Jesus' Need
The sermon highlights the often-overlooked truth that God desperately needs us, and that this realization can deepen our connection with Him.
Herbert Henry Farmer emphasizes the danger of viewing God as a servant rather than as One to be served, highlighting the profound concept of God's infinite desire for our companionship. Through Jesus' question to Peter about watching with Him, Farmer reveals the depth of God's longing for human connection, showing that while we need Jesus, He also desperately needs us, a truth often overlooked in our allegiance to Him.
Text
"And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?"
(Matt. 26:40)
There is always that danger in religion,--the danger of regarding God as a servant, rather than as One utterly to be served. Of course, we do not put it to ourselves in those terms; we speak of a God of love and comfort, and we sing praises to His adequacy to our need, all of which, in its own way, is right. But we must not stop there. There is a stranger and more astonishing thought, which sounds blasphemous perhaps to those who have not been gripped and overwhelmed by it, or who have not fully apprehended that what we see in Jesus that God is, and that is the thought of God's need of us, of God's infinite desire for our companionship. In this word of Jesus,--spoken from out of the midst of the most solemn experience of His life, when more than at any other time He was close to the heart of His Father and God's suffering became His,--I hear an infinite desire for human companionship. "Could ye not watch with me?" We need Jesus, but Jesus quite desperately needs us, and that is what we do not realize when we protest our allegiance to Him.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Danger of Regard for God as a Servant
- A. We often view God as a source of comfort and love
- B. We must not stop at this view
- C. God's need of us is a more astonishing thought
- II. God's Infinite Desire for Human Companionship
- A. Jesus' words reveal God's deep longing for connection
- B. We often overlook God's need for us
- C. This realization can change our perspective on our relationship with God
Key Quotes
“Could ye not watch with me one hour?” — Herbert Henry Farmer
“There is always that danger in religion,--the danger of regarding God as a servant, rather than as One utterly to be served.” — Herbert Henry Farmer
“We need Jesus, but Jesus quite desperately needs us,” — Herbert Henry Farmer
Application Points
- We can deepen our connection with God by recognizing His need for us and seeking to serve Him.
- By acknowledging God's need for us, we can shift our perspective on our relationship with Him and become more intentional in our service.
- Recognizing God's need for us can help us move from a transactional view of God to a more relational one.