The Incomparable Friendship of Jesus | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Second Timothy chapter four. Next week will be our last time in this book, and so cherish these moments. In second Timothy chapter four, we have two verses that we will ask Lord to help us with beginning in verse 16. God's word says through the writing of Paul, at my first defense, no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May not be charged against them, But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and all the gentiles might hear it.

So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Amen.

Pray with me. Lord, we sang of your greatness. Now we want to hear of it through your word. And Lord, we admit in your presence that it does not matter how well crafted a message might be, how structured it might be, apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. We will not know the full force of these words.

We will not know what can happen to our faith. We will not know the depths of your beauty and your infinite glory. And so, Lord, we humble ourselves before you as we open your word, and we ask that by your spirit, you would assist us to receive all that you have to say. Lord, we pray that nothing would be said out of the flesh. We ask, oh, Lord, that nothing would be missed because of our flesh.

We ask, oh, Lord, that you would just be the teacher that you tell us you are, and to teach us these things. And that, Lord, it would make an impact on our lives, And that Lord, it would polish us so that you would see a greater reflection of yourself as you look at our hearts. Lord Jesus, protect the service from Satan's attacks, from the distractions that he would bring about to make us miss what you have to say. And, Lord, we want all that you have to say, whether it hurts us in the moment. We want it all, Lord, and we pray that you would meet us.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Learning about Paul's fragmented friendships last week hopefully and prayerfully convinced you and me that our relationships with other people will not be without its share of difficulties. The joys of knowing and growing with other Christians are often mixed with the temptation to be frustrated, disappointed, downcast, and sometimes outright devastated. You and I are, through what we heard last week, called to be expectant of such things.

Even the greatest saints can cause sorrow to your heart and mine. And Paul's account of some less than ideal circumstances and the flaws of others is followed up in this verse by the mention of a different friendship, a different relationship. In the context of complicated relationships, this man of God draws our attention to the person of Jesus Christ. Why does he bring up the Lord? Does he want to speak about the Lord's deity?

Does he want to share some aspect of his nature? Does he, does he want to tell us something about his present ministry in heaven or something about, his redemptive work? Not in this case. Paul is not introducing Jesus to change the subject. In fact, the reason why he is bringing up Christ right here, right now, is to teach each of us that there is no friend like him.

The incomparable friendship of Jesus Christ. That is exactly what he is trying to do here as he contrasts the Lord to all the people that he mentions before this and what he will mention after this. He is unlike any other. Unmatched. Unparalleled.

God created you and I to be relational beings. You know what that means? That by nature you crave relationships. You want to seek out and establish and enjoy communion with others, and that is normal. That is the way God intended it to be.

And as you and I seek to do that, to discover the blessings that God has reserved within those relationships, you and I also cannot forget that God made us to know friendship with himself. Friendship with almighty God on an individual basis. Not as the bride being a corporate thing, but you individually as a child of God have been created by him to know him. And that that's that's very familiar Christian rhetoric, but it's rarely testified as a reality in so many people's lives. We cannot forget this.

God has made this clear in the old and the new. When he talks about Moses, he says that he had spoken to him face to face as one does with a friend. In Isaiah, he claims explicitly that Abraham was his friend, and in the new it is excitingly obvious that Jesus makes it clear that we are not just his servants, but also his friends. Friendship with God, relationship with the Lord, intimate knowledge of who he is. It's not just important for you and I to know so that we can relate to him in a certain way.

Again, I make the point, it's important to know so that we can realize that he is the truest of friends. That he is the most reliable. That he is unfailing. That he is flawless. And that there is nobody else in this world, no matter how much you love them or how much they love you, there is no one else in this world that can bring more satisfaction to your soul than the one who made it.

Because you see, as much as Paul could thank God for Timothy and as much as he could trust somebody like Karpus, the greatest of these men could not ultimately fulfill the needs that this man had and that goes for you and me as well. We need to understand that. Because if we don't understand that, you and I will not even consider pursuing that knowledge of God. We won't even, that suggestion is not even appealing. You and I cannot even begin that pursuit of God that goes beyond, it exceeds beyond a set of doctrinal affirmations.

We won't explore what the soul can know and that is this. He is really someone that I can know. He's really someone that is present in my every moment. He's really someone that I can commune with and that is aware and that actually cares about the details of my life. He is really someone that I can just reach out to and he's giving me his full attention.

