"See The Miracles"
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Your day in court is here. You've already called your first witness, and the plaintiffs are beginning to question their character. What do you do now? Do you have another, more credible, witness to defend you?
"But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish — the very works that I do — testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me" (John 5:36).
Jesus knew there was a greater witness than John — his works. Rather than basing his defense solely on the credibility of a mere man, he bolsters John's existing statements with the works he had already been doing and would continue to do in their presence.
What Are His Works?
So what's Jesus referring to when he uses the word "works" (ἔργον) here? After healing the lame man by the pool of Bethseda in John 5:1-9, Jesus says, "For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel" (John 5:20). He says that these works will cause them to marvel. Later in John, he calls them, "the works which no one else did" (John 15:24).
Jesus is using the term "works" to refer to the miraculous deeds he was performing among them, extraordinary events which only he could do in the name of the Father. They're also called "signs" (σημεῖον) and "wonders" (τέρας) throughout the four gospels. John records seven of them to build our faith, including how he changed water to wine (John 2:1-11), walked on water (John 6:16-24), and raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-46).
The Greatest Work
The most impactful of all the miracles performed during Jesus' life was his incredible resurrection from the dead. This single event solidified Jesus' claims that he was the Son of God. Why else would God have raised him (Rom. 1:4)?
Why Should I Believe His Works
Many people believed in him when they saw his miracles. Earlier in John, a leader of the Jews named Nicodemus approached Jesus and said, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him" (John 3:2). After Jesus restored the sight of the blind man, he said, "If this man were not from God, he could do nothing" (John 9:33). After all, the apostle John's main reason for including the miracles of Jesus in his gospel was to convince us of his authority (John 20:30-31).
Now that you have seen the power which Jesus displayed throughout his life over disease, nature, and even death itself, do you believe that he is God's Son?
