The Greater Things

Jesus said you will do greater things as you obey His commands, hear the voice of truth, and let the Holy Spirit work through you.

“These were the sons of David born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel; the second, Daniel the son of Abigail of Carmel; the third, Absalom the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;…six were born to David in Hebron…These four were by Bathsheba daughter of Ammiel. Solomon’s son was Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, Amon his son, Josiah his son. The sons of Josiah: Johanan the firstborn, Jehoiakim the second son, Zedekiah the third, Shallum the fourth. The successors of Jehoiakim: Jehoiachin his son, and Zedekiah. The descendants of Jehoiachin the captive” 1 Chronicles 3:1-17

What does it mean to be a Son of David? It means that you are of the royal line and have the authority of the king. The question was not whether each child was special to the king, but whether they lived faithfully to him and followed his ways.

The truth is, how we live matters. What good does it do anyone to have authority but never use it? What good is being a son or daughter of the king if you do not walk in a way that represents the royalty of your family? The Bible tells us that we are each a child of God and that we have authority. Have you been living as one who is of the royal line and has the authority of the Risen King?

“Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble. The Lord protects and preserves them— they are counted among the blessed in the land…The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores…“My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die and his name perish?…Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me. But may you have mercy on me, Lord; raise me up…set me in your presence forever. Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.”

Psalms 41:1-13

Throughout history, kings come and kings go, but truth tells us that the kingdom of God reigns forever. It is from everlasting to everlasting. It does not fail or fade, but grows stronger with each heart that has faith in Jesus.

God’s kingdom has rules and a way that is right. The King says to help the weak and stand up for those who cannot stand for themselves. David said God delivers, protects, and sustains them. What we see in the text is that God uses people to be His hands and feet. He is looking for open and willing hearts to do His work, the work of rescue and restoration. God is raising up an army of people who will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to go with His authority and help others.

David gives us a window into why people do not do God’s will or walk in their kingdom identity. The people who do not have the impact that they could have allow the enemy, fear, and falsehood to turn their hearts. It is hard to help others when you feel under attack, but God wants you to see that you are never alone. He is with you and is for you no matter what you face. Have you allowed anything to get you off track or impact whether you will be used by God?

“Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed— and they have no comforter…I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless…Fools fold their hands and ruin themselves…There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth…Two are better than one…Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom.”Ecclesiastes 4:1-16

We live in a world with seemingly endless oppression and envy. Solomon said the oppressed have no comforter, but that is only true if they have not turned to Christ, for we know that He gives the Holy Spirit to all who believe. God did not design us to do life alone. We were made to be connected to Him, empowered by the Comforter, and aware of how we can strengthen others.

What can stand in the way? Envy and a focus on one’s own prosperity over kingdom purposes. Envy tells you that you never have enough and separates the closest friends. Wisdom tells us that we need to change our focus from wanting what others have to living as kingdom sons and daughters. How is envy impacting you?

Whether you have suddenly found yourself freed from the captivity of sin to life as a child of the king or whether you were born into the royal line, all of us are meant to walk with authority. We are meant to live in the truth that we are of the royal line as we are adopted by Jesus into the royal family. Our new standing and identity thus have an impact on how we live. You now have authority. Where you go, you go as one sent by the king.

“After Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah and the officials…were carried into exile…the Lord showed me two baskets of figs placed in front of the temple of the Lord. One basket had very good figs, like those that ripen early; the other basket had very bad figs, so bad they could not be eaten…Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles…My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart…the bad figs…are so bad they cannot be eaten”Jeremiah 24:1-8

God has a way of looking at things so differently than we do. His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. Changing perspective is so important to living as a child of the king. God tells the people not to judge by their circumstances, but by their circumcised hearts. He says that those who are faithful will find that He is working in, through, and all around them. God cares about the people becoming what they were made to become.

What does the image of the fig mean for us? God was telling the people then and is telling us now that we were made for a purpose. Figs feed, but bad figs are not even able to be used for their intended purpose of bringing nourishment. The biggest barrier was having a heart that obeyed and was faithful to the Father.

This remains the same barrier today. God cares about our hearts and whether we are willing to obey Him. What fruit are you producing? Is your life good and pleasing to God? Are you doing what God made you to do?

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 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. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth…the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:1-27

Jesus started by saying, do not be afraid. What fears are on your mind right now? Fear has robbed more people of their kingdom identity and disrupted more lives than can be counted. Fear is a liar, and Jesus came to teach us to live by the truth of the Holy Spirit. The truth tells us that you are a child of the king. You have authority. You are called, chosen, and crowned by Christ to do the will of Christ.

We are sons and daughters of the King, called to live with His authority and represent His kingdom wherever we go. The Bible says we do not have to be controlled by fear, envy, oppression, or our circumstances. We are never alone. The King is with us, the Comforter lives within us, and together we are a cord that is not easily broken.

Jesus did not simply save us from something; He saved us for something. He calls us to care for the weak, comfort the hurting, stand against oppression, strengthen one another, and produce fruit like good figs that nourish others. What does the fruit of your life reveal about your heart?

Jesus promised that those who believe in Him will do greater things. Do you believe this? Do your prayers and actions reflect authority? The same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead now lives in us. We go in the name of Jesus, with the authority and power of Jesus, by the presence of the Holy Spirit everywhere we go.

Jesus is calling you to believe, obey, and go with expectation. You are a son or daughter of the King. You are royalty. The question is not whether you belong to the royal family, but whether as His Son or Daughter, your life will look like the King.