JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE
“Just a closer walk with Thee • Grant it, Jesus, is my plea • Daily walking close to Thee • Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.”
INTRODUCTION: THE DISCIPLE WHOM JESUS LOVED
He was a disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:35) until he graduated and moved on to higher learning “immediately” (Matthew 4:21). Simply following wasn’t enough for this disciple or his brother, the other “son of thunder,” (Mark 3:17) he wanted to be close enough to sit at Jesus’ right hand (Mark 10:35-40) and even had his mother plea (Matthew 20:21). Jesus permitted only these brothers and Peter to witness the healing of the synagogue official’s daughter (Mark 5:37), the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1) and His prayers in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37). These three and Andrew are found inquiring about Jesus’ prophecies (Mark 13:3-4).
But it was John who was the one charged to watch after Jesus’ mother (John 19:26-27); who was the first to see the empty tomb (John 20:4-6) and who was the one who recognized Jesus after the resurrection (John 21:7) and it was John who received the revelation while on Patmos (Revelation 1:9). It is no wonder why John, along with Peter, was recognized as having been with Jesus (Acts 4:13) and was reputed to be a pillar in the church (Galatians 2:9) along with Peter and James.
JESUS IS THE WORD OF LIFE
The things which John heard and saw and touched concerned the Word of Life. John told us in his gospel that Jesus is the Word (John 1:1-5) and now is declaring that He is the Word of Life. Later in the revelation he received from God he saw Jesus and of Him writes “and His name is called the Word of God” (Revelation 19:13). Jesus, the Word of Life, was from the beginning. That is Jesus was present at creation, in fact, all things were created through Him (Hebrews 1:2) and by Him and for Him and “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17).
Jesus, the Word of Life, was manifested, became flesh and dwelt among us. “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The Word became flesh; He was incarnated or became a man. Hebrews 2:14 says “therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same” and again “therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things” (v. 17). He also dwelt among us. Some versions say he “tabernacled among us” meaning He took His place here temporarily. The Word of Life is explains God. “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him” (John 1:18). Jesus was God in the flesh; He was the Word of Life manifested. “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3).
Jesus, the Word of Life, brought eternal life. For He who believes on the “only begotten,” he has “eternal life” (John 3:16). John said in his gospel, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men” (John 1:4) and again “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man” (John 1:9). And it was Jesus Himself who said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD WE PROCLAIM
We must experience the things which we proclaim. John and the Apostles proclaimed that which they “heard”, “have seen with our eyes”, “have looked at and touched”. When a truth of God and salvation of God is known by us and experienced by us then we can proclaim it. John was eager to “testify and proclaim” what he had “seen” and “heard.” A fundamental truth about preaching is that you must have something to preach – and John did because he was walking close to Jesus.
When Israel was led out of Egypt to Mount Sinai where Moses received the Law from God, they said, “Behold, the Lord our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives.’” (Deuteronomy 5:24).
When the shepherds heard the heavenly host giving glory to God upon the incarnation of the Word of Life they went and saw the Child in a manger and “the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen” (Luke 2:20). When John spoke about the preaching of Jesus, he exclaimed, “What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies” (John 3:32). When John is imprisoned and needs confirmation that Jesus is the Messiah, he sends interrogators whom Jesus tells, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard” (Luke 7:22).
Remember the record of Paul’s encounter with Jesus and what Ananias revealed about it: “The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard” (Acts 22:14-15). He saw things and heard things and was sent to be a witness concerning them. In our text John can instruct us this way also, because it was he and Peter who said “whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20).
John said “what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also.” Preaching is proclaiming what God has done and is doing. Jesus told His disciples to proclaim what was whispered in their ears (Matthew 10:27). Jesus Himself fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy in proclaiming what He will do (Luke 4:16-19). The slave girl with the spirit of divination said that Paul and company were “proclaiming to you the way of salvation” (Acts 16:17). “And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ’” (Acts 17:2-3). “So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14). Needless to say, there are many proclamations being made by those preaching and teaching and speaking about those things which they have seen and heard and come to know as truth.
The things that John experienced with his senses, he is able to proclaim. He experienced living with the Word of Life. We do not have the opportunity to physically touch and hear and see Jesus. No, our relationship with Him can be far more intimate, “Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you” (2 Corinthians 13:5). We have abundant life in Christ. “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness” (Romans 8:10). “God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). We could also list the many times that the New Covenant Scriptures speak of Christians being “in Christ” or “in Him”. We too experience life and intimate fellowship with Him “and we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us.”
SO THAT YOU TOO MAY HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH US
John had fellowship with Jesus as he walked with Him and talked with Him. Now he is proclaiming these things concerning Jesus that the church may have fellowship with him and with God and with Jesus. John is not trying to gain a body of believers simply to join him – he desires to join them to God through Jesus. The disciple is making more disciples, not of himself, but of Jesus “and lo I (Jesus) will be with you always, even to the end of the age”. Too many have made followers of themselves or of a creed or of a body of doctrine or of an organization. But those experiencing life in Christ have been “called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9). Our fellowship is primarily with Jesus, not man. Paul therefore says, “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul?” (1 Corinthians 3:5). When we recognize our fellowship is with Jesus, silly arguments and disagreements will have their right place in the “who really cares” drawer. The Lord’s Table will not be forsaken when it is realized that our fellowship is with Him. Our preaching will take a different turn as we draw people not into the fellowship of the local church, although that will happen, but we will draw people into fellowship with the “only begotten.”
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
“Just a closer walk with Thee • Grant it, Jesus, is my plea • Daily walking close to Thee • Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.”
Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
“Just a closer walk with Thee • Grant it, Jesus, is my plea • Daily walking close to Thee • Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.”
When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
“Just a closer walk with Thee • Grant it, Jesus, is my plea • Daily walking close to Thee • Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.”