Everyone meets Yeshua one day. And then what?
"Behold, he is coming with the clouds! Everyone will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. Amen."
Revelation 1:7.
My evening prayer & thoughts
It was around midnight on Friday night when I got into bed and went to pray. First, a prayer of thanksgiving to God with an appeal on Christ Yeshua (John 16:23), followed by a prayer to Christ directly (John 14:13-14), during which the question suddenly arose in my mind: "What would I say or do if I suddenly met him (Yeshua)?" It became very personal and very confronting, and a long prayer..
"I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears me and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."
Revelation 3:20.
Contact with God is different
From experience, I know that contact with God is different from contact with Christ. Gods Voice or Words in me, what He reveals in feelings, how He guides my thoughts: it comes from the working unity with Him. However, God YHWH is not a flesh-and-blood human being, not a brother [but my Father, John 20:17], and He did not die for me...
Yeshua: suddenly so confrontational!
Yes, and then you meet him, and he stands before you. That firstborn of God (Col 1:15): created first before Creation and before the Earth and humans existed (John 17:5). The Assistant & co-Creator of God YHWH (Proverbs 8:22-31). But also the one sent by the one true God (John 17:3) to save us from our sins: the literal meaning of his name "Yeshua" ("he who saves us from our sins").
He is so important and also a creature/human being and also had to suffer and die because of MY SINS. And then you suddenly stand face to face with him...
"For now we see through a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.", 1 Corinthians 13:12
My tears kept coming and flowing
During this late-night conversation, tears suddenly welled up as I pondered his question: what would I say or do now that I'd met him so suddenly?
He died for me and now stands before me, life-sized, as a living person. Tears of pain and sorrow, and perhaps also of shame. I kneel before him. My voice seems lost and caught in my throat. "I really only want one thing: to hug him while crying." Words seem completely inadequate. Feelings of joy and gratitude slowly take over from the pain, the sorrow, and a hint of shame.
You then realize that the person standing before you is your brother, your family, and a human being; and people communicate by talking to each other. After the first meeting, the words also come hesitantly to you.
You express "that you love him, that you are grateful for what he has done for you and that he hasn't given up on you. And that you are happy, incredibly happy." And you hope to see him again later, realizing that everyone in heaven will want that, even though he is the full-time High Priest (Hebrews8:1-2) of God...
Why this conversation?!
After prayer, I got out of bed, washed my eyes and cheeks with cold water, and dried them slightly. As I went to bed, I wondered why I was suddenly having this conversation about this topic with Yeshua?! After all, I'm already praying to him. He's no stranger to me. And what about the floods of tears?
Thinking about it now, I come to the conclusion that the conversation is also an encounter; a very personal encounter, even. An even better introduction and preparation for what's to come. You could even call it a very personal testimony. A testimony that I'm sharing with you now.
Be sure to think about your own encounter with Christ Yeshua, what you want to say or do, and realize that acknowledging him (as Lord of God, Romans 10:9), knowing him and what you say is also an encounter, an introduction, and a testimony of your faith.
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