Read: John 1:9-11
Did you ever think you recognized a friend, but decided it wasn’t him or her because they were in a place you thought you would never find them?
The Jews had been waiting for their Messiah for centuries. For some, the one they believed would emancipate them to prosperity may have become a mere symbol of better times to come. And when He finally arrived as a humble Jew, born in a stable in Bethlehem, He was far from what they had imagined. Jesus did not match their expectations of where or how they would find Him. As a result, they did not recognize Him, even though He fulfilled every prophecy they had memorized.
Until His ministry began, Jesus remained hidden in plain sight. Unremarkable, and with a philosophy counter to much they held sacred, the light of His truth blinded them when He finally stepped forth to begin His Father’s work.
In some ways, we aren’t much different today from those Jews. Despite the warnings in the Book of Revelation, I suspect many of us won’t be prepared for Him any more than the Jews were. We have time, we’ll tell ourselves. Yet we know the Light of the World will return, not as an infant but as an all-powerful Judge, God in the flesh. This time, there will be no doubt He is Lord.
Dear Jesus, keep us from being blind to Your presence in our lives now. May we live each day in anticipation of your physical return, and help us fulfill Your great Commission to spread the Gospel until then.
