He is Among You

Joh 1:26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;
Joh 1:27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
Joh 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Joh 1:30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
Joh 1:35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
Joh 1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
Joh 1:37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
Joh 1:38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
Joh 1:39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

There are a few things contained in this passage that I find both comforting and exciting.

Apparently, Jesus was on hand as an observer before He came forth the next day to be baptized. As the messengers of the Pharisees asked John about his credentials, John told them he was the forerunner of One Who was standing among them Whom they knew not.

It was the next day in which Jesus came, once again, to the river to be baptized of John. This time, John made his official declaration, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

However, we see that, for the third consecutive day, Jesus came to John one more time. Again He was announced, "Behold the Lamb of God!"

Here is what I gather from this sequence:

1. Jesus is often involved in a preparatory work unbeknownst to us. He is among us, observing and working, yet unannounced. This ‘behind the scenes’ presence of our Lord is as important as His subsequent appearances, but without any fanfare or pretense. When you think He isn't, He is! He is here, He is working, He is building, He is active.

2. He then comes on the scene, properly announced. Angels bow and fold their wings. Saints acknowledge His Sovereign presence and worship Him in spirit and in truth. How wonderful it is to bow before Him, worshiping at His feet, glorying in the presence of the Holy Hero of Heaven.

3. He comes again, this time to call us to a specific service, as He did two of John's disciples. The second day was all goose bumps and liver-quivers, but now it is time to break the huddle and run the plays. God has work for us to do and it requires haste.

This is the cycle we go through time and again. We look for the unseen Saviour, even when He is already present. Then He shows Himself and we enjoy a time of worship. Finally, He appears and calls us to go to work.

Whichever part of the cycle you are experiencing today, know that He is present and will never leave nor forsake us.