LOOKING INTO THE FACE OF JESUS
Revelation 2:17 He who has an ear, let him her what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.
Whether we are like the Christians in Smyrna that were poor and suffered for their love for Jesus, or like the Christians in Pergamum that lived among so much sin, there is hope. Their hope in Jesus also gave them an eternal hope that poverty or Satan and the powers of darkness couldn’t take from them. This hope was to have eternal life with Jesus, having all their sins forgiven and forgotten.
In John’s day it was a practice that if a person was taken to court and they were found innocent they received a white stone as proof to all that might question their innocence. Christians will have a white stone, but along with this is a new name on it that only they and the Lord will know. Because of this any time God wants to have us come to him, he just calls out our name. And because only we and he knows our new name, only we will answer. How much more personal could our relationship with the Lord be? It is almost like the names we call those that are so special to us. For my wife Beckie, I often call her Beppi, our son Joshua I call Bud-de-wud, and our daughter Mary I call Marz. Anytime they hear that special name they can almost bet that it is me trying to get their attention.
In John 20:10-16 we see something very similar. It says, “Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have take my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking that he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher. It wasn’t her eyes that caused Mary to recognize the one she loved most, but the sound of him saying her name touching her heart. Think what it will be like when we hear Jesus call our name for the first time!
A few days ago I was thinking about what it will be like to see Jesus’ face for the first time, and I remembered something I hope I never forget. I had went to the hospital to visit a lady. She was a member of our church and loved Jesus very much. She was in a special unit, because she was have severe grand mal seizures. She was having them one after another and her life was threatened. They were so bad that the doctors were afraid that if she lived her brain would never be the same again. When I saw her she had electrodes attached all over her head. She was laying in the hospital bed and was sleeping. Her daughter was sitting in a chair next to the bed. Afraid I would wake her I whispered to her daughter how she was doing. Her daughter just hung her head and shook it as to say, “Not good at all.” When I asked her if I could pray for her momma, she lifted her head shook it, “Yes.” As I took hold of her momma’s hand and began to pray, she began having another grand mal seizure. Her arms and legs were fastened to the bed rails, but even with this she thrashed around. I immediately began praying in tongues out loud. Suddenly she stopped and opened her eyes and looked intently to the upper right corner of the room. Her eyes began to sparkle and her face glowed a soft pink. She smiled such a beautiful loving joyful smile that I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Then she began to gently shake her head back and forth as in a no position, but as in wonderment and great utter peace. I just knew that she was looking into the face of Jesus! With tears in my eyes I looked to the corner of the room where she was looking in hopes that maybe I could see him too. Of course I couldn’t, but I knew she had. Suddenly she stopped and closed her eyes. I stood there for a minute. I looked to her daughter and she was standing at the bedside across from me. I told her that I thought her momma had just seen Jesus, and she nodded her head yes and said, “I think so too!” When I went to lay her hand down, as if waking from a beautiful dream my dear sister opened her eyes and looked right at me and smiled a big beautiful smile. I said, “You saw Jesus didn’t you.” Her eyes lit up once again and her smile widened and she shook her head yes. Well, the rivers of happiness and joy were flowing down my cheeks for sure, even as they are now as I write this down for you.
Since that time I have thought about that time when I saw her looking into Jesus’ face, and only thought about what it will be like for me, my loved ones and the multitudes around his throne. What joy, unspeakable joy and love we will have. And by the way if you are wondering, she never had another grand mal seizure again and within a few days was home living her normal life. What a honor and blessing it is to be a Christian! My only regret is I didn’t have my personal wholehearted relationship with Jesus when I was three like my son and daughter did. But at least I can say I have now more days being a Christian than not, and I have eternity with Jesus to grow to love and appreciate him even more!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, in this life there may be trials, tribulations and even vicious attacks by Satan, the powers of darkness and the evil of his world, but your wonderful love and faithfulness are unchanging. We love you Jesus!
