I AM NOT ALONE

 

As Jesus prepared to approach the Cross, He gathered His disciples in Jerusalem and addressed them over a sacred meal in a private, secluded, upstairs room. As He began to address them an enemy entered that room which only Jesus could see. This enemy whispered into the invisible ear of the one he had already lured into a love for money. Jesus recognised this dark voice. He had previously heard it in a wilderness exchange that He refused to succumb to. In a matter of minutes Jesus would dismiss His traitor and betrayer and talk only to His remaining terrified disciples. “You will all leave Me” He told them. Peter, who was always quick to speak, spoke up in response, “I will lay down my life for You.” Eventually he would. But not this night. This night, all but one would indeed flee from Jesus and leave Him friendless. Alone? No. Jesus said, “Yet I am not alone!” And even though you might feel alone, you too, are not. Here’s why.

I have been finding great solace from my study of John’s Gospel over these past two years or so. In this last Gospel I am discovering fresh insights into the magnificence of Christ Jesus.The outstanding thing for me has been the fresh realisation of His closeness to His Father. Over and over again throughout John’s retelling of the redemptive work of Christ the Gospel-writer tells us that Jesus was on a mission from His Father, that He was in constant communication with the Father, that He often spent time alone (often at night) with His Father, and that He longed to introduce His disciples (followers) into the same kind of intimacy with His Father.

¶ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
and we have seen His glory,
glory as of the only Son from the Father,
full of grace and truth.
John 1:14

In fact, in John’s introductory chapter he tells his readers that what Jesus achieved in His mission was to make the Father known.

No one has ever seen God;
the only God, who is at the Father’s side,
He has made Him known.
John 1:18

While the other Gospel writers only chose to refer to the second time that Jesus cleansed the Temple by driving out the money-changers, and those merchants who sold pigeons (Jn. 2:16), John describes the first time Jesus did this as one of His foundational acts of His public ministry – because of His zeal for His Father and the house that was supposed to be in honour of Him.

And He told those who sold the pigeons,
“Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”
John 2:16

His disciples remembered that it was written,
“Zeal for your house will consume Me.”
John 2:17

The intimacy that Jesus had with His Father was an offence to the religious leaders of Israel who knew nothing of the Father (Jn. 16:3). This intimacy with God was more than the religious leaders could fathom especially when Jesus declare that He was equal to the Father. 

¶ This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him,
because not only was He breaking the Sabbath,
but He was even calling God His own Father,
making Himself equal with God.
John 5:18

Hours before Jesus was taken by force on the mountain-top garden of Gethsemane, where He would go to confront the evil one (a scene reminiscent of the serpent’s original temptation of the first man and woman), Jesus gave his last instructions to His disciples. John tells us that Jesus was already greatly troubled (Jn. 13:21) and that this deep anguish was compounded by His knowledge that all but one of His disciples would soon abandon Him and leave Him utterly friendless (Jn 16:31). “The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and you will leave Me alone” Jesus sullenly declared.

But, what He was about to go through, He announced again to His disciples, was that His death on the cross would make a way for each of them to have the same kind of relationship that He enjoyed with His Father – because the Father loved them!

In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf;
for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God.
I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”
John 16:26-28

Jesus concluded His Farewell Discourse with His disciples with the greatest prayer recorded in the Bible. In this prayer we hear Christ’s heart for His Church and how He longed for each His followers to relate to the Father — include His followers who were yet to be born!

¶ “I do not ask for these only,
but also for those who will believe in Me through their word,
that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You,
that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.
John 17:20-21

Thus, even though Jesus felt the deep pain of rejection and the grief that comes from being abandoned, He was confident that because of His relationship with the Father, He was not alone!

 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come,
when you will be scattered, each to his own home,
and will leave Me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with Me.
John 16:32

John tells his readers why Jesus chose to say this. This was said, Jesus revealed, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world (Jn. 16:33). In other words, there will be times in your life that you will experience rejection, abandonment, being misunderstood, all because you follow Me—and in those times, even though it might feel like it—you are not alone! In forecasting this glorious New Covenant provided relationship with God, the Old Testament announced that Christ would be to the New Covenant believer a Friend who will stick by you closer than a brother (Prov. 18:24). As you follow Christ and continue to seek to know Him and to make Him known, you and I can enjoy an intimacy with the Father that is surely greatest promise that Jesus guaranteed for all who followed, and would one day follow, Him. Surely then, the essence of what it means to be saved and to embark on the Christian journey was summed up in Christ’s prayer-  

And this is eternal life, that they know You,
the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
John 17:3

You are not alone! You have an audience of One!

Your Pastor,

Andrew

Let me know what you think below in the comment section and feel free to share this someone who might benefit from this Pastor’s Desk.