He's really someone that can intervene at any time in my life. He's really someone that I can say like Paul, he stood by me. I may have not seen him physically. I may not heard an audible voice, but I just know in the depths of my soul that he is more than just my creator. He is more than just my savior.

He is more than just my vindicator. He's my friend. He's my friend. And as I said earlier, our hearts will not even explore such things until we are first convinced that as much as God designed us for horizontal relationships and to enjoy so much out of it, there is a cap. Whatever healing comes from a friend, of a brother, of your wife, of your husband, no matter what kind of harmony and symphony you can know in your soul by the joys that come from relationships with those that also love Christ, they cannot perform what only Christ can provide.

They cannot. And that's exactly what he highlights here. He says here in verse 16, at my first defense no one came. No one came to stand by me but all deserted me. When Paul says his first defense, he's speaking about his preliminary hearing on his trial.

This This is speaking about a court setting and Paul was not a stranger to the court scene. This man this man was familiar with such environments. Often, this man would be wrapped with chains as he stood before tribunals, emperors and rulers. And they would try to convict him or try to find some fault in him, but he eloquently and persuasively proved his innocence. And oh, this man was an evangelist.

Even in those settings, he would take advantage of those times to preach the gospel to those in high positions. And that great mind of his, though he can argue his way out of punishment, and though he can make those men who are drunk with power be sobered with conviction for a moment, he still felt the pain of what we see in this verse. He he was still human. You and I are called to give up everything when we follow Jesus, but don't forget this. You don't lose your emotions.

You don't lose your feelings in the process. And here we see the transparency of this great man of God. The reason why he pens as though he is led by the spirit is because there was genuine disappointment when he said, all deserted me. Why would he mention this? Because there is an opportunity for someone, even just one, to come into that place and to make a defense for Paul.

To come and to to stand by him and to plead his cause. There there is even an opportunity for some to maybe not even be in that immediate setting, but to encourage him as he is being falsely accused, but nothing of the sort. You read that list of names in Romans 16, how Paul greets them each individually. And my question is not one of you could have shown up. Not one.

Not one person could have made the trip to make sure that not just for his psychological well-being, but even for his legal case. Who knows what could have happened if there was another voice to speak on his behalf. But all deserted me. None came to my defense. This is abandonment.

This is not an unrealistic expectation. This is a genuine relational need and it was unmet. There was disloyalty here. There was a failure from even the greatest of his friends. No one came to stand by me.

I wonder why? Why didn't they come if they could have come? And I believe the main reason is because it was too dangerous, at least in their minds. Widespread persecution has bursted forth. Nero is drunk with his craziness and he is blaming his foolishness on the Christians.

And to dare to be associated with a man like Paul was a death sentence in itself. And so when Paul went to court, people hid in their homes. We will not dare, maybe afterwards but not in this time, step foot in that place and have people know that we are associated with this great leader of the Christian movement. None came to my defense, but all deserted me. What's the point here for you and I?

For no one to show up in Paul's case teaches us that even in our case, every single person that you know in life is capable of failing you. Every single one. Not the majority. Not those that you might think would fail you because they, they're inconsistent with their character. Everyone.

Maybe you don't feel the weight of that, so let me illustrate something to help you feel it. I want you in this moment to just think about those that you know on a greeting level. Maybe even in this place today, you don't know anybody beyond high and by. Think about those people for a moment. They're there in your mind.

You know who they are. Now go beyond that and think about those that you may not know so well but you serve alongside with and you you do ministry with on a consistent basis. And from time to time, you have small talk. You talk about your day and how work was that week and how things are with the family. It doesn't go beyond that.

Now go beyond that. And think about those that you've developed a deep bond with. You spend time with these people outside of the church services that we have on a weekly basis. You've sat with them into the late hours of the night and you've given something of your heart, A deeper part of who you are has been exposed because you feel like there's a kindred spirit there and that you can share these things and receive counsel and comfort. And hone in now.

And think about those, think about those that you can trust with everything you know and everything you have. Think about those people. Now as you as you put those people in your world, in those different categories, know this, that there's a banner over every single one of them and it is this, they can all let you down. Every single one of them. I know that's not the most uplifting thought on a Sunday afternoon, but it's probably gonna be the most helpful thing you can understand concerning your relationship with God.

Why? Because there are some genuine lovers of Christ who cannot who cannot understand that he is the most steadfast, reliable, eternal rock that you can know in this life. There's just a little bit too much expectation on someone who is a sinner like you. And Paul makes a contrast. He's not just making a contrast, he's making a case for Christ.

