IV. THE DISCIPLES’ PREPARATION BY THE SON OF GOD (13:1 – 16:33)

IV. THE DISCIPLES’ PREPARATION BY THE SON OF GOD (13:1 – 16:33) A. THE DISCOURSE IN THE UPPER ROOM (Jn 13:1 – 14:31) 5. The Promise of Residence (14:1-3) 6. The Way to the Father (14:4-6) 7. The Oneness with the Father (14:7-11)

8. The Performance of Greater Works (14:12-15) a. Because I Go to the Father (v. 12) b. Because You Ask in My Name (vv. 13-14) c. Because You Keep My Commandments (v. 15) a. Because I Go to the Father (v. 12) Read Jn 14:12.

Jesus has been appealing for faith. ~ The appeal continues in vv. 12-14 by focusing on the fruitfulness that anyone “who believes in” Jesus will enjoy. ~ The promise is staggering: the person with such faith, Jesus says, will do what I have been doing; in fact, he will do even “greater works than these”.

Many people are perplexed by this statement, that’s why it bears giving considerable clarification and explanation. There are two clues to the expression’s meaning: first, the final clause, “because I go to the Father,” and second, the parallel in Jn 5:20. ~ The two clues point in the same direction.

~ Jesus’ disciples will perform greater works because He is going to the Father. ~ The very basis for their greater works is His going to the Father. Similarly, the context of Jn 5:20 shows that the greater works the Father will show the Son, and that the Son will therefore manifest to His followers, are displays of resurrection and judgment (cf. 5:17, 24-26).

~ This life-giving power of the Son depends in turn on the Son’s death, resurrection and exaltation. In short, the works that the disciples perform after the resurrection are greater than those done by Jesus before His death insofar as the works performed after the resurrection belong to an age of clarity and power introduced by Jesus’ sacrifice and exaltation.

~ The works believers are given to do through the power of the Holy Spirit who was given after Jesus’ glorification, will be set in the framework of Jesus’ death and triumph, and will therefore moreimmediatelyand truly reveal the Son. ~ As a result many more converts will be gathered into the messianic community, the newborn church, than were drawn in during Jesus’ ministry.

So the disciples need not fear that Christ’s physical absence will mean loss of power to perform miracles. ~ From heaven Jesus will continue to supply them with this power. ~ A glorious promise is here given to the one who keeps on believing in Him: He will do the works which Jesus is doing, not in spite of the fact that He is going to the Father but because of that fact.

~ How this can be true is explained in Jn14:16ff in which we see the promise of the sending of the Holy Spirit. ~ “greater works than these,” namely, miracles in the spiritual realm ~ Cf. Jn 12:23-32; Jn17:20

Now this conversion of God’s elect from among the Gentiles could not have been done before Christ’s death and ascension for the simple reason that at that time the Holy Spirit had not yet been poured out. ~ It is clear that His glory is in no way diminished, because after His departure the apostles, who were only His instruments, performed more excellent works.

Let me just make two additional necessary remarks before we leave this passage: 1) Let no one say that the work of conversioncan never in any sense be ascribed to man. (Cf. Js5:20. Also Prov 11:30 & Dan 12:3.) ~ The real Author of conversion is ever God Himself, but He uses man as an agent.

2) It is certainly worthy of notice that, according to this great saying of our Lord, the greater works are the spiritual works. SO JESUS GAVE THIS PROMISE SPECIFICALLY TO HIS DISCIPLES CONCERNING EVANGELISM.

IV. THE DISCIPLES’ PREPARATION BY THE SON OF GOD (13:1 – 16:33)