Do you ever feel disconnected? There, but not there? Present but not engaged?

Truthfully, this is not a new feeling for me on many levels.

I find myself going about my day without much consideration for Jesus. Oh, I may pray and read and work on my Bible study, ask Him to help me figure something out; but, for the most part, my mind and heart barely acknowledge Him. How sad is this? Here is my Saviour, literally the One who gave me life and breath, who does not occupy my thoughts for more than a few paltry moments. He walks alongside me as a faithful friend as I travel through my day, guides me though I may not feel it or even seek it. I bustle about with whatever the day’s engagements have for me, oblivious. Missing out on all it is to be in relationship with Jesus. Connected but not. Present but not engaged.

I’ve been soaking in the song “Behold Him” these days and thinking about the import of that phrase, particularly in light of my predisposition to apathy. It never ceases to amaze me as messages, Sunday worship music and study mesh together to emphasize some precious truth. My appreciation for this particular song hearkens back to Christmastime when we went to a Paul Baloche concert where he blended this lovely song (which he co-wrote) with a Christmas song in a sweet medley.

I’m sure most of us have heard the phrase, “from the cradle to the cross” at some point as pertaining to Jesus’ human existence on earth. This snippet of Jesus is wonderfully portrayed in the gospels. However, this is but a glimpse of His glory–even as He performed incredible miracles, taught with wisdom and lived perfectly and compassionately among mankind. John says, “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if every one of them were written down, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written.” (John 21:25). If the things Jesus did could not be fully recorded, how could we ever hope to sum up His holiness and the wholeness of who He is?

In our ladies’ study, we are going through The Bible in a Year by Kandi Gallaty. The last few weeks have been in the epistles (two of which I will look at today). I always marvel how we see the gospel-in-a-nutshell passages throughout these letters and how Jesus is revealed, little by little, until a beautiful portrait has been painted for us.

It is here where I must be still and just behold Him.

Throw off passivity and distraction and direct my full attention on Jesus. As a Christian, my salvation, my life, my thoughts, my actions–as my Love has been emphasizing of late–is (or should be) centred on the person of Christ. A beautiful and personal relationship between Jesus and me. It is here I turn my eyes on Him.

Behold Jesus:

The fullness of who He is. Who He is to me. The enormity of what He has done, what He is doing now, and what He will do. What He lovingly does for me. What He gives in His grace and mercy. How He compassionately deals with me. What He is preparing. His glorious return! For me!

In Colossians 1:15-22, we see Jesus as the centre of our faith.

Behold Him, your Creator.
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him.”

Behold Him, your Sovereign.
“He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church;  he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.”

Behold Him, your God.
“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him…”

Behold Him, your Redeemer.
“…and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds as expressed in your evil actions. But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before him…”

Behold Jesus:

The exact image of the Father, who has dominion over all, who covers us in His robe of righteousness and gives us peace. The Resurrection and the Life, who renews and sanctifies. The One who loved us, while we were still His enemies.

In Hebrews 2:9-18, we see Jesus once again, the fulfillment and the fulfiller of prophecy:

Behold Him, your Saviour.
“But we do see Jesus—made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace he might taste death for everyone—crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death. For in bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—for whom and through whom all things exist—should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

Behold Him, your Brother.
“For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying:
I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters; 
I will sing hymns to you in the congregation.“

Behold Him, your Deliverer.
“Again, I will trust in him. And again, Here I am with the children God gave me. Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. For it is clear that he does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring.”

Behold Him, your Advocate.
“Therefore, he had to be like his brothers and sisters in every way, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in matters pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For since he himself has suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.”

Behold Jesus:

Foretold as the coming Messiah in the ancient writings and revealed in the new. The King of Glory who stepped down from His throne to become one of us, yet perfect in every way. He suffered death for us that our debt would be paid in full. He is our Brother, our Friend and our Helper, full of mercy and always faithful.  

Behold Him, your Peace. Behold Him, your Reconciliation. Behold Him, your Hope. Behold Him, your Bridegroom. I could fill page after page just about who He is to me, let alone the full embodiment of who He is in all of His glorious attributes.

Friend, if you are feeling disconnected, take a moment to be still and simply behold Him. He is worth knowing! He is the centre of our faith, a relationship with the One who gave all for you.

He who was before there was light
Walked across the pages of time
He who made every living thing
Behold Him

He who heard humanity’s cry
Left His throne to wake as a child
He became like the least of us
Behold Him

Jesus, Son of God, Messiah
The Lamb, the roaring Lion
Oh, be still and behold Him

He who dined with sinners and saints
Healed the blind, the lost and the lame
Even now He is in our midst
Behold Him

He who chose a criminal’s end
Paid with blood to settle our debt
Buried death as He rose to life
Behold Him

Jesus, Son of God, Messiah
The Lamb, the roaring Lion
Oh, be still and behold Him
Jesus, Alpha and Omega
Our God, the risen Savior
Oh, be still and behold Him

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Worthy, worthy, worthy
To receive all praise

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Worthy, worthy, worthy
To receive all praise

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Worthy, worthy, worthy
To receive all praise

Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Worthy, worthy, worthy
To receive all praise

Jesus, Son of God, Messiah
The Lamb, the roaring Lion
Oh, be still and behold Him
Jesus, Alpha and Omega
Our God, the risen Savior
Oh, be still and behold Him

Behold Him
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Paul Baloche / Mitch Wong
Behold Him lyrics © Integrity Worship Music, Integrity’s Praise! Music, Leadworship Songs, A Wong Made Write Publishing