More Promises

Here’s a promise to comfort the disciples’ hearts and calm their fears: Jesus is not withdrawing from them. He’s not leaving the difficulty and challenges of this life so he can kick back in a heavenly La-Z-Boy. He’s going ahead of them, but he will continue to actively work in them. He is going to heaven, and from there he will supply them with infinite resources. The power he will supply them will be seen through greater works and through answered prayer.

What does Jesus mean that his disciples will do greater works? He’s not saying just the Twelve will do greater works. He says, “The one who believes in me” (v. 12). Greater can’t simply mean “more spectacular.” If he meant “more spectacular,” then his disciples might have had this discussion:

“Hey, Peter, you’re creative. Jesus said we’d do more spectacular works than he did. What’s more spectacular than turning water into wine?”

Peter thinks for a second; “What about if someone walked on water? Oh wait, Jesus already did that.”

So James jumps in: “Let’s not worry about the water miracles, what’s more spectacular than healing a man who’s blind or lame or sick? . . . What’s greater than healing a man that’s half-dead?”

“Well,” Peter responds, “you could resurrect a man who’s all the way dead.”

Nothing could be done that’s more spectacular than what Jesus did, but if we look at this promise in the larger context of God’s plan of redemption (which is its setting), we can understand what Jesus means. The works the disciples would do were not more spectacular, but they were greater in extent.

Greater geographically. One historian writes,

Think of what Jesus in the days of his flesh had actually done. He had never preached outside of Palestine. Within his lifetime Europe had never heard the gospel. He had never personally met [the] moral degradation of a city like Rome. (Barclay, John, 165; emphasis original)

But his disciples have spread the gospel around the globe.

Greater ethnically. Jesus dealt almost exclusively with the Jews. However, his disciples would deal with both Jews and Gentiles.

Greater numerically. Acts begins with a few dozen disciples meeting in a room, but by Acts 2 three thousand are added to the church.

Greater spiritually. William Barclay writes, “The triumphs of the message of the Cross were even greater than the triumphs of Jesus in the days of his flesh” (John, 165). Jesus may have raised the physically dead, but the disciples were able to witness the spiritually dead come to life (Eph 2:4-7).

However, we set up a false dichotomy if we try to contrast the works of Jesus with the works of the disciples. The distinction is between what Jesus did on earth and what Jesus is accomplishing from heaven through his people here on earth.

The Spirit’s power will not only be seen in greater works, but it will also be evident through answered prayer (vv. 13-14). Jesus promises to answer the prayers of his disciples. But lest we run home and fall on our knees begging for a new boat, notice Jesus defines genuine prayer as prayer in his name and prayer that when answered will bring glory to God. To pray in Jesus’s name is not to recite a magical incantation but to pray in line with his will. It’s to pray with the understanding the request you bring is one Jesus would sign his name to. It’s a request that, if answered, would show the world who God is and what he cares about. Hudson Taylor, the faithful missionary to China, once said,

I used to ask God to help me. Then, I asked Him if I might help Him. Finally, I ended up asking Him to do his work in me and through me, if He would be so pleased.” (Quoted in Davey, When Heaven, 135)

That’s praying in Jesus’s name.

When we pray expecting him to answer, he will. Confident prayer in the name of Jesus—according to his will—will be answered, and when that answer comes, God will be glorified. John Piper writes,

Prayer is the open admission that without Christ we can do nothing. And prayer is the turning away from ourselves to God in the confidence that he will provide the help we need. Prayer humbles us as needy and exalts God as wealthy. (Desiring God, 160–61)

This passage is packed with wonderful promises Jesus made to his disciples: the promise of a place called heaven, the promise of a path to heaven, and the promise of power from heaven. Like an engagement ring, these promises bring us hope and excitement for that day when we see Jesus face-to-face. But all of these promises come after a single command: “Believe in me.” These promises are only for people who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ alone. Remember what Jesus promises: