Appointed To Bear Fruit: A 90 Day JourneySample

Seeing the Big Picture

God is glorified when sinners repent and worship Him. Therefore, we want to do greater works because this will result in greater glory for God. As more people turn from their sins, God will be lifted up in the hearts of people from all nations and tribes. The Father made a way for sinners to return to Him through the death and resurrection of the Son. By faith, all who believe, can join together at the throne of God to worship our Redeemer. Jesus’ entire focus while on earth was fulfilling the work that the Father had given Him. Now that His work was completed, the Son was to depart and return to heaven.

Jesus’ statement that He was going to leave, greatly distressed the disciples. For three years, they had enjoyed the blessings of being with Jesus. They lacked nothing during this period. And, moreover, they were participants in the amazing work of God, but Jesus now said that He was going back to the Father. Understandably, this caused great sorrow for the disciples. They knew what their lives were like before and after meeting Jesus. They didn’t want to go back to the way their lives used to be. Yet Jesus told them that it was for their advantage that He went away. This must have been hard for the disciples to comprehend.

Sometimes God’s plan brings us personal sorrow. We have an idea of how we would like things to go and it’s not going to turn out that way. Many of us have even planned out our lives: where we will live, what we will do, etc., but being disciples of Christ means we are committed to obeying His commands. We must deny ourselves and our personal agendas in order that we might participate in His plan. Following God’s plan means going where He wants us to go and prioritizing His work over our worldly profits. Of course, sorrow over this loss is understandable. At times, we will mourn our losses. We will want to hold on to things in the world, but we realize that God has a plan for us that is greater than anything that we can imagine.

Like the disciples, we don’t often understand the bigger picture. The disciples wanted Jesus to stay with them, but Jesus knew that if He didn’t go, the Holy Spirit wouldn’t come. Jesus was confined to a physical body and could only be in one place, but when the Spirit came, He would indwell all believers as they spread out across the globe. The greater works of proclaiming the gospel to all people could only be accomplished if Jesus was dwelling through the Spirit in the believers. The Spirit’s indwelling would give believers the power to testify to the resurrection. All believers have access to Jesus’ presence as we abide in Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit. When you think about it, it’s to our advantage that Jesus returned to the Father. Now, His power is at work throughout the world through us.

Jesus’ disciples didn’t understand God’s plan, so they were focused on what they believed was most beneficial for themselves, but God always works all things for our good. We might not understand God’s plan at the moment, but His plan is always superior to ours. We often resist change because we are comfortable with what we have, but God is asking us to have confidence in Him. Think of His character and His promises whenever you have doubts. God has given you the greatest blessing of all through His presence in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given to all who believe, so step out boldly in faith, knowing that any sorrow you might experience is only temporary. Your obedience to God will always result in a greater and deeper joy. 

Application:  Are you submitting to His plan?