Vol. 21 No. 05 | February 4, 2019
“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” (John 1:10, NIV)
That’s how John describes what happened when Jesus came into the world.
My first reaction is disbelief. Prophecies about Him had been passed down from generation to generation for centuries. Believers were anticipating His arrival. Yet when he finally arrived, they didn’t recognize Him. How could that be?
Many historians indicate that there was nothing distinct about Jesus’s physical appearance to set Him apart from the crowd. But I still don’t understand how they couldn’t recognize Him.
However, before I can launch into a judgmental tirade (Jesus actually deals with that later on), I ask myself, would I have recognized Him? And more importantly, do I recognize Him today?
Do I recognize His love when I see a nurse being gentle and kind with a frightened patient?
Do I recognize His spirit when I overhear a telephone conversation of a friend offering words of comfort to someone going through a difficult time?
Do I recognize His calm and comforting voice in the tech support representative who is saving my whacked-out computer when I’m in the middle of a big project?
Do I recognize Him in the face of a friend among a crowd of strangers when I feel uncomfortable and lonely?
Do I recognize His guidance when I open a blank page on my computer, ask Him for words, and within seconds, they begin to flow?
Do I recognize His beauty when I see the brilliant array of colors when the sun sets in the western sky?
The answer to all those questions is, yes. I recognize Him in all these scenarios when I’m not blinded by my preconceived ideas of how He should act, look, and sound.
But would I have recognized Him when He was here in the flesh? Would I have been any different than those who had been waiting for His arrival?
Probably not. However, as I continue to learn that He shows up in all kinds of situations, expected and unexpected, I am beginning to see Him more clearly.
I encourage you to join me and look for Him throughout your day. I promise you’ll find, even in the unlikeliest of places.
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