Perceiving, then, that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
– John 6:15
What a picture of a crowd who’s ready to make Jesus king. And He turns away from it. He withdraws from them. He gets as far away from them as possible.
John 6:15 Shows how Jesus Prioritized Time with His Heavenly Father
He goes to the mountain by himself to be with the Father, because He knows that God has not called Him to be king in this way. He knows that the Father is calling Him to become king in a very different way, a way that will lead to a cruel death on a cross. And, so, He goes aside to be with the Father.
I see this in Jesus’ life, and then I think about my life, and I want to encourage you to think about your life. There are all kinds of pursuits this world may put before you that are not from God. And it takes discipline for you, or me, for anyone, to come aside and be with God, and make sure we’re following His plans and His pursuits for our lives.
John 6:15 Encourages Us to Follow Jesus’ Example
All of us can be tempted and pulled away from God’s plans and God’s purposes for our life by the praise and the accolades and agendas of others for our lives. And it’s necessary for us to have time alone with God, to filter everything this world offers us, through the lens of, “God, is this what You are calling me to?” Otherwise, we will all be swept away in all kinds of worldly agendas, by worldly praise and accolades, and we will find ourselves living for purposes that are not from God.
So, God, we pray that, in every one of our lives, we would prioritize time alone with You, just being with You, meditating on your word, hearing from You, inquiring of You. I think about that phrase that we see all throughout the Bible, especially the Old Testament. When Kings inquired of You, that led to blessing. When they did not inquire of You, when they just went along with what they thought was best, or what others thought was best, or what the world might say was best, that always led to destruction.
So, God, we pray that You would help each of us to rightly and wisely and humbly resist the praise and accolades and agendas of other people for our lives, that You would help us, God, to live for your agenda alone, for your praise alone, and help us to withdraw often, to keep our eyes fixed on You and your agenda and your praise.
Praying for the Ahom People of India
God, even as we pray that, and think about the Ahom people of India, 1.6 million of them, engrossed in Hinduism and a worship of ancestors, God, we know that your agenda is for the Ahom people to give You glory and praise through Jesus. We know that’s your agenda.
So, God, we pray according to that agenda right now. Cause your glory, your praise, the name of Jesus, to be known and revered and enjoyed and praised among the Ahom people of India.
God, may it be so. We’re praying in light of your agenda. And God, help us to live for that agenda, with whatever gifts, grace, opportunities, you give to us today, help us to align with your plan, your purpose, to make disciples of all the nations. God, use us today, to make disciples of all the nations, to live for this plan and this purpose, over and above every plan or purpose this world would offer to us.
We pray all of this in light of your word, in John 6:15. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
