By Dick VanHuss

Can you imagine what it would be like to see visible miracles every day?  I’m talking about blind eyes opening, lame people walking, the dead coming back to life, and those bound being set free.  You can barely read a chapter in the gospels without seeing Jesus perform those types of miracles.  Yet, Jesus said we would do even greater things.   John 14:12-14, ¹² “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. ¹³ You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. ¹⁴ Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

I have known a lot of people in ministry who do amazing things, yet I have never met anyone that could compare or even come close to what Jesus did. So how do we look at what Jesus said in John 14 and not think he missed it?

First, Jesus went on to promise the Holy Spirit to empower us. Because Jesus is on the throne and makes intercession for us there is literally no limit to what we can ask and receive. When we pray in the will of God, invoking the name of Jesus, and allowing the Holy Spirit to operate through us with the gifts of the Spirit, each one of us can have an impact on the world around us.  You may say yes, but, that still doesn’t compare to Jesus.

Imagine I am the most extremely talented writer, speaker and minister in the church. (Really stretch your imagination.) Imagine that I am so good at everything I do that I am better than anyone else at doing everything in the church.  I am still limited to 24 hours in a day and with rest, meals, and other demands of life I have severe limitations as to what I can get done even if I am incredibly gifted.

Let’s say I enlist the help of others less talented.  For this illustration, say the people on my team are only half as good as I am at any area. Take the 10 people x .5 (half as good) and you still end up with 5.  (I know some of you aren’t mathematicians but take my word for this part.) If your net product is 5 that is still 5 times more than I could do by myself!  

The power of Jesus statement is with the help of the Holy Spirit we can all be empowered to some in the kingdom of God. When you combine what all of us do, together we do far more than Jesus did on his own while he walked on earth.  Jesus’ statement was absolutely true.  The best part is it does not drop off but continues to grow as more believers are added to the kingdom and the Holy Spirit works through each of us.  The key is for each of us to do what we can in advancing the gospel.

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for the promise of the Holy Spirit to empower us to do what you call us to do.  Thank you that you have a purpose for each of us and when we do our part, we collectively achieve what you desire.  Help me to do my part and to allow the Holy Spirit to work through me.

Questions to think about.

1. When Jesus says we can ask him for anything, are there limitations?

• How has the Holy Spirit empowered you to do things beyond your normal abilities?

• Have you ever purposely aligned yourself with someone that has different gifts so that you might better complement each other in ministry?  How did that work?