Be with Me.
Think back to the very first time you heard about Jesus. For many of us, it was probably during Sunday School or perhaps through the stories told by grandparents or other family members. What exactly did they say about Him? They often shared that He came to die on the Cross for the sins of the world, and that if you prayed a prayer and accepted Him into your heart, you would go to heaven instead of hell when you died. When I consider this message still being taught in much the same way today, it makes me feel sad because Jesus came for so much more than just that. Think about this: if His purpose was only to go to the Cross, He wouldn’t have spent three years closely walking with His disciples, teaching and guiding them in faith and life.
We can find in Jesus’ own words His purpose was not just to die on the Cross. John 17:4
“I have glorified you on the earth by faithfully doing everything you’ve told me to do.” TPT
“I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” NLT
“I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” NKJV
“I glorified you on earth by completing down to the last detail what you assigned me to do.” MSG
This prayer to the Father is before He went to the Cross. If He had already completed the work the Father sent Him to do - what was it?
Jesus was here to teach us how to look like Him. In order for us to look like Jesus we must be with Him. He called His disciples to follow Him. His invitation to them meant they would be with Him 24/7. Think about that for a moment. Jesus approaches Peter and Andrew while they’re out fishing. He calls to them. When they look into the eyes of Jesus and He says, “follow Me” they leave everything behind to be with Him. They were not just His followers. They were Telmid, which means disciple or student. They were His apprentice. The only way to look like Him is to be with Him. We don’t wake up being lovers of Jesus and a true image of Christ on the earth. It’s a process we must commit to daily. Our life’s foundation is being with Him. To have a strong foundation, start with the basics. If you skip the basics, your home won't be stable. Our basic step is simply being with Him. In James 4, He promises: Draw near to Me, and I will draw near to you.
Our encounters with Jesus are designed to change our perspective. Being with Him causes us to walk through life seeing every moment the way He sees it. When we see with His eyes, we begin to talk like Him and walk like Him and love like Him.
He’s saying to you today: Be with Me.
