Christosis: Imitating Jesusનમૂનો

A speaker once said, “You are the sum of your five closest friends.” The people we spend time with influence our actions, values, and preferences. If you want to look more like Jesus, examine how much time you spend with Him and His people.

In our passage today, Jesus reveals the fruit of a life that is becoming like Him.

Someone who is becoming like Jesus is participating in His activity in the world. He mentions two critical things that will happen as we participate in His life:

• Greater works
• Answered prayers

The idea of “greater works” can be intimidating. In John 11, Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead. Are we supposed to do something greater? I must confess—I have never raised someone from the dead. Consider this insight from New Testament professor Gary Burge:

“Great works will accompany those who believe (14:12), and prayer will be answered (14:13). Note that the promise of 14:12 does not simply point to miracles. What Jesus has been doing includes deeds of humility, service, and love as well as miraculous signs. Jesus’ followers will do works that are ‘greater’ than these.”

I can genuinely say I witnessed what Burge is talking about last year—and it was unintentional. On Thanksgiving of 2024, I took my son Clark to serve at the Niagara Gospel Mission. Clark was not even two years old, but he started serving and helped me organize grocery bags for people experiencing homelessness. The way Clark’s joyous serving spread joy to others gave me a glimpse of the “greater works” Jesus is talking about.

If you want to see greater works, you have to have a heart that is willing to expect the unexpected.

When Jesus speaks of answered prayers, this is connected to what He taught earlier about being the “way” and about being “with” Him. When we commit to His way and spend time with Him, our hearts become aligned with His, which results in answered prayers. Pray for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done in your family, home, workplace, favorite coffee shop, or school, as it is in Heaven.

Start praying for God’s Kingdom to come and His will to be done in your life. Allow the Spirit to give you eyes to see and respond to the greater works Jesus brings into your world.