Greater Things than These
According to tradition, the miracles and supernatural wonders of the Messianic Era and the World to Come will utterly eclipse even the greatest signs and wonders performed by Moses. As Yeshua prepared to say farewell to His disciples, He alluded to that tradition when he said, “He who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father” (John 14:12). The departing Messiah told His disciples to anticipate doing greater works than His.
Just as Yeshua had done the work of the Father because He is in the Father and the agent of the Father, henceforth the disciples of Yeshua were to carry on the work of Yeshua as His agents. Yeshua prayed, “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (John 17:18). This chain of command resulted in His disciples wielding the same authority and power which Yeshua derived from God.
The disciples of Yeshua were enabled to do greater works than His own because He returned to the Father, leaving the world so that He might better work through the agency of His disciples. He is no longer limited as one man in one place at one time, but He works through the whole body of Messiah, bringing redemption to the world. This is evident in that, if the disciples petition God in Yeshua’s name, the Master says that He Himself will do it.
Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (John 14:13)
But hold on one second. Did the disciples do “greater works” than those performed by Yeshua? The apostles walked in the power of the Spirit, and they performed many great miracles. “At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people” (Acts 5:12). Paul says, “The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles” (2 Corinthians 12:12).
As individuals, the apostles might not have surpassed the supernatural calibre of their Master, but as a collective body, they changed the whole world by their testimony—and the best is yet to come.