Based on John 1:1-34 (New King James Version)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, ‘This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’ And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ And he answered, ‘No.’ Then they said to him, ‘Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?’ He said: ‘I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’’ as the prophet Isaiah said.’ Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. And they asked him, saying, ‘Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?’ John answered them, saying, ‘I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.’ These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.’ And John bore witness, saying, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.’’”
I think we all talk about special things that happen to us or special people we meet. For instance, some people talk about a diet and/or exercise that worked very well for them, and share the news with others. Others talk about certain special experiences they went through where they felt some sort of life change. Now that we live in a cybernetic kind of society, there are people that will post things on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram when they want to share something special. As a matter of fact, if a person is famous or has had a particular life experience, the natural thing is usually to write a book. People feel the need to share with the world when something special happens. Nothing wrong with that. But, what happens with Jesus?
As our society becomes more and more preoccupied with itself, in fulfilling their own carnal desires, talking about Jesus becomes more controversial, or less desirable. He conflicts with their lifestyle. To many, He is a thing of the past. Many people even doubt His divine nature, and question whether He is the Son of God or not. That sentiment is understandable for those that have never heard much about or had some sort of experience of knowing Christ. What is alarming is that so-called “believers” are the ones that struggle more and more about sharing their faith, and talking about Jesus with others. Many believers will say that faith in Christ is something very personal, and that it should not be shared openly. So, is losing weight, landing that great job, buying the house or car, talking about that special someone you dated the other night, or taking a selfie with Justin Bieber more important than Christ, the God that came to die for you? So, the question is, “What is really happening?” Is there a deeper issue than just shyness?
The issue probably lays somewhere with lack of faith and understanding who Jesus really is; personally. The Jesus of the Bible is much more than the intellectual knowledge of a historical figure. He is everything, and nothing can exist unless He is involved. There is no dawn, no sunset, no world, no universe, and no life unless He wills it. No one else can save you. There is nothing or no one that can compare to God, no matter how good and wonderful those other things may be. It’s just not possible. What the Bible explains is that there needs to be a personal encounter with God, what it refers to as being “born again”. Without that beginning, then true faith is not possible. And of course, without true faith, then Jesus does takes an unimportant role, from a personal perspective. And even with that new beginning with Jesus being the Lord of your life; it is only the beginning. There is a continuation in knowing Him more; His true being becomes more evident as that happens. For it is written: “Come, and let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His sight. Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth.” Hosea 6:1-3.
So, do you really know Jesus; personally? Lord bless, John