles as you suggest.

Please stay with the truth of His words.

Jesus already stated in Matthew 15:24

But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

 

[Carl Emerson]

The Gospels do not support the idea of Jesus bringing the good news of the Kingdom to Jews only. In John 15 - if you read further, the faith of the Gentile Woman brings healing to her daughter. This was indeed good news. So the answer to His question in Matt 15:24 was NO and this was confirmed by His actions.

Jesus was testing her faith.

Jesus never contradicts Himself.

 

[Ricky M]

Like I said earlier the Greek word megas can refer to the amount of something and since no one on Earth can ever pay for all man’s sins I would agree with Jaxxi that no one could ever top that work of Jesus which is why I believe it must refer to the number of works not greater works as our translation says.

The issue I have with that is it's all too obvious that millions of people can do more volume than one person can. That is such an obvious given, I can't see Jesus having to make the point. Unless He thought we were that oblivious.

 

[Guojing]

The Gospels do not support the idea of Jesus bringing the good news of the Kingdom to Jews only. In John 15 - if you read further, the faith of the Gentile Woman brings healing to her daughter. This was indeed good news. So the answer to His question in Matt 15:24 was NO and this was confirmed by His actions.

Jesus was testing her faith.

Jesus never contradicts Himself.

Jesus granted her the healing because she was willing to submit herself to the Jews, recall what she said about dogs eating the crumbs that fall from the Jewish children's table?

The gospel of the kingdom was always meant for Jews only. Take what the high priest Zechariah declared under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in Luke 1

67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,

74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,

You see all the Israel, all the David, all the "his people" everywhere throughout?

I understand its difficult for most of us to accept this revelation if we are only hearing it for the first time.

Many churches love to preach almost exclusively from the 4 gospels and to realize that Jesus was only sent to the lost sheep of the house of israel during his earthly ministry will indeed be shocking.

But no worries, the ascended Christ saved Paul to reach out to us gentiles. Christ had a plan for us from the very beginning. (Ephesians 3:6-9)

 

[throughfiierytrial]

Hi guys,

In John 14:12, Jesus says this:

"I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father." (NET)

I understand that Him "going to the Father" implies that He will send His Spirit and empower us.

But, my question is: it seems to me no one has really DONE the kind of deeds / works Jesus did, never mind GREATER works.

So what is Jesus saying here? Thoughts?

Go!

Perhaps Jesus is speaking of the kind of death He would endure for the sake of us. The Apostles sacrificed their lives for their faith as well as for others and some of them if not most died a martyr's death. Paul lists his many trials and tribulations and persecutions endured for the faith...great sufferings...in
II Corinthians 11. I'm thinking along those lines.

 

[Carl Emerson]

Jesus granted her the healing because she was willing to submit herself to the Jews, recall what she said about dogs eating the crumbs that fall from the Jewish children's table?

No... she was healed because of her faith - and where does faith come from??

From hearing the Word of Christ...

Submission to God - yes.

Submission to the Jews ??? Really???

 

[ViaCrucis]

Is there anything in the text / elsewhere when Jesus says this sort of thing that indicates that he means greater number?

I guess the question is what is meant by μείζονα (meizona), the accusative plural neuter comparative of megas, depending on context it can mean taller, longer, older, bigger, or it can be of a larger quantity, and yes it could mean of a higher rank or degree. The question, then, is that Jesus promises that the one that believes in Him will do "greater" than these works He does. Does Jesus mean that every individual believer will do qualitatively greater works? Most dismiss this interpretation, probably because it seems absurd from the outset--after all, one can hardly say that the individual works that you or I have done is greater than all which Christ Himself accomplished.

But that through the Spirit, at work in the Church, there are more numerous works; the work of Christ continues through His Body, even more could be done by His ascending, the sending of the Spirit, and the going-forth of the apostolic and evangelical work of the Church out into and in the midst of the world. And in this we can be comforted, that He does not leave us as orphans (verse 18), but continues to be present in and through His Church by the Person of the Spirit.

Thus, "greater works than these" is not that the individual works of any given individual believer are of better quality than what the very Incarnate Deity Himself has done; but that the works of God might be multiplied, like leaven throughout the whole loaf of bread.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Guojing]

No... she was healed because of her faith - and where does faith come from??

From hearing the Word of Christ...

Submission to God - yes.

Submission to the Jews ??? Really???

If you recall what God told Abraham in Genesis 12:3

I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you

Its the same with Rahab, she was saved because she hid the Jewish spies, Ruth was saved because Boaz married her. Under the Abrahamic covenant, Gentiles must go thru the Jews in order to be blessed.

You recall how Jesus was willing to heal the Roman Centurion servant? Luke 7 tells us

3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them.


Jesus was sent only to the Jews, thus he also followed that. He had no ministry to the gentiles except for the 2 incidents, and in both of them, it was because they went thru the Jews.