He did not write this with self pity. He didn't write this with bitterness. He wasn't trying to shame these people who have indeed failed them. He's trying to make a point. And we can know that he is not filled with unforgiveness because he says in the same verse, may he not be charged against them.

I genuinely do not desire that those who did not come to my defense, I don't want that to be held against them on that day when the Lord will judge what we've done as Christians. I don't want God to even bring that up to them. That's how free he was. That's how liberating he was. That's how that's how forgiving he was.

And I think that is so powerful because we have to understand something what Paul is saying here. It's it's so important to believe the weakness of other people. But to understand how they can fail you is not to cause you to be reserved or resentful. To understand how they can fail should just prepare you to be all the more forgiving. To be all the more merciful.

To be all the more gracious. You and I need to understand that posture of love when we comprehend the universal possibility of relational sorrow. You know what will happen if you and I don't? You're not going to have very much friends. You're not going to know the longevity, the beauty of, of relationships that grow throughout time and that have memories and and trials together, unforgiveness cuts off the life source of friendships.

It does not preserve precious people in your life who at some moments, just like you and me, can become selfish. Right? If we are quick to just condemn and cut off, we will rob ourselves ultimately. Because forgiveness heals and restores. It can actually enrich relationships.

Because it offers a facet of Christ on a horizontal level that can bring about a greater worship to him. When you become merciful, people can see Christ in you. And you know that when people have been merciful to you. Have you not thanked God for that mercy? If and when people fail you, please understand what I am saying.

Never allow it to convince you that they are unworthy of unforgiveness. But there's more dangers than that. There's more dangers than that. When people come and they and we're facing disappointment, and they let us down, there's another thing that people don't realize is lurking. And that is the doubt that may be cast upon the person that they claim to represent.

This is so crucial. Paul could never fathom the thought of associating the failures of Christians to Christ himself. He that that couldn't even enter into his mind. To think that he could abandon the one who is the most faithful to him because there are those who claim to be faithful to him who weren't? As tempting as that might be, as much as that suggestion might present itself, remember this servant of God.

Remember this man who would not dare to allow the faults of others to blur his vision of Christ. If anything, all of that just served as a backdrop to highlight the beauty of Jesus Christ. My wife has failed me. My husband has failed me. My kids have failed me.

My pastor has failed me. Christ has never failed me. He's never let me down. He's never disappointed. He was always constant.

He's always been the same. He's never changed. And so, learn to recycle the hurt of other people to help you see the incomparable goodness of God. Recycle it. And the only way you can recycle it is by revelation.

And that's exactly what he's doing here. He wants to tell Timothy as he's about to endure difficult times in ministry by mentioning his personal experience of the goodness of God in the midst of relational mess ups. Timothy, you need to know what I'm about to say about Jesus because you need to rely on him and love him through it all. And so he tells him about the extent of his support. God's support.

But the Lord, verse 17, stood by me and strengthened me. Everybody failed me. Everybody disappointed me, but the Lord himself stood by me and strengthened me. Now what's the difference between that and let's say Jonathan who came to David's side and strengthened his hand in the Lord? Can't people offer that?

Oh yeah, they can. And it is an extension of God's mercy through people. And there are many differences though, and one of the most important differences between God's support and man's support is this, that the Lord's aid in our lives is unbroken and uninterrupted. It's always available. Always.

Especially when those all of those have deserted you. The Lord stood by me. He was there. And here's what's so important. Paul is not speaking about God's care in generalities.

He's not speaking about it in a general sense. He's speaking about a particular event in his life, and he truly believed that the Lord was there for him during that singular event. Here's why I'm bringing this up. You have many good hearted Christians who believe in Christ, but don't believe that he deals with the details of your life. It's like he's an idea.

He's, he's real, but he's disconnected, though one day I'm gonna be connected to him. He he's something to be trusted theologically, but not to be known intimately. And every single one of us must be totally convinced that the resurrected Lord is constantly by us as we function in our day to day. Like, always. Always.

And and even when you're distracted by your duties, know that God's thoughts are for you, and his attention is on you. And he is closer to you than your own skin is to your body. Sometimes that reality is manifested, but let me tell you, most of the time you just gotta believe it by faith. And that faith, not to just be wishful thinking, but to cause you to worship that truth. The Lord stood by me.

