John 14:12

Mark Scholtz on disciples making disciples who make disciples, who operate supernaturally in the big and small things.

Mark Scholtz

"I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father." (John 14:12)

We find it hard to imagine that we can do greater miracles than Jesus. The greatest miracle possible is to raise the dead. Jesus did that more than once. That's a hard one to top! Are we now supposed to go into the mortuary and try and raise groups of people from the dead? Jesus calmed the storm that was buffeting the boat on the Sea of Galilee. He spoke to the elements and told them to be still. That's a hard one to top. Are we now meant to run into tornados and category four hurricanes and calm them?

Now we can't necessarily rule that out, but was Jesus actually saying that we need to aim at doing more spectacular miracles than Him? It all depends on how we understand the word "greater."

Just a few verses on, Jesus talks about how the Holy Spirit would be coming. Then, two chapters on from that He says that it's to our advantage that He returns to the Father, because then He can send the Holy Spirit. Jesus was declaring that the time was coming when His Spirit would be poured out on all flesh and He would be able to multiply the Kingdom expansion work. The supernatural and miraculous was about to start to break out exponentially! Disciples would make disciples who would make disciples, and every disciple would have the capacity to operate in the supernatural. This was the "greater" that would be possible when it was no longer Jesus doing all the work alone!

These are the days we live in now after Pentecost. I believe that the call to "greater things" was also about a greater quantity of miracles.

Why am trying to broaden what Jesus meant by "greater?" Am I trying to minimise the miraculous? Absolutely not! I'm making a case that there should be many more miraculous things happening! Our understanding of the word "greater" can be a hindrance though. I believe that when we read John 14:12, we tend to interpret it as a call to do more spectacular miracles than Jesus. Most of us find this so overwhelming that we don't even get started, and we leave the "greater works" to a few people we think are anointed enough to pull it off! Or perhaps we spend too much time dreaming about doing the spectacular miracles that we forget about the everyday opportunities we have to operate in the supernatural. We wait around for that big moment. Yet all we need to do is all play our part in being intentional about bringing the supernatural into the spaces and places we find ourselves and the effect will be exponential!

Perhaps your church has small group gatherings in the week. There are people there who need a word of encouragement or prophecy. In that moment, they don't need you to be dreaming about doing a spectacular miracle. They need you to dream a little smaller, and walk across the room and pray for them.

Imagine how many more people could experience the supernatural if we all became more intentional about doing this. Let's also not forget that salvation is still one of the greatest miracles and God wants to partner with us as we reach out to the lost around us.

If it was meant to be a one man show, then Jesus would have remained on earth and continued on His own. The plan was greater than that. Jesus' body became us, spread out across the world and filled with His Holy Spirit, bringing millions of supernatural works from Heaven to touch earth.

Don't live your life through the Kingdom experiences of someone else. God has work for you to do. The more believers there are doing miracles big and small, the greater the impact.