Whenever a new technology causes a shift in how the church functions, it’s worth stepping back to evaluate. Maybe starting a Zoom group in the first century wasn’t technologically an option, but there’s value in considering what would have been lost if Jesus had chosen to mentor His disciples online instead of in person.

1. Nobody would have ever learned what Jesus was really like

Meeting in person for fellowship today is inconvenient. You have to travel to someone’s home. You can’t wear your pyjamas, and you have to brush your teeth. Afterward, you’ll probably have to hang out. These are inconveniences compared to the efficiency of a Zoom meeting.

Doing fellowship in person was even more inconvenient for Jesus. First, there was the incarnation, of course. Then, there were the long distances he travelled, usually on foot. He became tired, hungry, and thirsty. But all of those experiences taught the disciples about Jesus’ character. They learned, for instance, that he was comfortable speaking with Samaritans (John 4:9) even though there was animosity between them and the Jews. They learned that he conversed freely with women (John 4:27) even though Jewish religious teachers rarely did. And they saw how He coped with the difficulties.

Online, we can exchange information, but it’s hard to share our lives. It’s hard to see what’s really going on with each other. And surely this is an essential part of fellowship.

2. Nobody would have asked their informal questions

Jesus delivered some great sermons. And yet so much of His impact in people’s lives took place after the meeting in the informal times when people asked Him questions and made their requests. It was once the meeting ended that the disciples often asked Jesus about their theological questions (e.g., Matthew 13:36, Luke 8:9) and their ministry failures (Mark 9:28). In a Zoom meeting, all of this would have been missed.

When fellowship becomes more efficient, we lose those personal moments that take place before and after the formal meeting. It’s here that ministry becomes individualized, and relationships are deepened.

3. Nobody would have ever felt how much Jesus really cared

Jesus occasionally healed people from a distance (Matthew 8:8, 13), but usually, His miracles came with a personal touch. He didn’t have to touch the leper in order to heal him (Matthew 8:3), but when He did, it would have deeply affected the man. Jesus touched the eyes of the blind (Matthew 9:29), touched the ears of the deaf (Mark 7:33), and took the hand of a dead girl (Luke 8:54-55) before He raised her back to life. Touch shows a level of compassion that words alone don’t express.

There’s a level of care that can be demonstrated in person that doesn’t translate through a computer screen. And just the act of showing up expresses a level of commitment that connecting to a video call doesn’t. If Jesus had started a Zoom group, I’m convinced that the church would have been a more cold, impersonal place.

Online meetings are here to stay in the same way that email and text are essential elements of communication. But I’m convinced that online fellowship falls far short of what Jesus modelled for us. We need to build in-person relationships to be all that we were created to be both as individuals and as a church.

In awe of Him,

Paul