Universal Yet Personal
My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. - John 10: 27 -28
I was struck in our recent bible study of how we have a Savior that saves universally but yet is interested in us personally.
We see that in Mark 5 the account of Jairus’ encounter with the Lord.
Although the Lord was with a crowd of people, yet we read that He “went with him" after he heard Jairus’ plea.
“21 When Jesus had crossed again in a boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around him, and he was by the sea. Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came up, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He asked him urgently, “My little daughter is near death. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may be healed and live.” 24 Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed around him.” - Mark 5: 21 -24
Our Lord is never too busy to meet the need of a single soul.
A few verses down, we then see the woman with the issue of blood, reached out and touched the Lord’s garment.
We read “30 Jesus knew at once that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you and you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 But he looked around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” - Mark 5: 30-34
He knew who touched him yet took a personal interest in the woman and wanted her to personally come forward so that she could bear a public witness and the Lord was able to bless her.
Finally, I am reminded of the time when the Lord called Nathanael.
In John 1, we read that Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
It’s easy to feel that we are insignificant, that we don’t matter.
Yet in these few passages, I am reminded of how God sees us - that we are valuable, that He sent His only Son to die on the cross for our sins, for my sin.
It is amazing to know that the Savior of the world is also my personal savior.
He takes an interest in each one of us.
He is a person that we can know and have a relationship.
John 6:37 “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”
A challenge to myself is whether I am emulating Christ in my life. Am I willing to make time for others, or am I “too busy” or perhaps too selfish to be to help others?
I hope this is an encouragement to you as much as it has been to me.
Talk soon!