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These disciples had been walking with Jesus not knowing that he had risen from the dead. They were sad because they thought that he was still dead. Jesus had been revealing to them from the scriptures the prophecies concerning his need to suffer before entering into his glory. They had reached the end of the day and so they invited him to spend the evening with them. They said, “Abide with us.” Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent, they said.
You are going to meet with those sad times in your life when you are going to find that the one person to whom you’ll need to turn is the Lord Jesus Christ. Those times generally come like a sunset at the end of the day. We need Jesus to abide with us at the sunset of our:
Rebellion – You’ve been going along playing your part in the drama of religion and still have yet to really know our Lord Jesus Christ. One of these days you are going to wake up in a horrible fit after you see the depths that the sin you have been harboring in your heart has taken you. You will cry out in despair hoping that Jesus hasn’t forsaken you. And when you find his mercy you will cry out to him, “Abide with me.” You won’t want anything else at that time but his fellowship; nothing else in the world will matter to you.
Friendships – You have never known friends like the ones you have in the Lord. And as much as it seems impossible, sometimes there is a sunset in your friendships. Those whom you thought could never be better friends can turn out to be some of your worst enemies. You’ll be crying to God for vengeance at first, until you realize that these friends are the reason you now must draw so close to Christ. “Abide with me,” you’ll cry and he will be right there with you as the greatest friend you’ve ever known.
Security – Like it or not, there are many who depend upon their financial preparations to get them through to the end of their days. But as shaky as this economy and government are, it would not surprise me to see this country and many in it go bust. You’ll find at that time that the only person on whom you can truly depend is the Lord Jesus Christ. You’ll know like so many before you that as long as he will abide with you, you will have all you need.
Health – There is not much that can compare to having good health in your advancing years. But try as you may, you cannot stave off failing health. If you live as long as you want, the older you get the more aches and pains you will endure. You want to be ready to spend those days with the Lord Jesus Christ. Bro. Dickman read through his Bible once each month when his legs and lungs were no longer up to walking even 100 yards without the need for a break. None of the oldie goldie movies interested him; he just wanted time with the Lord.
Life – Should the Lord tarry, you and I are not going up without going down through the grave. We’ll have to pass through the veil of death to enter the realms of glory. You want to be sure and approach those days with the Lord because no one will be able to comfort you like Jesus. Todd is spending his last days in the hospital but the smile on his face tells me that, in spite of the pain, he and the Lord are together. He told Donna, his wife, “The thrilling thing about all of this is that we’ll be together again soon and that makes me happy.” Happy? At death? Oh “Abide with me, Lord” that I may pass from this life to the next with a big smile on my face, too!!
Conclusion: You can go through your sunsets with a sad countenance if you so choose. But there is a far better way to meet the evening. Abide with us, Lord. And if you realize that Jesus is not in you because you are not yet saved, don’t wait till the trouble comes to get saved; take care of that business now.