Jesus is Here!
The other day, my mom shared with me a story from my childhood. She said one Sunday, when I was very, very little, we were sitting in church, and I saw a young man in the congregation with long hair and a beard and started crying out, “It’s Jesus, it’s Jesus!” She said I was so excited that Jesus had come to church. As she shared this story, my heart melted as a question wove its way into my soul: Are we excited when Jesus comes to church?
Children get it. They have the right idea. Their faith and belief are simple. They don’t question the obvious. In Matthew 18, Jesus says, “‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven…See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.’” Their simple belief is instrumental to their faith…and ours. Jesus clearly declares that they are a model for us. Sometimes, as adults we allow skepticism to creep in, but Jesus is clear, we are to “become like little children”.
That being said, a little further down in Matthew 18, Jesus states, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” We are not to question this. Jesus said it, so it’s true. Our child-like faith accepts that Jesus is present every time we gather in His name. Matthew 28:20 confirms it. If we let it sink in, that every time we gather in the name of Jesus, He is with us, then…WOW! Something inside us should begin to stir until our hearts cry out, “It’s Jesus! He is here!”
If we in simple child-like faith believe our Savior’s declaration in Matthew, then our response may be like that of the people as Jesus rode into Jerusalem in Matthew 21—obvious and uncontainable. Matthew 21:10 even records that, “…the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’”
Today, as we gather, let our worship explode. Let it shake this place. Jesus is here! Let our city be stirred. And when they ask, we will declare, “It’s Jesus! He is here!”
–Katie Botello