Just As You Are
John 1:43-51
Last month, during the season of Advent, I wrote about sin and the benefits that repentance could bring as we awaited the celebration of the birth of Jesus, the “Light of the World,” and our Redeemer. This month, as we move into the season of Epiphany (when we celebrate that Light and Redemption being shown to all people), I want to explore further the benefits that repentance offers.
“Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!’ Nathanael said to him, ‘How do you know me?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’”
John 1:47-48
Have you ever had a time in your life when you were depressed because you thought that no one loved you or even took you seriously and certainly would not accept you if they knew you as you know yourself? Have you ever felt so unlovable that you thought not even God could love you?
This idea is the crux of this passage in the Gospel of John. Jesus knew Nathanael as one of His own and claimed him with joy! Just imagine the joy of Nathanael — to have found his Lord and found by Him. And even more important and wonderful — to have been so fully accepted. That claiming and accepting is called Redemption.
This is the nature of our God — that God knows us — the good and the bad — and still loves us and claims us as His own. When you think of it, it is amazing that so little is required of us to appreciate such acceptance. It is as simple as walking into a dark room and flipping a switch and the room is filled with light. We ask for forgiveness from God, He grants it and suddenly, our lives are filled with the Light of Christ! To know that we are fully known and accepted is the joy of redemption.
Unconditional knowledge and acceptance (grace) are something that only Jesus can offer. We simply don’t dare expect this from anyone else — not even those closest to us — because people turn away at some point for reasons of their own. Yet, Jesus never turns away and never turns us away.
That is the miracle of acceptance (redemption) and our repentance is the switch which flips on the Light of Christ in our lives and allows us to see how deeply God loves us.
