Greater Works

Yesterday, I was talking with a friend about healing as a part of the Christian life. He brought up a good point. In John 14:12, Jesus said, "The works that I do you also will do and even greater works because I go to my Father." Obviously, Jesus raised the dead, healed the sick, and cast out demons. My friend brought up the point that this also includes loving and discipling people.

I tend to talk quite a bit about signs and wonders as being what we are called to do as ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). I understand that our walk is not and should never be limited to these, but as I was thinking about his point, I realized something. Jesus called us to do not only what He did but also to do things that go beyond scope of the miracles and life transformations He did. This means that the body of Christ should, in fact, be the most innovative and creative people in the market place. This means removing poverty in places where no one could, finding cures no one else could find, and playing music no one has ever heard before because the Spirit of the living God, the Creator of creativity and the Inventor of innovation, dwells within His sons and daughters.

Jesus said to make disciples of nations (Matthew 28:19-20). This cannot be done without the leading of the Spirit and transformation of the environment around us. This is why Pentacost happened. We needed to be endued with power from on high to become Christ's witnesses throughout the whole earth (Acts 1:8).

Jesus never found a cure for cancer or aids. He is the cure, and we can expect to see healings even now. However, if there was a Spirit-filled, on-fire believer who officially cured cancer with science, that would transform the medical industry, and God's dominion would be established in that realm of society.

The reason we can do greater works than we saw Jesus do in the Bible is because we are His body. He is still working, but now it is through us. Even now, Christians must be living in such a way that of the governemnt of the Kingdom there will be no end, for it is ever increasing (Isaiah 9:7). We can do greater works because earth is not yet like heaven.