Not that long ago, when we had come together to worship God, someone led the song, "Hand in Hand with Jesus," (lyrics by Johnson Oatman, Jr., 1856-1922). Often, when I've sung this song, I've imagined what it might have been like to have held his hand when He walked the earth; and what it might be like to do so in the future. This last time, though, it occurred to me that there are several things implied in the idea of walking hand-in-hand with someone; things which would be good for us to consider on occasion.
The first is that taking someone's hand, even in a handshake, indicates fellowship; very few people would take the hand of an enemy. That's why it's so important for heads of state to be photographed shaking hands with one another. I've tried to develop a habit of shaking hands with nearly everyone I meet, and even with friends that I've known for years-and it's a good habit.. A warm handshake shows that you are interested in them-that you want to have fellowship with them in some way. At times, I'll put my hand out to someone who's hand is dirty: maybe an auto mechanic who's just repaired my car, and I want to thank them for their help. Now, usually, they will look at their hands, and make sure you want to shake it; but if you do, they will often be even more pleased that you cared enough to take it even though it was dirty. I'm sure some would refuse to shake the hand at that point, lest they get their own hand dirty-but consider that, in this case, it's our hands that are dirty. We're the ones who had hands covered with the filth of our own sins-yet Jesus sought our fellowship.
Jesus took the initiative in trying to bring us back. In Lk 15:4-7, He said, "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." We are like that sheep that wandered off into danger; and Jesus is the good shepherd that cares for the sheep so much that He would give his own life for it, as we read in Jn 10:11.
He went so far as to say that we could be more of a family to Him than his own fleshly family that was His while on earth. In Mt 12:48-50, when told Jesus that His mother and brothers stood outside the house He was in, wanting to speak to Him, He answered, "'Who is My mother and who are My brothers? And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, 'Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.'" We can have fellowship with Christ Jesus-but only if we are obedient to God.
John the apostle wrote, "God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness," which is to say, that we continue in sin, "we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1Jo 1:5-7) We have fellowship with Jesus and the Father when we walk as obedient children.
You know, I imagine one of the most painful times in a parents life would be when their child refuses to hold their hand anymore. As the child begins to grow, and seeks independence, they often become embarrassed to hold parent's hand-particularly when their friends are around.
But Jesus demands that we never be ashamed of Him, no matter who or what might be near us. It might be that we would be more popular by turning away from Him; we might get fame, riches, honor, or whatever, by distancing ourselves from Him-yet Jesus said in Lk 9:25, "what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself?" What does it matter if we get all these things, even the whole world, but lose our soul? Because he continues, "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." If we're found to be ashamed of Jesus at the end of time, We'll have lost everything that was really worth having.
And really, what is there to be ashamed of? Paul writes in Phil 2 specifically about Jesus: beginning verse 6, we see that, "although He existed in the form of God," which is to say, he was divine-he was equal with the Father-He, "did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men." He took on a body of flesh, like you and I. "Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." There is no reason at all to be ashamed of Jesus-rather, there is every reason to be grateful to Him for his attention to us!
To be sure, there are things that we ought to be ashamed of-in particular, the sins we've committed, and the punishment associated with them. But there is no shame in serving Christ. Even if others ridicule us, or hinder us because of it-there is no reason to be ashamed. We read of that very fact in 1 Pet 4:15,16: "Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name." There is no shame when we suffer because we are children of God.
In fact, there is nothing at all associated with Jesus of which we should be ashamed. Paul understood this very well; for that reason, he wrote, "…I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." He was unashamed of Christ, and of the gospel that told about Him; so he would proclaim the gospel to all-whether Jew or Greek, slave or free, rich or poor-and often, suffer because of it.
Not only is there the idea of fellowship and no shame in two people walking hand in hand; but I suppose one of the chief reasons is love. When a couple is engaged to be married, and often for a long while after, we will see them holding hands. Why is that? They love each other. God loves us as well. So much, in fact, that he gave his son for us-to die in our place. We read in Jn 3:16 that "…God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
Even more incredible, though, is that God gave his son in our place-while we His enemies. Would you die for someone that was your enemy? In Rom 5:7-10, Paul wrote, "…one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." God sent His son so that even the worst of men-whether drunkard, liar, homosexual, murderer, or terrorist-so that even the worst of men might be forgiven.
But love is not just stated-it's demonstrated. God demonstrated His love by sending His son on our behalf; but we demonstrate our love in obedience. As Jesus Himself said in Jn 14:15, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." If we love Jesus, we will be obedient to all those things we see in scripture.
Another concept inherent in walking hand-in-hand, particularly with a parent and child, is that of trust-trust in the one leading. In the 73rd Psalm, beginning verse 21, we read, "When my heart was embittered And I was pierced within, Then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You." Here, the psalmist was declaring his comparative ignorance-before God, even the wisest of men is as nothing; "Nevertheless," he said, "I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, And afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." In this Psalm, the writer was trusting God for guidance through His counsel, saying that God would take his right hand. In the same way, we also should have complete trust in God; He is willing to guide us through His word, and in the end, will receive us to glory-but only if we'll let Him.
One last reason that a child might come to their parent is for safety and rest. There have been many times that my sleep has been interrupted by a child having a bad dream-and then after they have been comforted, they ask to be led back to their room through the dark. Even though ,the night is crowding in all around them, yet when you are there, they are comforted; they are safe. In a way similar to how we give comfort and peace to our child when they are troubled, Jesus will give us comfort as well. He can grant us the peace that we long for; He can give us safety. Jesus made the offer in Mt 11:28-30, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
How about you? The last verse of the song that we mentioned goes something like:
When the stars are backward rolled, and His home I shall behold,
I shall walk the street of Gold hand in hand with Jesus.
That same fellowship, lack of shame, love, trust, and safety that is found in a hand-in-hand walk is to be found in Christianity; and some day, when the time is right, it will be fulfilled with eternal life in Heaven. Yet I would remind you that, as we said previously, love is not just stated-it's demonstrated. If you say that you love God because of what He's done for you, then you must be willing to be obedient. As much as some would have it, Christianity is not just about faith-it's about doing. We must put off the "old man" of sin; that part of us that had become corrupt, and served sin and Satan, rather than God. Paul wrote in Rom 6:4 that, as Christians, "…we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." It's in baptism that that old man is put off, and we are raised to walk as a new creature. It's then that you will begin your walk as a child of God-hand in hand with Jesus.
