Jesus gave promise that the Holy Spirit would come with sufficient power. Jesus had warned His disciples that troubled times were going to come. So, before He returned to the Father, Jesus prepared them for the time they would receive the Holy Spirit. He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, and then He said, “You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Isaiah 59:19 NKJV …The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.
While Jesus ministered, He accomplished the greatest works possible.
He gave this testimony.
Luke 4:18—19 NKJV “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Consider the tremendous works that Jesus did during those three years. Jesus came in the power of the Spirit of the Lord and did many great works. Among those great works, thousands of blind, crippled and wounded were healed. He released many who were captives to sin and Satan, and gave liberty to the oppressed. He did many signs and miracles that caused everyone to look on in awe and wonder. They often asked “How can this be?”, and “What manner of man is this?” Even His words and authority caused them to question because He spoke with great authority.
Jesus was telling believers that after He went back to the Father, the Holy Spirit would come and abide with them.
John 14:16–17 NKJV And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
During this message about His going back to the Father and sending the Holy Spirit, Jesus spoke about sufficient power that would be given them.
John 14:12 NKJV Most assuredly, I say to you, 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 My Father.
Jesus is comparing great with what will happen when the Holy Spirit comes upon them. He is saying the scale is going to be raised to an intense degree. Ephesians 1:19 gives us some indication of these greater works.
Ephesians 1:19 NKJV What is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power…
- The word exceeding is the Greek word “uperballon” which means “throw beyond,” “to surpass,” or “to exceed.”
- The word for greatness is “megathon” which gives us the word “megaton” that describes the power of the atomic bomb, (the equivalent of a million tons of dynamite.)
- The word power is “dunamis” from which we get the word “dynamite.”
There are five major words that are used in this verse.
- Dunamis suggests power that is possessed but that is not yet fully manifest.
- Energia is expressed or reflected power.
- Kratos is might or power that is necessary to accomplish a particular end or dominion.
- Iskus is strength or power to maintain.
- Exousias is authority or the ability to rule.
When Jesus said, “greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father,” He was indicating the sufficient power of the Holy Spirit in your life.
Our insufficiency is overcome by the Holy Spirit’s sufficient power. The Holy Spirit’s power solves several of our personal problems.
- Insecurity and fear are solved by our calling and the guarantee that God’s sovereign power is working in us.
- Insignificance and the lack of influence are conquered by our being God’s treasured inheritance and children.
- Insufficiency and inability to perform is resolved by His own glorious power that was so great that it raised Christ from the dead and gave Him authority and power over every principality, power, might, and dominion and every name that is named.
You cannot live the overcoming life without the Holy Spirit’s all-sufficient power.
Romans 8:11 NKJV But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
This is what Jesus was referring to when He said, “Greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” That Spirit that raised Christ from the dead has come to indwell and give power to believers today.
Jesus said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” This sufficient power of the Spirit is lifting up the standard that is necessary to overwhelm and overcome even the greatest attack of the enemy. When Satan says, “You cannot be saved!”, the Holy Spirit says, “He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Jesus Christ,” (Hebrews 7:22). When sickness and disease inflicts havoc on your body, the Holy Spirit declares, “by Jesus’ stripes you were healed,” (1 Peter 2:24). When the adversary comes against you to steal, kill, and destroy, the Holy Spirit reminds you that Jesus Christ “came so that you may have life, and have it in abundance until it overflows,” (John 10:10).
The Holy Spirit is working right now to do and produce these greater things in your life. The heavenly Father has sent the Holy Spirit to lift up the standard against the enemy. You can see the extent of what the Holy Spirit can do by watching the apostles.
In the Book of Acts 2, on the Day of Pentecost, immediately after the Holy Spirit descended upon them, Peter gave a short sermon and told about the promise of the Holy Spirit and the possibility of salvation. That day about 3,000 souls were added to them.
Peter and John went together to the temple at the hour of prayer, and on their way a lame man was healed. Peter declared, “His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all,” (Acts 3:16). After the lame man was healed, Peter preached repentance and conversion and 5,000 men were added to the church.
With boldness and great authority, Peter and John spoke in the face of serious threats. They prayed for more boldness and for healings, signs, and wonders to be done in the name of Jesus. As soon as they finished praying, the power of the Holy Spirit flooded the place.
Acts 4:31 NKJV “The place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”
That word “boldness” refers to the courage, bravery and confidence of a life that is impacted by the sufficient power of the Holy Spirit.
This kind of power of the Holy Spirit continued to work in them.
Acts 5:12 NKJV Through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.
Acts 5:14-16 NKJV And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
What was happening? The Spirit of the Lord was lifting up a standard against the enemy.
You need to know that this did not stop and will not stop. Whenever the enemy makes an advance and attacks, you need to make room and prepare for the Holy Spirit. When Jesus said, “greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father,” He was indicating the sufficient power of the Holy Spirit in your life. The Holy Spirit has been sent by the heavenly Father to give you aid, power, and overwhelming victory. You should prepare for the Holy Spirit to come in with sufficiently great explosive power, strength, energy. Get ready for the Holy Spirit to lift up the standard that has sufficient power for your life and need.
