Daily Bread

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.

Do you ever wish you could time travel back in time and witness something? I do. Well, going the other way and looking forward rather than back, for centuries, the children of Israel (Israelites) and the Jewish People formed the idea that one day God was going to fulfil God's promise and liberate them through the arrival of God's 'chosen one' (which in Greek is the Christ and in Hebrew is the Messiah). Jesus was telling his disciples that it was happening right here and right now. They were witnessing the most momentous occasion in history.

Thinking about it, we are in the same position as those 'prophets and righteous people' mentioned by Jesus. We did not see or hear Jesus the Christ/Messiah/Chosen One in person. We can only read about Jesus in our Bibles, or can we? Perhaps we are more blessed than we realise?

You see, the gospel message isn't just that Jesus came in the past, but that we, through the Spirit of Jesus, can meet Christ in the here and now. Yes, we have the testimony of scripture, but we also have the testimony of those whose lives have been transformed by Christ ever since — including those whose lives are being transformed by Christ in the present.

The Apostle Paul calls these people a 'great cloud of witnesses' and it includes famous Christian martyrs and saints down through the ages, but more importantly, it includes very ordinary people just like you and me, for the Spirit of Christ is for everyone, no matter what race, social class, gender, or ability. The witness provided by someone that most would consider a 'nobody' is just as powerful as the witness provided by someone known for their great acts of faith.

Right now, we carry the torch for Christ, and we bear witness to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. So, perhaps we are more blessed than we realise? Let us open our eyes to the God who is at work in each other and celebrate that we are witnesses to Jesus in the here and now.

Holy God
Thank you for the
transforming power of
your Holy Spirit
and that I am
a witness to your
great and saving love.
Help me see Jesus
in others and be expectant
that they will be
the voice and heart of God
to me and to the world.
Now and forever.