Face to Face: Recognizing Jesus In The Every Day

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What if you were standing face to face with Jesus—and didn’t even realize it? What must it have been like to look into the face of Christ—to capture the details, His eyes, His smile, His gestures?

The gaze of Christ

I’m sure you’ve seen countless images of Christ somewhere in a church, a monastery, or a museum, witnessing countless attempts by artists to share with the world their interpretation of Jesus. The days of the camera were a long way off, so we leaned on artists to bring Jesus to life.

Maybe, one image stood out—His eyes drawing you into the mystical, a sacred unknown. Or perhaps it felt like Jesus peered through your eyes into your soul. You felt seen.

Then and now

Often, when I observe an image of Jesus, my mind travels back 2,000 years. I imagine myself standing before the real Jesus, eyes locked. Would I have noticed the divine–or passed by with a polite smile? Would I have heard a supernatural whisper drawing me? Or would I have sensed awe and wonder? Would the Spirit of God have found an open and longing heart–or one too busy to see? 

It’s hard to say what each of us might have done 2,000 years ago. I want to think I would have recognized and followed. However, the better question is—what do we do today when we stand before Jesus? Do we recognize Him? Although it seems mysterious—because we don’t live 2,000 years ago—we still stand before Him today, often in places we least expect.

Recognizing His Presence

What does standing before him look like? What the Lord has impressed upon me is that we stand before Him every day, in every circumstance, in every place, with every person, and in all events. Because the Lord is here, there, and everywhere.

“Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7)

He is in the people we love and the ones we avoid. In the friend who brings us dinner and the stranger who tests our patience. He is in the child who needs our attention and the coworker who gets under our skin. And, He is in the ones who bring peace and the ones who challenge us. He is in every face we see—because He is always present.

He is in the days that unfold just as we hoped and the ones that come undone. In answered prayers and deafening silence, in celebration and disappointment. He is in late-night tears, early-morning hope, and the ordinary moments. Whether we’re chopping vegetables, sitting in traffic, or listening to a friend’s story, He is there.

He is in the breath that fills our lungs and the breeze that brushes our skin. In the song of birds, the crash of waves, the hush of falling snow. In the warmth of sunlight, the scent of rain, the rhythm of seasons. He is in the beauty, the mystery, the vastness of it all—because He is always near.

Dwelling with God

We stand before the Lord regardless of what we are doing, saying, or experiencing. Whether on vacation, in a sanctuary, or struggling to get through the day, the Lord is omnipresent. By His very nature, He is present everywhere simultaneously, all-enveloping. 

I can’t offer a theological explanation; others can, I’m sure. Nonetheless, I do know that the Lord gazes at us with unfathomable love, a love that sacrificed all to be with us in every moment of every day. 

We are standing face to face with the Lord. Do we see Him–in the here, there, and everywhere? Can we gaze upon Him and step into the sacred where His omnipresence falls upon us like the cloud that covered the Israelites by day, that filled the tabernacle, and that overshadowed Jesus on the mountain? After all, we are His children and His tabernacle (His dwelling place). He is the cloud that rests on us and never leaves. 

Let us not miss Him. Let us lift our eyes and lock our gaze with the One who is always near.

“For in him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28)

Let’s live like it—eyes open, heart aware, standing always in His presence.

Reflection

• What if you’re standing face to face with Jesus…?

• Have you seen him today?