John Calvin Commentary 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 the Father." — John 14:12 (ASV)

Verily, verily, I tell you. All that He had until now told His disciples about Himself, so far as it concerned them, was temporal; and, therefore, if He had not added this clause, the consolation would not have been complete, particularly since our memory is so short when we are called to consider the gifts of God.

On this subject, it is unnecessary to go to others for examples; for, when God has loaded us with every kind of blessing, if He pauses for fourteen days, we imagine that He is no longer alive. This is the reason why Christ not only mentions His present power, which the Apostles at that time saw with their eyes, but also promises an uninterrupted assurance of it for the future.

And indeed, His Divinity was not only attested as long as He lived on the earth, but after He had gone to the Father, striking proofs of it were experienced by believers. But either our stupidity or our malice hinders us from perceiving God in His works, and Christ in the works of God.

And shall do greater works than these. Many are perplexed by the statement of Christ that the Apostles would do greater works than He had done. I pass by the other answers that have been usually given to it and satisfy myself with this single answer.

First, we must understand what Christ means: namely, that the power by which He proves Himself to be the Son of God is so far from being confined to His bodily presence that it must be clearly demonstrated by many and striking proofs when He is absent. The ascension of Christ was soon afterward followed by a wonderful conversion of the world, in which the Divinity of Christ was more powerfully displayed than while He lived among men. Thus, we see that the proof of His Divinity was not confined to the person of Christ but was diffused through the whole body of the Church.

Because I go to the Father. This is the reason why the disciples would do greater things than Christ Himself. It is because, when He has entered into the possession of His kingdom, He will more fully demonstrate His power from heaven. Hence it is evident that His glory is in no degree diminished because, after His departure, the Apostles, who were only His instruments, performed more excellent works. What is more, in this manner it became evident that He sits at the right hand of the Father, that every knee may bow before Him (Philippians 2:10).