At the Passover Seder meal we know as the “Last Supper,” Jesus said an incredible and yet odd thing. In all the excitement of “this bread is my body,” “this cup is my blood,” this comment can tend to be overlooked. Jesus says to Philip, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father” (John 14:12). Huh? Do greater works than Jesus? Is that even possible? How?
Because we know that Jesus is God, we sometimes forget He chose to have a fully human experience. Born to a human woman in a manger in Bethlehem. He grew up learning his human father Joseph’s trade. He ate food like you and me. Got tired and needed sleep. He could only be in one place at a time and traveled only as far as He could by foot or boat. According to the Gospels, Jesus’ ministry primarily took place in the region of Galilee, located in northern Israel. This area encompasses a total of approximately 3,000 square miles, roughly the size of our state of Connecticut.
You and me? We have access to telephones, radio, television, satellites, and today the internet. We can reach the entire globe with the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Even in places where it is forbidden to evangelize. Governments cannot stop radio waves, satellite beams, or Wi-Fi. Our mission field is 197,000,000 square miles – the world. That’s what Jesus meant when He said, “And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Yes, Christians have an opportunity to do something even greater than Jesus. We can share the gospel with the entire world. You Tube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and Snapchat. I’m not even sure how all of these platforms work but I do know millions of people use them every day. The reality is (virtual reality pardon the pun) is the modern mission field.
Years ago, when we were preparing a team of missionaries to travel to Haiti, we started by learning as much about Haitian culture as we could. We didn’t want to accidentally insult or offend anyone while we were in country. We also learned some Creole – the language of Haiti – so we could be the best communicators of the gospel possible. It’s no different with cyberspace. Some may wonder why bother? Did you know that Americans spend an average of 6 hours and 37 minutes per day online? Yes. One could easily say people “live there.” Therefore, we need to visit them where they live. And just like for Haiti, we need to learn as much about the online culture and speak their language if we want to be effective.
I understand learning a new language (especially for those of us who are older) is hard. Jesus never said it was going to be easy. What He did say was, “…go and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone” (Mark 16:15).
Those weren’t really suggestions so much as expectations. Have you shared the gospel with anyone? This week? This month? This year? Ever? Tell someone Jesus’ story. Tell them your story. How Christ has transformed you. Invite someone to church. Share the church’s website scchartford.org or social media pages. Our You Tube, Instagram, X, and Facebook pages all use @scchartford. When we do, we can do even greater works than Jesus. He said so, not me.
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