He will make Himself Known!

“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The ones who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them” Jn. 14:21   

    Jesus preached a great truth about the nature of God that even Israel had understood for generations. That truth is that God is a spirit (Jn.4:24). The definition of God as spirit is something the majority of those who confess belief in the Lord readily accept today. He is spirit; therefore, He transcends time and space. However, this definition of God allows many to separate their beliefs in God from the daily experiences of their natural lives (much like the early Diest). Although they many confess that faith in God and prayer itself have an impact upon their day-to-day activities, many find it hard to believe that God Himself would cross that dividing line between the spiritual and the natural to actually “appear” in this natural life.

      Although Israel’s understanding of God certainly recognized His existence as being spiritual, they did experience times when the presence of God crossed over that gulf between the spiritual and the natural to manifest Himself in their natural lives.  These occurrences are known as ‘Theophanies” or “Christophanies”.  These words describe situations where the Lord appeared in human form “before” the incarnation of Jesus Christ.  The book of Genesis says “The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre” (chpt.18). In the book of Daniel, one who is described as “the Son of God” is seen walking with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo in the fiery furnace (Dan.3). It is clear that although Israel recognized their God to be “eternal, immortal, and invisible”, they also accepted that He could traverse the gap between the heavenly realm and the earthly to appear in this natural world.

     The incarnation of Jesus Christ is the foundation of all New Testament faith. If Christ did not appear in the flesh, then His atoning work upon the cross would not be sufficient to pay for the sins of fallen man. Yet Paul writes that he was “made in human likeness” and was then “found in appearance as a man” (Php.2 :7-8).  This is readily accepted by believers today. However, what the incarnation also bore witness to is something many do not so readily accept That being that God has no problem showing Himself in the natural realm.

     After Jesus’ death on the cross, He continued to appear to many of the faithful in Israel.  After His resurrection He appeared to the women at the tomb, then also to Peter. He appeared on the shore of the sea of Galilee to his disciples who were fishing, even sharing a meal with them. In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul purposely recorded many of these appearances saying “He appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born”.  These were not spiritual visions or dreams, but actual physical appearances of the Lord.

     What we can learn from these numerous scriptures recording Jesus’ actual physical appearance after His incarnation is that even though God is a spirit, He still can and will appear in a way that our natural senses can recognize.  Jesus said in the tenth chapter of John that “my sheep hear my voice”. Now this deceleration may at times refer to the voice of the Lord we hear within our spirits. It can also be applied to our hearing His voice through His Word and through the testimony of another believer. Nevertheless, it also includes the actual hearing of the Lord with our ears. The Greek word “phones” is used here for “voice”. The trustworthy Vines Expository dictionary defines “phones” as “a sound, a voice, or a noise”, clearly referring to the natural sense of hearing with our ears.

   In like manner, our opening text records Jesus’ words saying He will “show myself” to those who truly love Him and obey His words.  Just as Jesus “appeared” to His disciples and over 500 other believers after His resurrection, He continues to use these means of revealing Himself to the natural senses of those who love and obey Him today.  Being spirit does not in any way limit either His ability or His willingness to cross that gulf between the spiritual and the natural, to bless and guide believers today using their natural senses.

      Many years ago, Betsy and I attended a church of about 150 people in Anchorage Alaska. We met in a Quonset hut style building in a low-income neighborhood. In those services, we regularly experienced the Lord’s manifest presence. One particular day there was an especially powerful presence of the Lord in the worship service.  After worship, the pastor approached the pulpit where he reverently declared that the Lord’s presence was so strong that he could almost smell it.  One of the elders at the back of the church was inspired to open the back doors. When he did, a sweet aroma, something like cherry blossoms, blew through the entire sanctuary. All of those present were overwhelmed with the reality of the Lord’s presence.  It was not spring when such natural aromas might be expected, but late summer. That day the Lord manifest Himself to all those in the church through the natural faculty of smell.

  The Psalmist believed this writing “Lord makes Himself known to those who fear Him” (Ps. 25:14). Since scripture reminds us that “all things are possible with God”, it should not surprise us when the presence of the Lord “makes Himself known” to our natural senses.  Not only should we not be surprised, but those who love and obey Him should have their ears and eyes alert for Him to “appear” in whatever manner He chooses.  So do not be afraid to “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps 34).  He wants to make Himself known to all those who sincerely love Him and obey His Word.