Oh, To See Jesus!

Wafting up the stairs in the early morning, I am greeted by the fragrance of freshly baked bread. The new breadmaker sits on the counter proudly providing a loaf each day. Walking down the stairs to the scent of a sweet-smelling loaf reminds me of the goodness of Jesus. He is the Bread of Life (John 6:35), and we are to nourish ourselves with spiritual food that only Jesus can give. He is our essential staple who satisfies our deep, spiritual hunger.

Like being in the presence of delicious, home-baked goods that fill the whole house with their aroma, Christ’s presence fills us. He comes and dwells with us by his Holy Spirit. The richness of his power at work within us is something to savour; his Spirit is a gift, a promise, and a seal for eternal life. We have tasted and seen the Lord’s goodness here on earth. He will be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

But oh, to see Jesus!

One day we will experience the glorious majesty and glory of seeing our Saviour Jesus face to face. ‘Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is’ (1 John 3:2). Although we have the assurance that he is with us now, one day we will experience the fullness, the flavour, the ultimate feast of being in his magnificent presence. We will be gathered around his table, feasting in the presence of our King.

Does this mean that we only glimpse his presence now, like taking a small sample of food presented to us on a tray? We are not given a bite-sized, incomplete Jesus; we are united to Him now, in sweet communion. We are to ‘take and eat’ from him (Matthew 26:26) — these are his words to his disciples at the Last Supper.

As we feast on the truth of Christ’s sacrifice, we are reminded that we are in him, and he is in us. And yet, at times we are still hungering for more. Are we wrong to have hunger pangs? Afterall, Jesus has given himself to us, uniting and reconciling us to himself. Is that enough?

Jesus said, “Whoever comes to me will never go hungry” (John 6:35). This is the deep, spiritual hunger that can only be filled by coming to him. That is why we need to keep coming to Jesus. He will give us our daily bread. He will supply all of our needs. He will meet us as we seek him in prayer and through chewing over and meditating upon his everlasting word.

But we will at times feel that ache as we wait to be welcomed into the fullness of God’s glory and his indescribable presence. We yearn for our heavenly home. We long for our eternal dwelling place. We hunger for righteousness. We desire Christ — to see him face to face.

As we wait, may we never stop coming to Jesus. May we continually be filled by him, knowing that his death and resurrection have made a way for us to be with him forever. Like bread, may we rise up and share the goodness and hope of Jesus everywhere — as a pleasing aroma to the Lord.