Matthew 16:16

John 20:29

"Don’t bother to tell me about your Christ. I know Him. I’ve seen Him. You’ve shown Him to me.

"He is a Christ who lingers in the church building on Sunday long after the lights are turned out and everyone has gone home or to the pizza parlor.

"He is a Christ who lives in the quiet sanctuary with all the walnut beams and paneling and sculptured posts.

"He appears in stained glass.

"He makes people laugh and shout and throw up their hands and dance—but just on Sundays.

"A Christ who is buried somewhere in all the lighted candles.

"A Christ who attends funerals and hovers around hospital rooms.

"A Christ who brings tears to the eye when a certain song is sung.

"A Christ who has limits.

"That Christ has no power.

"That Christ is impotent.

"That Christ is not offensive—I just don’t need Him. He’s not relevant to my life."

O Lord Jesus. If they really knew You. . . . Relevant to my life? You are my life. You aren’t hiding in a building down on Main Street. You haven’t unpacked Your suitcase at the hospital. You aren’t waiting anxiously for the next funeral to come along so You can "mix and mingle."

How we misrepresent You with our hateful tongues and gossip. With our foul language and suggestive remarks. With our depression and constant complaining. With our relentless drive for "things" and with our ruthless ambitions. Small wonder that You seem unnecessary to those whose only witness is a polished, prosperous, and disease-free TV "evangelist." To those whose only glimpse of You is the next-door neighbor who yells at his kids on Sunday morning to "Get in the car, now! Or we’ll be late for church!"

"Me, need Christ?" they ask. "If He’s what you have, why should I need Him?"

Oh, that they might know my Christ. The life-changing Christ. The Christ who takes the ugly things from my life and gives me understanding for the unlovely, unloving ugly people who wander in and out of my world. Christ, the rebuilder of broken dreams. Christ, the restorer of hope. The Christ who invades my thought-life and keeps it pure. The Christ who never leaves my side but goes with me into every battle, every day. The Christ who holds me and comforts me when I hurt. The Christ who laughs with me and cries with me. Who talks with me and walks with me. Christ, my Friend. Christ, my Companion. The Christ who watches over me while I sleep, who holds every tear, who hears every sigh. The Christ who loves me more than I can comprehend. The Christ who died for me.

If you would know my Christ,

then you would see Jesus.