John 14:12 – Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father.
This was one of the most shocking things Jesus ever said to His followers. How could this possibly be true? Greater things? These disciples had seen it all; water into wine, multiple people raised from the dead, walking on water, multiplying fish and bread, casting out demons, and healing miracles far too numerous to count. How could Jesus say such a thing to His followers? Apparently Jesus was trying to shock these men into a new reality, they were about to be baptized in the Holy Spirit and suddenly they would become the instruments of God in changing the world. They had to be careful not to get it wrong, it was actually not them but Christ in them doing the miracles. It’s easy for ay of us to take credit when the Lord begins to move but is always the same conclusion, it is not us doing anything but the Lord working through weak vessels to show His glory to the world. Here is how Augustine describes this.
“Do not let the servant exalt himself above his Lord or the disciple above his Master. He says that they will do greater works than he does himself, but it is all by his doing such works in or by them, and not as if they did them of themselves. And so we have the song that is addressed to him, “I will love you, O Lord, my strength.” But what, then, are those greater works? Was it that their very shadow, as they themselves passed by, that healed the sick? For it is a mightier thing for a shadow, than for the hem of a garment, to possess the power of healing. The one work was done by Christ himself, the other by them. And yet it was he that did both.”
This is the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit. It looks like the vessels are doing something but in actuality they are just vessels. We become the hem of the garment that someone touches. It wasn’t The garment that healed the woman with the issue of blood, it was Jesus. That’s what we have to settle in our own hearts, we are just the tool He uses, He is actually performing the greater works Himself.
