By Sarah Hogue, Director of Children’s Ministry
This spring, I have been doing a Bible study with FISH (4th – 6th graders) on people whose lives were changed when they encountered Jesus. We have studied the disciples, who dropped everything to follow Him; Zacchaeus, one of the many sinners that Jesus sparked to repentance; the ten lepers, one of the many stories of Jesus’ healing power; and Peter, who denied Christ and was forgiven.
Preparing these lessons prompted me to reflect on how amazing it must have been to encounter Jesus in the flesh – to witness Him in person! When Jesus ascended, He sent His Spirit to live within us, come alongside us, and empower us. While that means we don’t get to see Jesus in person, it also means that we should be able to experience Jesus first-hand. But how do we access His presence? How can we still encounter Jesus today, when over 2,000 years have passed since He ascended to heaven?
The answer is surprisingly simple: Stay connected to the vine. In John 15:1-15, Jesus says that He is the true vine, and we are the branches. In order for the branches to bear fruit (to be empowered by the Holy Spirit), we need to be connected to the vine. Branches that are not connected to the vine cannot be nourished. Verse 4 of John 15 says, “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
So how do we “remain in Him?” The answer is simple to say, but not easy to do. We have to make time to be in relationship with Him. We must read our Bibles, be in prayer, worship, and be in community with other believers.
I am sure you know this.
I know it, and I still have trouble squeezing it into my busy day! And yet, we neglect these practices to our own peril. They are the most reliable ways to have the life-changing encounters that people had with Jesus 2,000 years ago.
A lot of people say that you should start your day by spending time with Jesus, beginning every day with Bible study and prayer. I completely understand this approach, but let me tell you that my mornings are chaos! I fail every time I try to make my relationship with Jesus a “first thing” habit. Truth be told, Jesus doesn’t care what time of day it is; through the Holy Spirit, He is available morning, noon, or night. The key is not when we make time, but that we make time to connect with Jesus.
Jesus has given us the gift of His Spirit. He has given us the gift of His Word. Only through accessing Him through those gifts can we truly encounter Jesus and live the abundant life he intends for us.
Dutilh Church 