Alive In ChristНамуна

 Real Time

Jesus meets us in real time. He is the Great “I AM” in the present tense. He is a “now” God who meets us right where we are. 

After talking with Martha, Jesus asked to speak to her sister Mary. Grieving the death of her brother Lazarus, Mary fell at Jesus’ feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus, seeing her in this broken condition, was deeply moved with sorrow and wept with her. 

This is an interesting response. He knew that He was going to raise Lazarus from death. He had already told His disciples that this sickness would not end in death. However, He still wept. He grieved with Mary in that moment. He loved her and understood her feelings of pain and confusion. He was with her in real time. Let’s not forget: He is fully man and fully God. He understands our humanity, feels our pain, and grieves with us. He meets us right where we are. He knows how it all will end, but He still walks with us through the pain we face. He is a relational God who shares our joys and sorrows. Like Mary, we can bring Him our grief and our frustrations and weep with Him over our losses, pains, and heartaches. He’ll meet us where we are, but He’ll never leave us there.  

The story doesn’t end here. There is a happy ending. Our stories are far from over, too. As long as we’re here on earth, Jesus is working out our stories for His good purposes. As believers, we also have a happy ending. Our eternity is secure in Christ, but in the here and now, it’s important to remember he sees us, understands our pain, and is here for us in real time. He is a living God, walking with us every step of the way.