I like to work in coffee shops. As you might expect, I hear and see a lot of things. The other day, I saw an old man whom I have seen many times before. But today was a little different. On this day, a woman was really excited to see him and asked to take a picture with him. She left saying, ‘Thanks for inspiring so many people, Pat.” I don’t really know who Pat is. I wasn’t about to go up to him and say, ‘Hey, you’re famous. Who are you, by the way?”
Surely a lot of people think they could spot Jesus if they saw him. Long hair, beard, sandals, white flowing robe. Easy peasy, right? A lot of people talk about Jesus. He is the single most famous person in the world. People like Jesus the celebrity; like an actor, he can be and play whatever role you want him to. Maybe it’s easy to think of Him as a famous celebrity to get your picture taken with and post on facebook. But if Jesus is just some famous guy who we may have heard of a few times, we might as well approach him like this: “Hey, I know you’re famous. Who are you, by the way?”
It’s not a new thing with Jesus. People thought that He was making quite a name for himself in His day. He asked, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?”
The answer to that question doesn’t come from man. Nor does it come from a group consensus. No, for that answer, we have to receive it from God Himself. The Holy Spirit has answered it and delivered it. We look to the good confession not from flesh and blood, but from the Holy Spirit given through Peter: “You are the Christ.” Jesus is the Messiah, the chosen One of God, who comes to bring His Kingdom of forgiveness and life by his death on the cross and his Resurrection from the dead. That same Holy Spirit has delivered and kept that confession of faith up to this day.
So how do you spot Him today? Well, why don’t we start in the places where He promises to be. He tells us where to find Him by His word! “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” There He is where His word is preached. Not only that, he promises to be present where people are Baptized into his death and Resurrection. On top of it all, He gives you His very body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. Maybe you passed Him over many times like the famous man that I saw in the coffee shop. His presence doesn’t seem all that spectacular by the world’s standards. But He is the ONE, nonetheless, who offers freely what He accomplished on the cross and in His Resurrection for you. Can you spot Him? It could be that He has been in your midst the whole time.
