When He Needs You

“Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said, to them, indeed they know what I said.” — John 18:21

Jesus had been taken from the Garden of Gethsemane and was standing before the high priest. He had just been questioned about the disciples and His doctrine. Jesus responded with the above verse. Paraphrased, He simply said, “I never hid anything that I did, go and ask those I have helped.”

Isn’t it amazing how when we need God, we simply bombard His throne? As soon as we have a crisis in our lives, we petition God relentlessly. We come before Him expecting answers. Time after time, if we are willing to be patient, He will answer in a way that we will never forget. He will answer in a way that draws us closer to Him. He will answer in a way that makes us love Him even more. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.

However, in this particular rare moment, the tables have turned. Jesus asks for someone to be there for Him. “Ask those who have heard Me what I said, indeed they know what I said.”

Nobody responded.

Could you imagine how awesome it would have been had Lazarus came forth and said, “I was dead, yet now I live. Jesus raised me from the dead!” Follow that with one of the blind men, “I was blind, yet now I see because of this man!” Follow that with, “I was lame, yet now I walk!” What if someone had simply stood up and said, “I know He is who He says He is.” Instead, He has boastful Peter right outside who swore just a few hours earlier that he would die with Him denying that he even knows Him.

Here we are 2,000 years later. Morals are rapidly declining. The name of Jesus is not to be mentioned in public. Like Peter, associating yourself with that Name or even following His ways will cost you. It might be something simple like popularity. It might be something greater like your job. In many cultures, it costs you your very life.

As the name of Jesus once again becomes more and more costly to use, He says, “Ask those who have heard Me what I said, indeed they know what I said.”

What is our response?

The overwhelming majority does like Peter, and follows from a distance (Matthew 26:58). They try to get close enough to Jesus where they feel good about their chances of getting into Heaven. Yet, they remain far enough away so that it costs absolutely nothing to be associated with Him.

Think about it, we want Him to answer all of our prayers and meet all of our needs according to His riches in glory. Yet, when He asks us to live clean lives that honor Him . . . we simply say, “No, it is too inconvenient, the leaders don’t want to hear it, and it might cost me.”

Stand up for Him today. Be there for Him! Tell someone of His great love. Work like you are working for Him! Tell someone of His wonderful salvation. Proclaim the Name above all Names. Though most choose not to believe, you and I know the truth. I know He is who He says He is. He has opened up my blinded eyes. He has made me walk a new walk. He reached into my soul and washed me clean. I know Him! There is nobody like Him!

Do you know Him?

If you do, will the way you love, work, and behave today reflect it? Are you following Jesus closely? Or, do you keep Him at a distance because it might cost you to be associated with Him?

Jesus needs you and me today. He needs our lives to display a closeness to Him that will attract others to what we have. Unsaved others are not impressed with the way we follow Him from a distance. Unsaved others are counting on us to stay close to Him no matter the cost. They don’t need to be convinced that Jesus is who He says He is based on our words; they need to be convinced based on the way we live.

Later

Adam