John 14:15-31 Jesus just told the disciples He was going away, but He would not leave them comfortless. He promised them He would send them the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, but He made another promise that we often miss. Many of the promises in the Bible are conditional, and it is important we fulfill the conditions before we claim the promise. In this passage Jesus makes a conditional promise. He said “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him” (v. 21).
What a promise this is. The word manifest means to show, reveal or make an appearance.
Many years ago I heard a lady share an interesting testimony. She and her husband had been standing on this promise for several years. Almost weekly they would remind God of His promise to manifest Himself to those who keep His commandments. This couple was careful to love God with all of their hearts and to share God’s love with their neighbors, thus fulfilling the commandments. One night as they were in a deep sleep, they were awakened by a bright light in the room. Their eyes finally were able to focus, and they saw Jesus standing at the foot of their bed. He said nothing, but looked lovingly at them.
After hearing this testimony, I too began to stand on this promise. God has no pets, and if we fulfill the conditions of His promises, He will deliver what He has spoken in His Word. After six months of diligently seeking His face, I was awakened from a deep sleep after a Sunday nap. I saw a light in the distance, and as it drew closer to me, I saw the face of Jesus in that light. The love, joy and peace radiating from that face were beyond human expression. My spirit jumped inside of me, and I wanted to run and embrace Jesus. “Lord,” I said, “I want to share Your face with the world because I know if they see Your face, everyone will come to You instantly. Your love is so compelling.” Then I heard Him speak these words to my spirit: “I have not chosen to reveal Myself in this way to the world. Instead I have chosen to show my face to others through your face and the faces of all who believe in Me.”
Perhaps you may never see the face of Jesus on this side of heaven, but you have the awesome privilege of letting others see His face through your own. Second Corinthians 4:6-7 says, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (KJV).
READ: 2 Samuel 7:1-8:18; John 14:15-31; Psalm 119:36-52; Proverbs 15:33
