A Second Take
Christmas Weekday
My dear encountered couples:
Jesus Christ has come, and he is with us. Then why don’t we see him? Maybe because we aren’t expecting him to look like he does.
When John the Baptist saw the Messiah, the Lamb of God, he said, “I did not recognize him.” The odd part is that it turned out to be John’s very own cousin.
We assume John and Jesus had met at a family reunion or two when they were children. Is it possible Mary and Elizabeth never visited one another after the birth of the two boys? Is it possible they weren’t anxious to show off their sons and see one another’s son at least once during the early years?
John probably recognized Jesus, unless the beard fooled him, but didn’t know until then that he was the Messiah, the Promised One. God has surprises in store for all of us.
Jesus Christ has come and is still with us. Where? Take a good look at your cousin the next time you see him. Or your brother, or your father, how about your sister or your mother? Do you ever see Jesus in them? I’ll bet he’s there. How about in your friends? Take a good look at the person sitting next to you.
“I did not recognize him,” John said, “until I saw the Spirit descend upon him.” I wonder if anybody sees Jesus when they see us.
