The One and Only

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 (NIV)

Common in the world of electronics are answering services, automated responses, recordings of voices telling us what to do and which button to push. The most difficult to deal with seems to be the voice recognition program that tells you to state what you are calling about. More often than not, the machine on the other end gets the information wrong. “Oh, I’m sorry, please repeat that” …only to get it wrong again. No wonder people are always so anxious to talk with a live person.

When it comes to Christ, we know that we have a live body, a real person on the line. Praise the Lord that He wasn’t too busy to come when we needed Him the most. Unlike the famous celebrity or person that makes an appearance for the sake of publicity, Christ came in person for a reason as He delivered hope in the form of Salvation. Not for a promotional cause but for our benefit. He wasn’t above hanging out with the common man here on earth; He appeared to give us the help we needed, by setting an example for us to follow and taking us from the downfalls of the law into a new era of grace.

During His ministry, He roamed the countryside from one place to another, preaching and teaching to all who would listen. Stories about the excitement of people who heard Him can be read throughout the New Testament. One such story is the bleeding woman in Matthew 9 who recognized Jesus and thought to herself, If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed. Then there is Zacchaeus in Luke 19, who went so far as to climb up a tree in order to see Jesus as He appeared in person that day.

Often people will go out of their way to see a well-known figure in person or be thrilled when they just happen to be at the right place at the right time to get a glimpse. A lady at work once told me her story of seeing a renowned person… sort of. It was back when she was a maid in a motel in Memphis. Elvis Presley went through the lobby of the motel surrounded so closely by his bodyguards that she knew he was in there somewhere, although she really couldn’t see him. While it was a brief and minor encounter, it made for a good story.

When Christ came, He showed Himself to everyone. He wasn’t surrounded tightly by His disciples like a group of bodyguards. Everyone got to see the glory of the One and Only. Praise the Lord that we get that same opportunity today; the choice is ours. We can miss our chance or stay alert and feel the joy of not only seeing the Lord work in our lives through the Spirit, but also knowing Him personally. It’s not a one-time look but a lifelong commitment, acknowledging that some day, we too will get to see Him in person.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You, Lord, for caring enough to show up in person to see us through to Heaven; for going out of Your way for the sake of Your children. May we do all we can to make our own appearance before You in the flesh, that we may glorify and follow You, the One and Only, the Best. Amen.


© 2006 by Karen J. Gillett