“You will see greater things than these” (Jo. 1:50).
That’s what Jesus tells Nathanael when Philip brings him to meet the Messiah. Jesus tells him that before Philip called him, he had seen him under the fig tree. He wonders: how could this be? So, Jesus tells Nathanael that if he starts following him, he will see greater things than these.
The exchange takes place at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, which has yet to unfold. The story we know so well still lies ahead: the miracles or signs that Jesus performs; the final journey to Jerusalem and Jesus’ crucifixion; the empty tomb and Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Water into wine, at Cana of Galilee; healing of the sick, multiple times; raising Lazarus from the dead: all still ahead for those who are his followers. So, Jesus tells him from the start, “You will see greater things than these” (Jo. 1:50).
Behind all these miracles and mighty actions lies one great truth: in Jesus Christ, people see the fulness of God. Jesus’ follow-on statement brings this into focus, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (Jo. 1:51). The vision of the angels on a ladder or staircase is borrowed from the story of Jacob at Bethel (our first reading), where the patriarch has a dream or vision of encounter with God. “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” (Gen. 28:16). When Jesus tells Nathanael that in following him people will encounter God, just as Jacob encountered him at Bethel, he’s making a bold claim.
The angels of God tend to show up when God shows up. In Luke’s Gospel they appear to the shepherds, as messengers who herald the birth of the Messiah. At the empty tomb on Easter Day they have another message, that Jesus is risen from the dead. We shouldn’t be surprised that angels get a shout out in our Gospel today. In encountering Jesus, people are encountering the fulness of God. God hardly ever shows up to do any mighty deed without his angelic entourage, and so they get a mention today.
“You will see greater things than these” (Jo. 1:50). The ministry of Jesus Christ, in word and action, gives visible form to the fulness of God. Those who follow him, like Philip and Nathanael, are privileged to behold amazing things: after all, they’re traveling with Jesus! When you’re on that road, even the heavens open up, and we get a glimpse of the glory of God.
Seeing is one thing, but doing is another. Later in John’s Gospel, Philip asks Jesus to show them the Father. You would think that after all this that Philip would have figured it out, so Jesus tells him plainly, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jo. 14:9). But then he goes on to add, “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these…” (Jo. 12:12). “Greater works”: not only will we see greater things than these, but we will do greater works than these.
Seeing is one thing, but doing is another. Those who follow Jesus are not just along for the ride. Those who are called, like Philip and Nathanael and all of us, are not simply spectators, but participants in the life of faith. We’re going to do greater things than Jesus himself, not in the sense that we’re so amazing, but in the sense that our call extends the range of Jesus’ mission. Jesus is on the road, and so are we, accompanied and pushed forward by the power of the Spirit.
To be a participant in Jesus’ mission means acting, not bystanding. So, in our liturgy of baptism and confirmation, our candidates undertake to do certain things, through the grace of God: to “continue”; to “persevere”; to “proclaim”; to “seek” and “serve”; to “strive” and to “respect.” These promises are in the form of action words, verbs we call them; and they are a clarion call to get up and get going.
Our candidates won’t be able to follow through on their own, but only by God’s grace. The sign of that grace is the water of baptism, and the laying on of hands with prayer. Each of us will need the power of the Spirit to walk along this road.
We too are implicated in these promises. Each of us has the opportunity this morning to join in reaffirming our faith and renewing our pledge to follow Jesus. In the life of faith, we will see greater things than these, and also do greater works than these. Seeing is one thing, but doing is another. May God give all of us the grace for both seeing and doing as we walk this road with Jesus.