He was actually with me and not just in a sense where God's always present because he's omnipresent. No. He was with me to strengthen me As an individual, as a as a select child of God, he actually caters to my need and not just as always with me because he's with all of God's children. No. No.

No. It was deeply personal. It was deeply personal. And we are not to only believe that his presence is with us at all times, we are also to trust with all of our hearts that he provides a strength to every stride day by day, day by day, moment by moment, moment by moment. I don't believe Paul was speaking here about a miraculous manifestation of Jesus while he was in prison at this time.

That's happened more than once, but I believe here he is speaking by faith. The Lord stood by me and strengthened me. And I think that Paul here is saying this by faith because he learned in previous experiences, by miraculous manifestation, that Christ is surely always with me. Here's proof. Go to your bibles in Acts twenty three eleven.

This is when he was in prison in Jerusalem. And at this point, we can begin in verse 10. In acts 23 verse 10, at this point, he was almost ripped to shreds because of a mob in Jerusalem that accused him falsely of breaking certain laws in the temple. And it says here in verse 10, and when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks. The following night, the Lord stood by him.

The Lord stood by him and said, take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome. You know what's so fascinating about the Lord standing by Paul here in a miraculous way and the Lord standing by Paul in that final prison cell before his execution is the way in which he strengthened him. It says, the following night the Lord stood by him. It didn't say that the Lord stood by him and then slaughtered the guards that were surrounding him and opened the iron gate so that he can be delivered. He showed up in the prison cell and kept him in the prison cell.

There are times where he can show up in the prison cell like in Peter's case and bring you out in such a way where you don't even know if you're dreaming or not. But it's often the case where he shows up in the trial and intends to keep you in the trial. He shows up in the test not to make the test easier by rescuing you from it altogether, but to provide a grace and to provide a joy that would testify of his power just as much. If we think that God's strength is only known in him reaching down into our problems and pulling us out of it, we've been gravely mistaken in the ways of God. God doesn't just come to prove his power by silencing our enemies and slaughtering them and burying them under the Red Sea.

Oftentimes, God proves his strength to say, I'm going to sustain you so that when people see you, they can say such a man surely is dependent upon a source outside of himself. That's how God does it. He shows up in the cell. Paul stays in the cell, but there's something else that was deposited in him, an infusion of grace. And same in second Timothy.

I'm not gonna let you go away. I'm not gonna rescue you from martyrdom. I'm just gonna make you smile in the face of it. That's the strength that you and I have to understand about, about God. In Isaiah 40 three:two, God says, when you pass through the waters, I will be with you.

And through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned and the flame shall not consume you. One of the most precious promises in the old testament, but I believe one of the most misinterpreted at the same time. Because the way we read it is, when you pass through the waters, I will take you out of it. I will I will redirect the rivers so they don't overwhelm you.

You're never gonna know heat. Fire, you're never gonna walk through it. I'll make sure to extinguish it. That is not what God is saying. When you go through it in fact, he says when you walk through the fire.

He doesn't say when you run through it. And it takes some time for you to be in the fire. You're gonna walk and you're gonna it's probably gonna be a long walk. But know this, that my strength is in the fact that I will be there with you through it all. You and I have to grasp that as we're enduring these things that are difficult in life.

To nothing that God loves us less because it seems to be prolonged and it seems to be so painful, but it is a way in which he will prepare for you to understand a power from his hands that you wouldn't know otherwise. God never promised the absence of problems, but he did promise the empowerment through his presence in the midst of them. That's what he promised. But the promise of his presence, the promise of his power, check this out, is conditional. I'm sorry.

It's conditional. And that's proven in the verse of our time today in second Timothy verse 17 of chapter four. Read it very carefully. Notice what Paul says. When he says that the Lord stood by him to strengthen him, there is a purpose for that.

And it says here, so that through the through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the gentiles might hear it. So that the Lord stood by me and he strengthened me more than just for us to be comforted. He stood by me and strengthened me so that a task would be accomplished. So that I would be able to proclaim to more Gentiles in Rome, in the center of the world, of no world at that time, that the gospel will resound through that receive the gospel. So what am I trying to say?

The presence and the power of Jesus Christ always has a purpose. And the purpose is beyond for you and I to just be numb from these things that would otherwise crush us. And so God's assistance comes for a particular few. What am I trying to say? This tells us that if we are to know what Paul knew, which was a supernatural sustaining strength, then we must align our hearts to pursue the purpose that Paul had.

