Will You Recognize Jesus?

Prayer ~ Jesus—I can hardly wait to see You. The song in my head lately is “I just want to see Jesus.” Wonderful song. Will I recognize You? Did John recognize You?

She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. John 20:14

 

Meditate. Consider how we recognize people that we know.

 

When you only see someone’s eyes, do you recognize them? We usually need their whole face. Think about when you were out and about during Covid masking you may have missed recognizing someone just because you didn’t see their whole face. In this scripture passage Mary Magdalene didn’t recognize Jesus. Were her eyes so filled with tears that she just didn’t focus? When He spoke her name, she knew who he was. Will we recognize Jesus when we see Him…or will we have to wait until He calls us by name?

 

As one of the first disciples that Jesus chose, John knew Jesus well. John was there with Jesus during His Transfiguration.

Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Matthew 17:1-2

John was with Jesus walking along the dusty trails as they traveled throughout Israel teaching, preaching and healing. He was apparently seated close to Jesus at the last Passover Meal. Then after that special supper, John went with Jesus and two other disciples into an inner area of the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, before His arrest and crucifixion.

Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. Matthew 26:36-37

At the cross before Jesus died Jesus interacted with John, asking him to care for His mother. Of course, John was there after Jesus’ resurrection when Jesus came into a locked room. Additionally, John saw the resurrected Jesus by the Sea of Galilee.

Fishing on the Sea of Galilee.
Will we catch anything?

Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee (that included John), and two other disciples. Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?”

John must have known every detail of Jesus face—yet when he was on the Island of Patmos and has the visions recorded in Revelation, he doesn’t seem to recognize Jesus. He doesn’t call out—my Lord and my Savior. John just describes a man with unusual features like flaming eyes that he witnesses in these visions.

When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. Revelation 1:12-16

 

Write this letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze…. Revelation 2:18

 

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. Revelation 19:11-16

 

I want to see Jesus—to fall at His feet, to worship Him, and to serve Him throughout all of eternity. Will I recognize Him when I see Him? Will you? At least we have the advantage of reading John’s description in Revelation. Note that He is similarly described in the book of Daniel.

I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people. Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. Daniel 10:5-9

 

Don’t have nightmares about flaming eyes tonight—just know that behind those flaming eyes is the God who loves you enough to die for you. Will you recognize Jesus?

 

Verses of Salvation ~  This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.  The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Romans 13:11-12

 

© 2022 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Biblical search from Bible Gateway – http://biblegateway.com and Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm. 

 

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