This latest book, Knowing Jesus by Mark Jones, has stimulated me, like never before, in questioning myself. Who am I really looking at when I see Jesus? Likewise, questioning where I'm finding the anchors in my life, at this time of life, after viewing Drain the Oceans and Copper's Treasure. Even my dear friend, Dave Rose, in his blog, a few weeks ago, trip-wired another question when writing of the too long forgotten song; written by Leila Long, Jesus Is The Sweetest name I Know. I've puzzled: is it so, drawing another question; rarely, periodically, often, or most of the time? I've determined that these most recent questions are more than rhetorical or philosophical; they are truly heartfelt.
Now, this week, I've been particularly struck by this announcement in John's Gospel, first chapter: "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'" John says, "Look, the Lamb of God." The question is posed, what are you looking at? John emphatically directs focus too: "Look at Jesus." In fact, I count he makes this declaration, at least, fifteen times in his gospel. This word is translated in the King James Version as behold. Fifteen times he exhorts me to look at Jesus. Will you behold? This is astonishing. All these years and I've never recognized it. This is amazing. Look at Jesus.
Happy, if with my latest breath
I may but gasp His Name,
Preach Him to all and cry in death,
"Behold, behold the Lamb!"
Now, an account of John's death tells that that is exactly what happened. As John lay dying, he uttered those words, "Behold the Lamb," and then took his last breath. John is telling everyone to look at Jesus—for hope, for provision, for their very life.
In his gospel he is inviting me to behold Jesus through the lens of seven signs or miracles. That is to say that he seems deliberate on choosing deliberately only seven out of the many miracles that Jesus performed in order to give a particular perspective of who this Jesus is. And the fourth miracle that he records is Jesus' feeding of the five thousand. Jesus Himself beholds the crowd—He looks attentively at their need—and He responds with compassion and provision. We encounter a dramatic miracle: Jesus multiplies fives loaves and two fish to feed five thousand people. Then John tells, "When they had all had enough to eat, [Jesus] said to his disciples, 'Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.' So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten". What a picture of amazing abundance: the Son of God demonstrating the abundance of God to a hungry people.
I've been more sensitive to many folks my age that seem to view this last part of the journey wondering if God is still at work in such a way. I'm sensing that I need to be at the place on my journey to encourage them, that He is. But how? I have to confess, I haven't been prepared or listening for God's voicing the answer, until, reading a testimonial story in a monthly periodical. I was intrigued to learn of a man named Chris who had gone out from the UK to smuggle Bibles. And although every three seconds someone in China becomes a Christian, there's a real lack of the Word of God there. I am still captured by what happened to Chris: he and his team stood at the pickup point in China where they were to meet their contact, who would utter a password, and they would deliver their Bibles. They arrived with only minutes to spare, but the contact didn't show up. Knowing they were being watched, the team started walking towards the edge of town as though leaving. Hot and tired, they stopped at a nearby park for a drink of water, rest, and prayer. It was hard to understand why after all the difficulties God had brought them through that something had gone so wrong. They had looked to God for provision and direction, and yet their mission had seemingly failed.
Soon the team became aware of three very ragged and dirty men under a tree behind them. Chris felt the Lord leading him to go over with some water. When he offered it, one of the men suddenly spoke the password very clearly in English. The rest of the team hurried over in amazement and pieced together the men's story from the little Chinese that they knew. Two years earlier, God had given a word to these Chinese men in one of their services that they should plan for this trip. God would lead them to this park, on this date, and have Bibles ready for them, which would be brought by white men from far away. Since they were all poor farmers, it had taken a long time for them to save the money for food and shoes for the trip. The men had walked for two and a half months, mostly at night to keep from being arrested. Coming from the far north of China near Mongolia, they had climbed a range of snowcapped mountains, traveled through the desert, and crossed several rivers without a compass or any knowledge of the country. All they could explain was that God had shown them where to go.
When the men saw the Bibles, they cried and praised the Lord for a long time. They had brought cloth bags with them to carry the Bibles home, and inside each one was a small watermelon that they had carried all those miles as a gift of appreciation. Even though they had been without food for several days, they didn't eat a single watermelon. The team exchanged clothes with them and Chris explained what an honor it was to put on those dirty rags. The shoes were completely worn out, but the team chose to go barefoot and give up their own shoes. Many tears were shed as the team prayed for the Chinese and sent them back home with food and money for their journey.
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