Paul lived for the glory of God. Paul lived to obey the commands of God. Paul was sold out to the cause of Christ. To which some might object, but are you telling me, brother, that God doesn't treat all his children the same way? To which I answer soberly, no.

He doesn't. He loves us all the same, but we experience that love differently upon conditions. The same way you and I believe, I'm sure, that Satan doesn't treat all of God's children the same, does he? Does Satan harass all of God's children in the same way? Or does he have a special target on those who have sold out their lives for the purposes of the kingdom of God?

And unlike manna, the same way God also supplies and reserves a special mercy for those who are truly his servants in this world. You can't tell me that a church will be blessed by God if they don't obey God's commands. How can that be? We can't believe that a believer can know all those glorious things that that Christ promised if they live in a way that contradicts his commands. There's just no way.

Let me prove it to you. You've heard this statement, right? And lo, I am with you always. And lo, I am with you always to the end of the age. And we comfort ourselves.

We console others with that truth. Here's the problem. You quoted a third of it. You and I quote parts of God's word, and what we do is we set up people to not experience the promise of God because we cut out the conditions. So go to Matthew 28.

Let me just prove it to you because hopefully you believe me. Matthew 28 verse 19 and verse 20. You know this. We've memorized it. Matthew twenty eight nineteen.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. We get ourselves in a lot of trouble when we take portions of verses. Who did he say that he would be with always? Who did he say that he would be with always to the end of the age?

Those who obey him. Those who are serious about the gospel. Those who have made their lives about either with their time, energy, efforts, or resources to fuel the advancement of God's kingdom. Those who are serious Christians. That's that's what I'm trying to say.

Those who really live under the mandate of the kingdom of God, it is they, it is those that Jesus promised, I'm with you. I'm gonna support you. I'm gonna strengthen you. It's gonna be ugly. It's gonna be difficult.

It's gonna be rewarding at times, but know this, I'm constantly by your side. I'm constantly with you. Christ promises his uninterrupted intervening grace to those who are willing to sacrifice and were set apart for his purposes. And so we have to understand that there are great great difficulties ahead as obedient children of God, but there are also great manifestations of his power and presence as we walk in his ways. As we walk in his ways.

I've I've been told, and it's always stuck with me, that the Holy Spirit is is called the comforter. But someone wisely once told me, well, how is he supposed to comfort you until you put yourself in uncomfortable situations? And I can tell you this, that he has manifested his comfort in those times where it seemed uncomfortable. In terms of obedience to him, saying things that would offend most people, his comfort is there. Evangelizing to people at work or your family members, and it can be awkward.

It's amazing how his comfort is there. His he comforts for a purpose. He comforts for a purpose. So God's presence and power is not some sprinkling of some kind of happiness over us as we cruise through life selfishly. That's not how it works.

It's for those who've been consecrated unto the Lord, they can know this blanketing goodness from heaven. I think that's important to make as a distinction. But he doesn't just mention the extent of his support. He mentions the depth of his support in verse 18. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.

These are one of those verses that you just have to read them without much explanation and you can feel the power of it. You can just you can just read it and and know a grace to your faith and a surging of hope that only a verse like this can provide. But when you understand the context, when you understand what was intended, what Paul was thinking when he wrote this, the application and the immediate sense has even more to offer us. What did he mean by by saying the Lord will rescue me from every evil deed? Well, let's do a process of elimination.

Number one, it can't mean that you'll be free. You'll be untouched by physical or verbal assault. That's impossible. Paul, all he had to do was just pull down his gown to show you the scars on his back to prove otherwise. All you have to do is read the verses before this to understand his comments to realize that it is not meaning that you and I will evade every type of attack nor does it mean that you and I will escape death even if that death is martyrdom.

Because Paul with full assurance is writing this believing that his death was imminent. Okay. So if it doesn't mean that I won't be physically harmed, or my character won't be assaulted, or that I will escape death and go up into heaven with fiery chariots like Elijah, what does it mean? I believe it means this. The closest conclusion is that as as he is approaching his execution, he would be able to overcome every temptation that would present itself in that moment.

The pressure to deny Christ. The overwhelming temptation to blaspheme the name of the Lord, to to escape pain. The persuasion to to let go of a truth that you stood for and you preached about for the sake of self preservation. What Paul is saying is, I will be able to overcome every single one of those temptations even in the face of grueling torture. And I rejoice over that.

