Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. John 14:12 (NIV)
Jesus' words are recorded in John's Gospel during the lengthy dinner conversation many would call the Last Supper. The disciples heard cherished words shared from a leader who loved them to the end and beyond. But, Jesus was also a leader with a mission and a purpose that would not die with him but live in those who would make the choice to follow him. Jesus promised the disciples they would do greater things as God's power would not leave them but be poured into them as the future of the Kingdom of God would be left in their care.
What was he thinking?
Jesus appeared to the disciples and many faithful witnesses after the resurrection. He showed them the proof of nail scarred hands and feet. He offer them his pierced side. More importantly, Jesus revealed an audacious plan for the Kingdom he came to proclaim. The Kingdom would thrive with human participation and the power, counsel, comfort, conviction and advocacy of the Holy Spirit--God's presence on earth in Jesus' absence.
What were they thinking?
Greater things can be done in the name of Jesus. What greater things? Do most people settle for lesser things? Sometimes people become comfortable with getting by with 'good enough.' Good enough living is a baseline living filled with mediocrity and complacency. At other times, people will chase after a vague sense of calling to a life of greatness. Somehow living large seems like it's just around the corner never really within grasp but always beckoning away from reality. Greater living can be described as an understanding that God is ready to accomplish something entirely out our reach without him.
What should we be thinking?
We all have the potential to do so much more because God is so much greater than we allow him to be. My hope is this Greater series will inspire you to acknowledge God's greatness and to yield to his leadership in your life. Sometimes we have to remove certain things to make room for God or make a decisive break to be ready to move on. We will get to know Elijah and Elisha two great biblical characters who help us understand what it can mean to live into God's promise of greater things.
"Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." Romans 12:2 The Message
-Pastor Jen