C, Pentecost Sunday - John 14:12 & 27 "Higher Things"
To do what Jesus did and does! How is this possible? What did Jesus do, anyway? What’s it mean for us when Jesus says “you
will do even greater things”; that is, greater things than the things Jesus did
before he was taken to the right hand of the Father in heaven. And what can you expect to be doing when you
allow yourself to be guided by this promise Jesus makes to you here in John
chapter fourteen?
To know the greater things God desires to constantly
do in, with, and through us, we first need to know just what it was that Jesus
did, while he was on earth.
We might look to him turning water into wine! Or making a small meal of bread and fish feed
five thousand. These things are great,
yet we do greater.
How about the healings he performed as he
dwelt amongst the people of the day! During Jesus’ ministry he did many miraculous
things amongst those who were sick and dying.
But Jesus still did greater than this, and he promises that now we can
do greater things than these. How can
this be?
Jesus walked on water, he made storms go
calm, and a fruitless fig tree withers at his curse. He raised Lazarus from the grave three days
after he was had died, as well as Jairus’ daughter and the widow’s son at
Nain. He cast out demons, yet he still
did greater than all of these things.
So we might come to the conclusion that the
greatest thing Jesus did was to die on the cross and come back to life on the
third day. This is surely great,
however, Jesus didn’t do these things, but rather he was passive in these
events. In fact, they were done to
him! He never crucified himself, nor did
he raise himself from the grave. We
human beings crucified him and God raised him.
In all these events plenty of marvellous and
miraculous things happened. That’s for
sure! However, in these astonishing
things a more specific greatness occurs, but is not immediately obvious. This is the greatness to which we have been
called since Jesus’ ascension to the right hand of the Father.
Jesus first had to be raised so he could have
access to all people, in order for us to do the greater things than the things
he did. He and the Father also then had
to send the Holy Spirit, so we might be connected to the Father and Jesus
Christ as one, and so the greater things can occur.
But before Jesus was raised what he did which
was the greatest work, was his faithfulness to the Father, even though he knew
it meant his life would be taken, even though he knew he would be killed, he
trusted and was obedient unto death.
Jesus greatest works began immediately after
his baptism in the Jordan by John when he was led into the wilderness to be tempted
by the devil. He didn’t succumb to
temptation but remained faithful. And
the greatest work of faithfulness is illuminated by the glory it gives to the
Father in heaven.
There was no glory in his forty days of
suffering in the wilderness! He could have
thwarted the devil with a legion of angelic hosts and revelled in the victory,
yet he didn’t and he suffered every trial of his and our humanness. And he continued to this pattern for the
duration of his earthly ministry.
In all his miracles he often told the
disciples not to tell anyone. Have you
ever wondered why? Our rationale would
have us spread the news around to drum up support. But support in what? It definitely wouldn’t be support that brings
glory to God! No! It would be a masked
glorifying of God — it would seemingly glorify God — but in reality would
glorify us.
This is why Jesus constantly sought to stay
out of the spot light so the glory due to God alone was not distorted into a
praise of the healing or those being healed.
In fact, on healing individuals he commanded them not to tell anyone but
rather go and show themselves to the priests in the temple and worship
God.
When we hear in John 14:12 that we will do
greater things than Jesus, after he goes to the Father, we always set our minds
on the obvious extraordinary circumstances of the events surrounding Jesus’
ministry on earth. But once we peel back
the extraordinary exterior the greater, but less obvious, is revealed. And this greater work is what we can do, now
that Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, and present with, in, and
through us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Just as the Father and the Spirit were
present with Jesus as he walked to the cross, God is present with us. He is
hidden from physical sight, that’s for sure!
And just as Jesus trusted his Father, giving him the glory, we now do
greater things than Jesus because we do them by faith through the power of our
Risen Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit hidden in his church, in his word,
in his holy means that he gives to the church; and because of these things,
hidden in us.
The greater things we do are, in fact, still
done by God in us! Just as Jesus was
passive, we too are passive when we do the greater things. When we allow the full power of Christ’s
resurrection and glory to dwell and work in us, the Holy Spirit uses this power
to glorify Christ and the Father in heaven, and in the works done through us
the Spirit glorifies the Father and the Son before all people here on earth. And finally we too will be glorified with
Christ when we pass through death into God’s sinless eternity.
So for greater things to happen, God must be
glorified “alone”. We become less, so
Christ becomes more! And we take on the
nature of Jesus being servants in a world that doesn’t recognise it desperately
needs to be divinely served by God the Father who sustains, God the Son who
graces us with forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit who unites us into Jesus
Christ. And all the while, it’s not we
who are glorified when doing the greater things individually and collectively
in the church, but God “alone”.
Today, we celebrate Pentecost, the giving of
the Holy Spirit, to the church, to gather the church around Christ as one, and
to give glory to God alone. Every time
you gather in the name of the Triune God, hear, receive and believe his word, eat
and drink proclaiming Christ’s death and resurrection, you are doing the greater
things when you do them to glorify God, rather than yourself.
These things are greater than the charity
that puts you in good stead in the community, greater than your Lutheran
heritage, even your comprehension of the faith, or any of the other human gifts
you have. This is the greater work of
faith.
Today we are reminded that all of us who affirm
our faith are called to greater responsibilities and work in God’s church. What are these greater responsibilities and
works? How are you performing in doing
greater works than Jesus?
Are you prepared to place God’s kingdom first
over your property and possessions? Do
you give God power over your life, letting him deal with your weakness, and
carry you through the trials of this life?
God’s will for you are the greater works which glorify him. These are
the greater works, the greater responsibility to which all of us have been
called.
It all comes down to faith, or trust in God
and his means! This means we come to a realisation
that nothing from within our humanness is worthy of glory, but rather is only a
cause for despair. That worry and doubt,
both born of sinful pride, together with the same boastful pride are allowed to
be daily drowned in repentance, so we stand under the sole authority of Jesus
Christ, giving glory to him. Even our
failures, which are many for us all, can give glory to Christ, by our allowing
Christ to deal with them through confession, naming them, and allowing his
forgiveness to reign supreme though faith.
By allowing ourselves to be immersed in these
greater things by the Holy Spirit, glory is given to God. And we are faithfully led to participate with
Christ in the greater work of prayer for the sake of our neighbours and the
world. So they may know of God’s glory
and be led into his forgiving presence further glorifying God. Whatever
you ask in Jesus’ name, will be done, that the Father may be glorified in
the Son. (John 14:13)
It comes down to faith and worship, not the
faith and worship of our self-centred society, but sole trust in the ways of
worship given by God. This is not all that
popular these days! In fact more and
more, those who faithfully follow God will be persecuted from inside and
outside the denominational churches because of God given faith. Why?
Because nobody likes their glory being stolen! One’s pride always takes a big hit when all
glory is returned to God.
But take heart when your pride is knocked
down or you are persecuted as a result of someone else’s sinful pride, because we know suffering produces
perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God
has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given
us. (Romans 5:3-5)
And lastly hear the promised gift Jesus
leaves with those who believe in him, and rejoice that despite the trials we
face, we now have the power of a God who has overcome death and is daily giving
us the gift of life. Hear and believe
what Jesus says to you right now…
…Peace I leave with
you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let
your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27) Amen.
