Continuing the Work Of Christ

John (14:12) reports that Jesus said, “He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”

How is that Possible to do works greater that Jesus?!!!

Note that Jesus said this because he was going to his Father.  In other words, he would not be present on this earth much longer.  He was assigning believers the task of carrying forth his ministry after he ascended to heaven. Even though he was the Son of God, Jesus was still in a human body and was unable to be at multiple places at once or to perform multiple miracles at the same time. Therefore, it falls on all of us to represent him to the world and to do the work at his bidding for the needs of the world.

Here are some reminders of how we are to do the work of Christ in his behalf:

1. It is important that we all have a deep love for the tradition of the faith established by Christ. What is written in the Bible is the only document to monitor and encourage our faith in Jesus. It is what we find in the Bible that gives us instruction.
2. No one likes to be talked down to or talked to as from a scolding parent. Instead, as representatives of Christ, we must develop the art of hearing while listening. Unfortunately, many people are simply waiting their turn to talk with her own preconceived answers that don’t necessarily fit into the needs of others or the questions they have.
3. Jesus was a great problem solver. In his behalf, our desire is to be more creative than conflicting with what other people say. This is a form of giving oneself to others. If we fall victim to the temptation of being in a conflicting role, we put others aside in favor of ourselves.
4. As we seek to represent Christ, in his behalf we should develop the ability to manage ministry without manipulating others. It is not for us to create a following around who we are. Christ must always come first and then others second.
5. If we have a vision in the ministry that God has given us, we will be expressing an art without compiling skills to make an impression on others. Yes, we develop our natural talents, but the real product of our work is the process of leading others to Christ as the Holy Spirit would lead us. We share his works as accomplishments. The design of how we work and what we accomplish is from him.

 In the call of Christ to reach out to others, we could find ourselves liable to be most vulnerable while at the same time called to be most responsible. There is no list or guidance that is complete for how to fulfill the verse in the Gospel of John. The perfect list comes from the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. After discovering our responsibilities to Jesus, it is inherent that our status comes from being responsible spiritual citizens.