GREATER WORKS THAN THESE
OR
THE HOUR IS COMING
SUNDAY MARCH 10, 2019
Scripture To Consider:
“Then Jesus answered and said to them [Jewish religious leaders], ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can so nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does: and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.”
“For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he [or she] who hears My Word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death unto life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.”
“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, the resurrection of condemnation.” John 5.19-29
Something To Consider:
The Jewish ruling authorities sought to kill Jesus for healing a man on the Sabbath. They claimed Jesus broke the Sabbath and made Himself equal with God the Father. But Jesus warned them that they would see greater works than these miraculous healings and other miracles, signs, and wonders such as; lepers being cleansed, water made into wine, and nearly whole towns responding to His preaching repentance.
Greater works than these are certainly to be seen throughout every generation as men and women prepared by God yield to His greater working in their lives. Which raises the question, are we the final generation to experience these greater works of Jesus, having seen the nation of Israel being born again on May 14, 1948? Are we the final generation, having seen with our own eyes, wars, rumors of wars, pestilence, famines, earthquakes in various places, and the abounding of lawlessness both in the world and also in the church?
Are we destined to be that final generation to hear the voice of the Lord and the trumpet of God loud and clear calling to spiritual attention all true born again enduring to the end true believers in Jesus and in their heavenly Father? And if so, will we be counted worthy by God to escape experiencing the resurrection of condemnation and hopefully take part in the resurrection of life? It is a most important choice millions make every day in every generation.
Something Else To Consider:
Jesus took His meaningful discourse one step further by declaring that God the Father judges no one. But rather, that all judgment has been committed to the Son and that all humankind should honor the Son Jesus as they honor the Father. He made it very clear that a person cannot honestly honor one without honestly honoring the other. Jesus could not be any clearer in His revealing the truth concerning Him and His Father!
As mentioned in an earlier lesson, all authority to execute judgment has been given to the Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. And the hour of that judgment is fast approaching. The hour of believing the Word of God has come. The hour is coming when those who have died believing in Jesus with an up to date present tense belief will hear His voice, as if a trumpet calling fallen comrades to stand to attention in the resurrection of life.
Yes, the world shall see greater works than these scribes and Pharisees saw. For the hour is quickly coming and yet, until then, those with spiritual eyes to see, shall see greater works than these. Those who enter into the resurrection of life will experience all the millennial kingdom has to offer the faithful enduring to the end present tense believers in Jesus.
Though we know little of that 1,000-year span, we know we will rule and reign with Jesus according to the Word of God. How wonderful it will be to finally see and to personally experience this world in all its splendor without the horrible effects of man’s sinful nature! Many of us have seen and experienced great things from God in this life, such as the forgiveness of our sins through the repentance of those sins. These are certainly great works of God!
Something More To Consider:
In eternity all hindrances to spiritual possibilities will be removed and we will experience much greater works than these. And yet, also in eternity the spiritual doors and windows will be finally closed never to be opened again. And what door God closes no man, no woman, and no young person can ever open no matter how wealthy, how wise, and how influential they were in this life. When God closes the door from the inside as He did inside the ark before the flood gates were opened in heaven, that final opportunity will be lost forever.
Yes, that final hour is coming and is indeed upon us as true enduring to the end believers in that new life in Christ where our eternal expectations will be taken to new heights not really imaginable for us until we are changed in the twinkling of a moment and all things will become new and eternal. How can we not be found making sure we are to take part in these greater eternal works?
A Few Final Words:
Whether we are dead or alive at that moment in time as true enduring to the end saints of God, we will hear Christ’s voice likened to a trumpet and declaring as He did to the two faithful servants in Matthew chapter 25; “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.” Notice Jesus said the faithful servant was faithful over a few things. I like that! I am not always faithful over everything in this life, but in enduring to the end through repentance we can be seen as faithful over a few things by Jesus.
In the end, will we be found faithful over the few things Jesus entrusts to us? Or, will we be as the unfaithful servant of Matthew chapter 25 who hid his gift given him by his Lord? If that is our end result than we are warned in advance that we will hear Jesus declare, “And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The hour is coming according to Jesus that we will see greater works than these we have been privy to in this earthly life. The hour is coming when we shall see the many greater works that the Holy Spirit desires to do in and through willing and yielded enduring to the end true believers in Jesus. Will we take part and our place in the millennial kingdom alongside of Jesus and every true believer from every generation? My prayer is that our answer is Yes and Amen!
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, open our spiritual ears to hear and our spiritual eyes to see the great works of Jesus of Nazareth. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 