Because this verse is a glorious statement that should comfort us to know that no matter how overwhelming oppression may be or how seductive sin may be, Christ assures us, I will hold you up and you don't have to sink into this. You don't have to give into this. And I read that verse and I say, what a friend. What a God. What a master.

He doesn't just expect me to be faithful until the end. He enables me to. He enables me to. Have you ever thought this? I've had many conversations.

Man, I I wonder if ISIS came to America and they they put my head on a chopping block. I don't know what I would do. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed. That's what he will do. He will give you the grace to stay faithful until the very end, no matter if devils themselves come up from hell and try to take your life.

Because that's what he's saying here, and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. I'm going in. I'm going in safely, yes, by the grace of God, but also with faithfulness in my hands. And I rejoice in that. And I think one of the strongest examples of the goodness of God, even in the face of death, is with the first Christian martyr and this is where we're ending today.

It's in Acts chapter seven. And consider this account and apply it to your own life in light of knowing Jesus as the incomparable friend. In Acts seven verse 54, Stephen, he preached a fiery sermon. If you want a hint of it, look at verse 51. You stiff neck people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit.

That's a way to end a service. He rebukes them. Calls them out and they're pulling their hair at this point. And in verse 54, we see that when they heard these things, they were enraged and they ground their teeth at him. Have you ever experienced somebody grinding their teeth at you?

That's a that's a particular type of viciousness, if I may say so myself. Grinding their teeth at him, they're so upset with what he just said. Now look what happens. But he, being Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God. Now hold on there.

Full of the Holy Spirit as he is dead center around a ravenous mob that's ready to just chew him up. You know what he does? You know where his attention is? Heaven. He's gazing into heaven while these men are growling with their beautiful beards and their gowns, ready to destroy him and stone him.

Full of the Holy Spirit, he's looking where Jesus is. The Holy Spirit will do that to you and I. He is able to coach us and redirect us in the midst of great trials to look where our help comes from. To look where Jesus is. To to set our minds on things above.

And then to soar above what else is happening in this world. He's looking at heaven. That's where his gaze is. Not at the face of these men. Not at their words.

Not about what's about to happen to him. He's somewhere else. And when you're filled with the Holy Spirit, that's what can happen when things are happening. You can be somewhere else because the Holy Spirit is taking you somewhere else. And so he's he's looking above.

And he's looking to where he's about to go, and he's looking to where his help is in the moment. And what does he see? Well well, God in his mercy decides to peel back a few curtains so that he can get a glimpse into glory, And he sees the glory of God, but he sees something that is unique to the rest of the Bible. He saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. That is the only time you will see Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Throughout the scriptures, we read that he is at the right hand of God. We read that he is sitting at the right hand of God as a posture of his rest from his completed work and redemptive purpose. But here we see, Stephen seeing and Luke being so precise, that doctor Luke. He writes, Jesus standing. Jesus is standing.

The question is, why? Why? And consider a few options. I believe he is standing here to showcase his attentive care for his child. As he's about to be killed, here is his master standing in the heavens, but totally aware of what's happening.

He's not disconnected. He he is not, unaware. He is present. He is standing. The Lord stood by me.

And the Lord is standing here and he is watching what is taking place. And in this crisis, Christ is connected. He's observing. He's seeing it. He's taking it into account, and that does my soul good.

I don't know about you. Okay, so all these men are standing against him, this this group of the Sanhedrin and yet there is one standing in heaven for him. And he's not just standing for him in that moment and giving Stephen the revelation that Christ is fully aware of what's happening right here, right now, but he is standing prepared to welcome him as he comes home. He knows that the first Christian martyr is about to step into those heavenly gates. And as he stands there as an advocate would, I believe as one person said so beautifully, that Stephen has been confessing Christ before men and now he sees Christ confessing the servant before God.

That's what's happening. So who cares who stands against you? There's one in heaven who stands with you and who's ready to welcome you. You think you're any less than Stephen? You think Christ loves you less than he does Stephen?

His love is the same. How we experience it, yes, can differ based on how we respond to his word, but his love is the same. But I believe there's something else going on here. He says in verse 66 56, and he said, behold, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him.

Can you imagine that sight? That sounds like children. That sounds like kids. When they're upset, they they plug their ears and they run around screaming. They're rushing at him, ready to take him, throw him outside the city and stone him to death.

