THE GREATER WORK

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. – JOHN 14:12

In the CBMC group I attended this Monday, we discussed John 14:12 where Jesus told His disciples that they would do greater works than Him because He was going to the Father.

The conversation that ensued was rich. What did He mean by ‘greater?’ I mean, Jesus turned water into wine, healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, raised the dead ... How exactly will we do greater works than that?

Greater how?
More spectacular?
Greater in quantity?
Or perhaps, ... greater in importance?

Let's look at that last one in the context of what Jesus was talking about in John 14 and His other teachings throughout the gospels.

The focus of Jesus' ministry was never to perform wonders that would convince us of His divinity. Yet He did - and still does - perform miracles that prove His authority and power to forgive and to save.

Yes, He caused the lame to walk, calmed a storm, and fed thousands with a single lunchbox, but His priority – the greater work – was to forgive our sins and save us. In Mark 2:3-5 when the paralyzed man was lowered through the roof, Jesus' first instinct was to forgive him, not heal him. At another time, He healed a man's withered hand (Mark 3:1-5), but Matthew 5:30 also records Him teaching that having a healthy hand is worthless if we spend eternity in hell. Our physical needs are important to God, but our relationship with Him is more important. That's why He came – to save us!

One of the men in our group put it this way: “When you’re about to be eaten by a shark, what you need most is not a healing, but a rescue!”

The rescue is what's most important.
That's the greater work - helping others know Christ as their Savior.

This is relevant for us today because Jesus has invited every one of us into this greater work. It's the Great Commission He left us with. Now if you are like many of us, the thought of talking about your faith or sharing the gospel with a coworker can be a little intimidating. If that's you, I encourage you to show up for one of our Connect3 Teams and join in the conversation. You'll find others like yourself who are exploring this together and discovering greater meaning and purpose in their work.

Think and pray
Christ has taken His most important priority and given it to us. Let’s be prayerful, prepared and intentional to join Him in this greater work!

Jesus, give us Your heart for the people around us who don’t yet know You. Show us how to serve them in ways that prompt a gospel conversation, then give us the confidence to step into those moments. Let it all be for Your glory, amen!

Brent Vawter serves as an Area Director for CBMC in Oklahoma City. His life was forever impacted by a man who met with him every week to help him grow in his relationship with Christ and discern God’s purpose for his life. This is now Brent’s passion as well – helping others find the community and discipleship they need to grow personally, professionally, and spiritually. You can reach him at cbmcok.com.