Imagine, you took Jesus at his word. Even when you said “depart from me, I’m sinful, O Lord”, you obeyed Jesus and you followed him. That was 3 years ago. In the past 36 months you’ve watched him walk on water, heal the sick, cast out demons, curse a fig tree and even raise a dead man back to life. At this point, you are convinced this man truly is the Son of God, the King of Israel, the Savior of the world, you are convinced, he is who he says he is.
Now, in Jerusalem, Jesus has a different tone, his face is focused, his intent is sure. At the celebration of the Passover he said the wine was his blood and the bread was his body. He got down on a knee and washed your feet, then told you that you were to do the same to people.
After the meal and the foot washing he has started teaching again. As is the usual case, his teaching ignites your intellect, it challenges your notions, it demands your life. You, knowing you need to be ready for what’s ahead, ask for further clarification and Jesus, in his Jesus way, answers with a sermon.
Throughout the lengthy discourse, you hear all his words, but you start marinating on one word, it’s a buzz word to you, it’s an invitation for your life.
You heard “Peace I give you,” “ I am the way, the truth, and the life,” and “Love another.” Those were great and you will follow them. Yet, this one word, in your heart, is the heart of his sermon, because it reveals the heart of God for you and all humanity.
The word?
Abide.
Early Riser, this is still an invitation to you 2000 years later. The King wants you to abide in him. Notice he didn’t say, “be like me”, “do stuff for me”, “be productive” (that stuff will come in time).
The mission is to abide, the result of that abiding is fruit, good fruit, fruit of the Spirit, Christlikeness.
We become like Jesus not by doing stuff for Jesus, but by abiding in Jesus and from that abiding, the fruit (the stuff) follows.
How do we abide? Glad you asked! We get religious.
We are religious not for religion's sake, but for Christ’ sake.
We go through motions and rhythms and habits because they are means, they are vehicles where we learn how to live a life worthy. During this present age, we learn how to abide in the One of whom we will abide for the age to come.
We do not abide by sitting around and hoping it happens, we abide by intentionally making ourselves available to the things God has for us.
In fact, I would argue that being religious can nurture us in our abiding relationship with Jesus Christ.
So here are 3 ways we abide in Jesus, each one is unique, yet each one has the same mission - for us to abide in Christ in the present age with the goal of abiding forever.
Evangelical - we read, listen, study, devour, and pray God’s Word. See John 15:7.
Sacramental - in our baptized life we are constant and relentless about coming to the Table. See John 6:56.
Pentecostal - as Jesus was filled with the Spirit, we too are filled with the Holy Spirit so that we would remember and know all the words Jesus said. See John 16:13.
I’m out of time and space. Let me finish, quickly - the invitation is to abide, so this Maundy Thursday 2023 may you be free to abide in Jesus. Abide, my friend, abide.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Luke is Pastor of Discipleship to the saints, in Christ, at Nashville Methodist.
Comments