Tuesday, 7 May 2024

The Upper Room Discourse 93

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John 17:24a "Father, I also want those You have given Me to be with Me.

There it is, Yeshua's words, "... to be with me." We started to break it down last time. What does it mean to "be" with Yeshua?

Let's pause for a moment. How did this even get into Yeshua's prayer? Is there a possibility we would be given to Him and not be with Him? Let's begin with a description of what is taking place in John, chapter 6. The chapter begins with Yeshua going up the mountain, not to be alone, as was His habit, but to sit down with His disciples. He wants to be with them. Then He feeds the five thousand with 5 loaves and 2 fish, performing a great miracle.

There are too many lessons focused on being with Yeshua in John 6 for one small post. Let me share two more of them today. Afterward, when the crowd finds Him in Capernaum, They ask Him a question. John 6:28 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do to perform the works of God?" The object of "performing the works of God" is to be with God.

From the context, it is clear they desired to be with Yeshua. The purpose of doing the will of God is to be with Him. Yeshua's answer tells us much. He says this to them ... John 6:29 Yeshua answered them, "This is the work of God, to trust in the One He sent." Trust when things aren't going your way. Trust when there is trouble. Trust when facing adversity. In a word, trust. Add the adverb "faithfully." If we want to be with Him, we trust Him faithfully.

The second lesson is found at the end of the chapter. Yeshua has spoken repeatedly about eating His flesh and drinking His blood. This is a hard teaching for Jewish people who have been taught in Scripture against drinking blood and cannibalism (human flesh is never kosher). John 6:60 So when many of His disciples heard this, they said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can listen to it?"

Yeshua responds to them in part, John 6:64a Yet some of you do not trust. (Here we are back to "trust.") This was too much for many, who walked away ... John 6:66 From this time, many of His disciples left and quit walking with Him. Yeshua then turns to His inner circle of disciples and asks them a question. It's a question He is asking us today. John 6:67 So Yeshua said to the Twelve, "You don't want to leave also, do you?"

Is Peter speaking for you? John 6:68-69a Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life! We have trusted." Part of being with Him means realizing there is no other. Philippians 2:9-11 For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Yeshua every knee should bow, in heaven and on the earth and under the earth, and every tongue profess that Yeshua the Messiah is Lord - to the glory of God the Father.

To be with Him requires faithful trust and a realization that there is Ayn Od as we say in Hebrew. There is "no other."