Objection: The Greater Works in John 14:12 Refer to Reaching More People Through Mass Media

It is ridiculous to think that any promise Jesus made could only be fulfilled 2,000 years later when mass media became available.  Jesus made the promise of doing greater works to “He who believes in Me.”  Many people have believed in Him before mass media were available.  Therefore, these greater works had to be things that could be done without modern TV, radio and internet outlets.  This immediately disproves the objection.

Plenty of unbelieving material is also available through mass media, reaching more people than ever.  (This includes websites that are the source of many of the objections refuted in this book.)  Reaching more people in and of itself is not even a spiritual thing and not necessarily a beneficial one either.  This also rules out using media as the explanation of “greater works” because the works in question had to be “greater” than the works Jesus already did!

John 14:12:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth 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.

It is too much of a stretch to think that reaching a lot of people in and of itself is “greater” than healing the sick, casting out demons and raising the dead!  The reaching of a lot of people by “Internet influencers” is nothing novel in our time, but miraculous healings still are!

Jesus’ words are best taken at face value.  He said that the believer would do greater works, not more greatly publicized works.

See also:

Objection: The Greater Works in John 14:12 Refer to Getting People Born Again, Not Miracles