I’ve often wondered about Yahshua’s last evening, when He and His disciples ate together and so much was said and done. What must it have been like to be there? The apostle John gives us the fullest account, recalling precious memories of things said, comfort given, lives challenged, and love shared. He records Yahshua as saying, “Abide in me,” multiple times in those final hours before He died (John 15). But what does it mean? How does one human ‘abide’ in another? Yahshua wanted His beloved disciples to stay close, to be in ‘vital union’ with Him always (compare John15:5, Amplified Bible). ‘Abide in Me’ was His way of expressing that, but the reality and depth of this challenge wouldn’t become clear until after the resurrection.
After an earlier discussion in the Temple, when it became apparent many of the Jews believed in Him, Yahshua said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,” (John 8:31, New King James). Here’s another form of abiding; not only in Him but in His word. The Amplified Bible describes this abiding as “continually obeying [His] teachings and living in accordance with them”, which gives added depth to the thought of staying close and being in vital union with Him.
Staying close to Yahshua, in ‘vital union’, and being diligent to constantly obey His teachings and live by the standards they dictate is the bedrock for discipleship. Not only does it produce men and women whom Yahshua readily claims as His disciples, but there’s an added advantage. “You will know the truth,” declares Yahshua, “and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). This isn’t the freedom for which the world clamours, where every person is free to ‘be yourself’, and ‘do whatever you want’. No, this is the freedom found from the ability to do whatever Yahweh wants! The only way to fully grasp Yahweh’s truths is to live them out - to abide in them.
“Living daily in the truth and experiencing the ups and downs that come with it shows us ever more truth, and that kind of truth increasingly frees us from sin and this world” (Closer to God Journal).
Image by Chil Vera from Pixabay
https://pixabay.com/illustrations/jesus-christ-art-religious-8292901/
This Is My Friend!Blessed is the person who places his confidence in Yahweh and does not rely on arrogant people or those who follow lies.
Psalm 40:4, Names of God Bible
No matter what happens to us in this life, the word of [Yahweh] tells us that [Yahweh] is for us, not against us.
Donna Kazenske
The Congregation Of Yahweh
Head Office (UK)
27A Carlton Road
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire
United Kingdom
NG3 2DG
T: 0115 837 8083
E:
W: www.congyah.co.uk
Registered Charity No. 245132
© Copyright 2026 The Congregation Of Yahweh
