One encounter with Jesus Christ is enough to change you. Instantly, Forever. Luis Palau
Listen to me. It is entirely possible to:
- grow up around Jesus and miss that He is the Messiah;
- be really religious and miss that Jesus is the Messiah;
- hear about Jesus for the very first time and be convinced that He is the Messiah;
- live your life completely against Jesus then suddenly recognize who He is and be changed.
Perhaps one of the greatest examples of these possibilities is John the Baptist. John and Jesus were cousins. Their mothers were close. Their mothers knew that God was afoot in the lives of their respective sons. One could imagine they had discussed this. And John knew Jesus. But it is evident that he did not know Jesus was the Messiah.
John did know his purpose. It was to prepare the way for the promised Messiah. And God had given John a clear understanding of how he would recognize the Messiah: “Then John told about seeing the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descending from heaven and resting upon Jesus. “I didn’t know he was the one,” John said, “but at the time God sent me to baptize he told me, ‘When you see the Holy Spirit descending and resting upon someone – he is the one you are looking for. He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ I saw it happen to this man, and I therefore testify that he is the Son of God.” John 1:32-34 TLB
Jesus. The Messiah. The Lamb of God.