One of my favorite movies is "Hook." I really can't tell you why I like that movie so much, I just do. It's based on the story of Peter Pan and stars Robin Williams (Peter Pan), Dustin Hoffman (Hook) and Julia Roberts (Tinker Bell). Only in this movie/story Peter left Never Land years ago. He grew up, married and had a family. His days in Never Land are long forgotten.
I won't go through the whole movie, but one of my favorite scenes is when the Lost Boys are with the adult Peter for the first time. They don't realize who he is. Arguments ensue back and forth and somehow Robin Williams ends up on his knees. One of the very smallest Lost Boys stands face to face with him.
This very young child looks takes Peter's face in his hands and turns it and stretches it in all kinds of ways all the while looking deeply into his eyes. He is earnestly searching for something he recognizes. Then he stops, smiles and says delightedly -- "Oh there you are, Peter!" To me it's a very touching scene.
We can draw many spiritual parallels to this.
Do we recognize Christ? Does He recognize us? And if we do know who Christ is, are we showing Him to others?
Well, to answer the first question, all we have to do is turn to our Bibles. From the very beginning we are introduced to Christ through the scriptures. As you turn the pages, please don't just read ... delve deeply into the scriptures. In the Old Testament that God promised Adam and Eve a Savior would come into the world to defeat Satan. Learn how God promised Abraham all nations of the earth would be blessed through him.
Study to understand that all the prophets from Moses until John the Baptist pointed to our wonderful Savior. Turn to the four gospels of the New Testament and "there He is!" Dig deeply into the riches of the scriptures and you will find Him there. We can learn all about Jesus through the Father's word.
Learn of His miraculous birth and how the angels sang to the shepherds in the field. We recognize this Jesus -- He is the Promised One. He is the Christ. Read the Sermon on the Mount and get to know our Savior. He taught a very different message than the scribes and Pharisees did.
As we read through the gospels we come to know Jesus. We see His power and His compassion; and learn of His great love. We try to comprehend how a perfect and
divine being could sacrifice so much for so many that would ultimately care so little.
The remainder of the New Testament is still all about Jesus! He promised to build His church and He did on the day of Pentecost. Seek the Savior and learn the history of the early church He purchased with His own blood. See how it grew under God's power and care.
Jesus promised to send the apostles a Comforter that would bring them to all knowledge and understanding of the truth. (John 15:26-27) That promise was kept too. The Spirit filled words of His disciples are recorded in the rest of the books of the New Testament. And guess who all those books (letters) point us back to? Yes, Jesus!
Maybe we've gotten out of the habit of learning about Jesus- of seeking to find Him in the pages of the Bible. Maybe our lives are so busy that we've allowed satan to fool us into believing that other things are more important and there will be more time for that later. Do we recognize Jesus in our lives anymore?
Maybe we've grown tired and weary -- or become lukewarm -- or turned back to the call of the world -- or we're going through the motions of being a Christian-- but we've left our first love. Maybe we think because we are doing all the right things outwardly that everything is OK anyway.
We could say the same thing about prayer. It is so very important! We know we are supposed to pray without ceasing. We know God wants to hear from His children and we know Jesus is our Mediator. Prayer is vital. But do we pray so irregularly that Christ doesn't recognize us as one of His own when we do? What a frightening thought! You see we know Jesus through the Scriptures. He knows us through our prayers .... but then again if we don't pray, how can He know us?
The way we live is another parallel here. Do people recognize that Christ is in our lives? Are we living, walking examples of Him? If the world doesn't recognize us as a Christian, do we think Christ Himself will? It is certainly something to meditate upon.
I know myself. I know I get distracted sometimes. I lose my focus, stumble and fall. We all do. If we have obeyed the gospel, we are forgiven sinners who are striving to be servants of righteousness. And our Redeemer is there to help us. As we look up to Him -- we can say "There you are, Jesus!"
If we are faithful - if our faith is an obedient faith and we love Christ enough to keep His commandments. Something wonderful will happen for us on judgment day. If we know Him here now, if people recognize Him in us here on earth, we will come before Him and the Book of Life will be opened. And in essence, He will see us and say, "There you are!"
The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments
and I will never blot his name out of the book of life.
I will confess his name before my Father and before His
angels. (Revelation 3:5, ESV)
Won't it be wonderful!?
Christ above all things,
Robin
