With. It is such a beautiful word. It implies shared purpose. It whispers togetherness and connection. I go WITH my son to the movies. You are WITH your loved ones for a holiday. I am WITH the company for which I work. With speaks of accompaniment, interaction, and association.
That is the word that caught hold of my heart this week as I read once again in John 6:3, “And Jesus walked up the mountainside and sat down there WITH His disciples.” Jesus chose to be in close connection, association, and interacting with the disciples. Other people followed behind and came near them that day seeking Him because they had heard about the signs and wonders He was doing. Some came for healing, some came to listen. But the men Jesus was WITH were those whom He had chosen as His own.
Jesus, the sinless Son of God, chose to sit WITH rough fishermen, impetuous zealots, a dirty tax collector. He linked Himself with men full of questions and doubts, men who were stained by the world and their own life choices. He accompanied and fellowshipped with men who would run and hide when He was arrested, even with the man who would betray Him for a little bit of silver. Jesus chose to be WITH the disciples.
Jesus was with His disciples on mountains where He prayed and in crowds where He worked wonders. Jesus was with them at dinner parties where He turned water to wine and some where He was reviled by the religious for the company around the table. The Lord was with them as He taught multitudes about the heart of God, touched lepers with healing power, and spoke life back into dead bodies. Jesus was with them as He ate Passover, washed their feet, and prayed in agony in a garden. And after His resurrection, Jesus stood with them behind locked doors, walked with them on dusty roads, and met with them on a mountaintop. Jesus chose to do life and complete His mission with His disciples.
I find this to be both a thrill and a challenge. Jesus has promised to be with us as well. The promise that where two or three are gathered in His name, He will be in our midst (Mt 18:20) means that the Lord will be WITH us as the church. When He gave the Great Commission, He promised, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:20) Jesus never abandoned His disciples but still chooses to be WITH us.
Better yet, He chooses to be WITH me. God announced His intentions long ago when He declared by the prophet Isaiah that He would be called Immanuel, God with us.(Isaiah 7:14) Jesus is Immanuel, that is His identity and His promise. When I face uncertainty and fear, Jesus is with me. Whether my path is an easy walk in the sunshine or a hard trudge through the valley of the shadow of death, I do not walk alone. The Lord is with me. (Ps 23:4)
That Jesus is Immanuel, God with me, also presents me with the challenge of authentic discipleship. Those disciples who sat on that mountain with Jesus had to allow Him access to their lives in the most intimate details. He called them to follow Him though it cost both career and reputation. They faced public celebration as Jesus multiplied loaves and shared His rejection when He refused to repeat the miracle. The gospels record in great detail how the men who walked with the Lord stumbled, misspoke, lost their temper, and misunderstood what the mission really looked like. And in every circumstance, these men yielded to Jesus’ correction and teaching. There was no part of their lives that were withheld from Him.
For Jesus to be with me, I also must be willing to open every part of my life to Him. I must allow Him access to the thoughts that sometimes slip down old paths that are not consistent with His kingdom, and receive the correction He offers. I must yield my own plans and purposes in order to embrace His higher ways. I must bite back pride when I would rather bite the person offending me because His words instruct me and His Spirit convicts me. I must lay bare the motives of my heart that, at times, I did not recognize as contrary when He shows me where I am missing the mark. When I sin, I cannot hide it. He is with me and quickly pulls the reins to adjust my course because He loves me too much to watch me carelessly shipwreck my life.
There has always been a cost for following Jesus. Discipleship is so personal that it cannot help but cut on both edges. It is a humbling thing to allow the Lord such intimate access to your life. But it also means that He is my constant companion and deepest friend. The price of his correction is more than surpassed by the joy of His fellowship. Jesus is with me and that is my delight.
There used to be a picture that hung on the wall of the church I attended as a teenager that was an artist’s interpretation of Revelations 3:20. It was Jesus standing outside a home, hand raised as if He had been knocking on the wooden door. As a child, I wondered about what it would be like for Jesus to come visiting. As an adult, I understand that He makes the same promise today, if I will hear His voice and open the door, He will come in and fellowship with me. But I must open the door to Him fully. He never comes as my guest; He comes as my Lord.
Pray with me?
Lord, I welcome you. I am Your disciple and I give you free access to my life. Correct me if you see I am wrong and fellowship with me. It is the greatest joy of my life to know that You are WITH me.
