Seeing Jesus Face-to-Face
Seeing Jesus Face-to-Face
Who is Jesus?
Nearly every adult person has formed some opinion of him. These opinions may be superficial, uninformed, or downright heretical.
Below is a list of Jesus’ seven “I Am” statements recorded in the Gospel of John which reveal his true identity and teach us the truth about him.
“I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51) As bread sustains physical life, so Christ offers and sustains spiritual life.
“I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12) To a world lost in darkness, Christ offers Himself as a guide.
“I am the door of the sheep.” (John 10:7,9) Jesus protects His followers as shepherds protect their flocks from predators.
“I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25) Death is not the final word for those in Christ.
“I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11, 14) Jesus is committed to caring and watching over those who are His.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Jesus is the source of all truth and knowledge about God.
“I am the true vine.” (John 15:1, 5) By attaching ourselves to Christ, we enable His life to flow in and through us. Then we cannot help but bear fruit that will honor the Father
By considering these ‘I am’ sayings we meet Jesus and learn just how relevant he truly is.
Have you ever wished to deepen your relationship with God?
Experience a warm friendship with God? Maybe even fall in love with God – again – or for the very first time?
It is a truth that the love of God meets you where you are; no matter what the situation, the love of God meets you in your mess, in your disasters, crisis, chaos, in all your troubles and sad circumstances.
The Gospel records are extraordinary for their accounts of the encounters and conversations Jesus had with people from all walks of life.
Those; Rich and Poor, Pharisees, Sadducee’s, Zealots, Prostitutes, Thieves, Tax Collectors, Friends, and everyday people. Those young, and old, crippled and Blind, Healthy and Diseased
Jesus is the healer of all human failure; physically, mentally, and spiritually.
The gospels record some fascinating stories of Jesus' interaction with people. Each encounter reveals something about the nature of Christ, enabling the reader to more deeply understand His mission as well as His revelation of God.
People Who Met Jesus
Nicodemus
His encounter with Christ is a fascinating look at the beautiful simplicity of the New Birth.
Zaccheus
The story of Zaccheus reveals Jesus' love for all men, despite their backgrounds or questionable characters.
Found and saved brings an ethical transformation
The Woman at the Well
Jesus' conversation with this woman shows that the message of the gospel supersedes all barriers--whether moral, social, or religious
The Adulterous Woman
This narrative reveals the compassion of Jesus for an exploited woman who needed forgiveness and grace.
God alone has the right to enact penalty for sin, but also has the grace to forgive the penitent
Saul
Paul becomes the most influential apostle and missionary for the gospel that the world has ever seen.
The Excellency of the knowledge of the risen Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:8)
Pontius Pilate
Pilate is a tragic figure who made the fatal mistake of ignoring his own conscience and condemning Jesus to death.
The Dying Thief
Jesus' words of compassion while on the cross are a reminder that God's grace is available for all.
Philip
Those who man overlooks, Christ seeks.
We seem to see a man here who willingly followed Jesus but perhaps was slow to fully grasp the teaching and identity of Jesus. Our Lord did not give up on Philip; he was selected to be an apostle. He was tested by Jesus and his concerns were answered. We may take heart from our Lord's dealings with Philip. The Lord seeks and will work with all kinds of people. When we are confused, if we ask, Jesus will not leave us in a confused state.
The Paralyzed Man
Be of good courage - your sins are forgiven
The Man with a Withered Hand
With Jesus, impossible things become possible
The Demoniac
No terror is beyond the ability of Jesus to destroy
Blind Bartimaeus
Jesus heals spiritual blindness today
Do we have the 'spiritual' sight to see Jesus is the Son of God?
The Rich Young Ruler
Love and trust is for God, not money
Life is not measured by possessions
Demas
Demas is mentioned among Paul's fellow workers
Lack of growth and development in faith leads to deterioration and to a greater or lesser extent a return to worldly thinking. In Demas's case, it would appear that lack of growth allowed the allure of the present age to gain his affection. On the other hand, growth and development in faith leads to love.
Onesimus
Onesimus is mentioned in Colossians and Philemon, both written by Paul while he was in prison in Rome.
Onesimus was a slave and belonged to Philemon but he ran away to Rome. Somehow he met Paul there and was converted to Christianity. He ministered to Paul in his imprisonment. Paul describes him as a faithful and beloved brother.
It seems that Paul decided, even though he wanted to keep Onesimus, he really should go back to his former master and be reconciled to Philemon. Paul asks Philemon to receive Onesimus not as a slave but as a brother because of the change in his life. Paul writes concerning Onesimus that formerly he was useless but now he is very useful. He was "unprofitable" but is now "profitable".
This change in the life of Onesimus is the key to his story. It is brought about when through Paul's ministry, he met with the risen Jesus and submitted to him as Savior and Lord. The claim then is that Christ made the transformation in him from an unprofitable man into a profitable man. Before he was a thief and useless; now he is helping Paul while in prison, taking Paul's letter to the Colossians from Rome to Colossae (a distance perhaps over 2000km).
This story shows that when someone meets Jesus and accepts him as Savior, their life is transformed. The miracle of new birth is evident in a changed life. The man's spirit is brought to life, his attitudes are changed, and there is a new start along a new path. In submitting to Christ, the Christian must seek to embrace the attitudes and teaching of Christ, such as service, mercy, forgiveness, love, righteousness, truthfulness. Such virtues are profitable to God and profitable to our fellow man. This is the nature of the healing that the Great Physician administers.
Conclusion
Once you've met Jesus, you are never the same again.
His teaching challenges your thinking.
His compassion softens your heart.
His love turns your life around.
The healing which Jesus gives is not a temporary cure but a complete and permanent cure because it is a relationship with Him, the Master Physician.
Let’s not take for granted our encounter with Jesus
We should not be like the ten lepers who met Jesus.
He made them clean but only one came back thanking him