And I wonder why they reacted this way. And I believe in great part it's because what they heard, they believed to be blasphemous. You're telling me that man that we crucified on a cross is standing at the right hand of God? That he's the Messiah? And that he's gonna, you're telling me that he's alive and they couldn't even, they couldn't even register that without reacting like animals.

But could it be that there's something else happening? Could it be that Jesus standing in this moment is more than just him ready to welcome his servant, but it's in fact something to say against those who are against his servant. When you look at scripture, you see that when royalty stands, in different context, it can mean that they are honoring whoever is before them, or it can mean that they are ready to execute judgment, whoever is before them. That enraged, they they arise from that place ready to do something to satisfy their justice. In fact, Isaiah himself, the prophet uses that language concerning the Lord when he is ready to judge.

And I believe there's a connection here. In Isaiah three thirteen, we are told the Lord has taken his place to contend. He stands to judge peoples. Let me say that again. The Lord has taken his place to contend.

He stands to judge peoples. The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders and princes of his people. It is you who have devoured the vineyard. The spoil of the poor is in your houses. Do you see what Isaiah is seeing?

That the Lord is standing from his throne and the reason why he is standing is because he is ready to judge those who have rejected his word. And could it be in part, I don't think it's the major reason, but could it be in part that in Stephen saying, I see, I see him standing at the right hand of God. He's not only knowing something that will comfort him in this moment, but something that will convict those who are ready to do something that doesn't just touch Stephen, but touches Christ himself. Christ is standing to say, I will vindicate you, Stephen. I will do something with those who have taken your life.

And I love that because that just proves that there is no friend like Jesus. He is not just our provider, he is our protector. He is not just one who comforts us, he is one who takes into account the things done to us. He will not leave any injustice undealt with. He realizes it, he sees it, and he will do something about it.

He is our friend. Our friend who is a king. And as I look to a verse like this, I think to myself, what other king is like him? What other king is like him who stands for somebody who has been saved as a sinner? Who's ready with joy and with honor to welcome those who are the least deserving of it?

It says here in verse 59, and as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. If you need a verse to show you that you can pray directly to Jesus, there it is. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. You know what's so amazing? Even though he saw him in the heavens, so far away in the distant, so far away from this corrupt, broken, filthy world, Stephen knew innately that I can speak to him as though he's right in front of me and he can hear me.

Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Do you talk to Jesus? Do you speak to him in your pain, even if that pain are stones being thrown at you literally? Do you believe he's standing by you, standing for you, and will do something about those who would stand against you as you stand for Christ? I wanna tell you something.

There is no one like him. And if you don't know him today, I'm not saying you're missing out on a buddy. You're missing out on eternal life. This is not an option. This is a command.

Christ is a friend. Yes, but he is a judge as well. And Christ wants you to become his friend, wants you to become his child, but you must first deal with the thing that is separating you and him, and that is your sin. If you have sinned against God, even once, just like one digit being off on a phone number, you are disconnected from him, and you need to repent and believe on him. He extends his hands of mercy, not just to wipe your state clean so that you can avoid hell, but that you can know life in Christ now and forevermore.

And if you have not made that decision in hearing about Christ, I want you to know that he is just as present now as he was with Stephen in that setting. He is just as present in this place as he was with Paul in that prison cell. And all you need to do is understand that by faith as you call upon him, he will do the supernatural work in your heart to make you realize that all the more. But you have to repent and believe in him. If you haven't done that, do it today.

He died for you. He died for you. He wants to forgive you and wash you and rescue you from your sin. Don't reserve your faith. Don't hold back your heart to the one who made it.

And believer, as you come to eat and drink today at the Lord's table, realize that his body was broken and his blood was shed so that you would know his presence forever and ever and ever. Realize that this event right here, this ordinance is not to reflect on the past merely, but to look forward to the future of a fellowship with Christ. And He purchased that for you. Let's pray. Help us realize your friendship, Lord, and the deep affection that you have for us, the enjoyment you even have for us.

Lord, we don't want to live this life just affirming a few theological truths and missing out on the realization of your nearness and your genuine care for each of us. Lord, for the person who doesn't know you, we ask that they would taste your goodness, the goodness that leads us to repentance. For us who do know you, remind us again. Remind us again, Lord, that you are to be known and adored and loved and communed with. Forgive us if we've been absent minded of that thing.

Forgive us, oh, Lord, for just making you something of an idea instead of a person to be known and loved. Lord, as we break bread and drink, flood our hearts and minds with the revelation of the gospel and renew the joy of your salvation. We give you everything, oh, God. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.