An encounter with Jesus can completely transform a person’s life.
In Luke 19:1-10, Zacchaeus, a man of wealth, position, and influence, despite his many possessions and status, felt an unfulfilled longing, a deep desire to see Jesus. His life demonstrates that no amount of resources or power can truly satisfy if one does not have Jesus. Without Christ, everything else loses its meaning.
Zacchaeus appeared to have everything, yet he lacked the most important thing: Jesus. This lack rendered all his achievements and possessions insignificant. Physically he was short; his greater deficiency was spiritual. He was missing a connection with Christ.
What would compel a man like Zacchaeus, with all his worldly success, to wake up one morning with a singular desire to encounter Jesus? It was a recognition, whether conscious or not, that his heart yearned for something greater than wealth or status, something only Jesus could provide.
The presence of the crowd couldn’t make him see Jesus. He couldn’t see Jesus because of his stature. He has two problems: Jesus was not just physical to him, so seeing him physically was a problem; he also wanted to see Jesus spiritually, but he couldn’t. His inability to see Jesus necessitated him climbing the tree.
Until a man encounters Jesus, everything around him remains meaningless. Oftentimes we don’t place appropriate value on our dealings with Jesus.
The only burden he had was him seeing Jesus, but he faced obstruction from the crowd.
At some point in your life, pause and celebrate the grace that has brought you into a fellowship and communion with Christ. The desire Zacchaeus had came from the Lord.
The tree Zacchaeus climbed is a shadow; it is speaking to the cross. It is speaking to a man who has come to embrace the cross. The cross is the only way to see Jesus. One profound thing was Zacchaeus running ahead of the cross. A time will come before the crowd will decide which way to go; a man who is smart will distinguish himself and run ahead of the crowd before the crowd will come.
The same crowd that hindered him from seeing Jesus—that same crowd now saw him, and he became the focus. Jesus called him. When a man encounters Jesus, what he has been on the lookout for now starts to look for him. Jesus called out to him.
There was a genuine hunger for Zacchaeus that his wealth couldn’t satisfy. Encounters are built around genuine hunger; there must be a desire to have communion with the Lord. Picture a man with a suit and tie because his status may speak about his look and what he is wearing. It must have been a difficult task for Zacchaeus. He was deliberate and intentional. He hungered to see Jesus. The tendency is that he had never climbed a tree before.
Verily, people must have been asking what is going on. He was deliberate and intentional. He was desirous to know about Christ.
He desired the fellowship of the Lord. He desired to hear God’s word. He had the burden for the Lord. It is a strong fundamental bedrock of encounter. This is why we need to know how hungry we are.
How easily can hunger be quenched and satisfied? There is a place for both knowledge and encounters. Knowledge is a fundamental and critical bedrock for encounters. Knowledge and encounter can not be substituted with one another.
Some encounters need us to sit with the word, and they find us there.
There must be an encounter – real and specific. Encounters are rare and personal. Knowledge is universal. You cannot use encounters to preach the truth of God. There are encounters that will help us to understand the truth of God’s word. Encounters make us have the experiential knowledge of the word.
The power of God is becoming life. When the word talks about provision and experience, encounters help us to know the truth behind this.
They help us to establish the truth from God’s word. It is preferable if the truth is already there.
When Abraham wanted to sacrifice Isaac, he encountered the Lord on the mountain. The Lord provided and Abraham called him “Jehovah Jireh” based on the encounter.
Abraham had encounters that are tangible and which cannot be invalidated. Most names people call God are not what God calls Himself. Men called Him those names based on their encounters.
Abraham told Isaac on the mount that God will provide. It was by obedience he had to sacrifice the son. It was a typology of the gospel.
In contrast, a king faced a difficult battle and needed to win the war against Israel. He had to sacrifice his son to win the battle 2 Kings 3:26-27.
We must not be conscious of only the result and not the encounter. We can miss out on the supernatural if we do so. Do not let the knowledge of grace override the encounter we are to have from this knowledge.
Our experiences and stories may differ but that does not change the truth in God’s word. That we have not been seeing the supernatural does not mean it does not exist. Angelic manifestation still exists. Do not make anyone feel less if they have not had such an encounter.
The apostles saw Jesus. When people have encounters, it should not be invalidated and should not be pushed as a standard.
Even though I have never seen angels, I cannot invalidate the encounters of a man that has had angelic visitation. It’s possible you don’t see angels because you are not trained in that dimension or it’s not your area. Some people may be prophetic or they may be intercessors. There is a realm of intercession, fasting and prayers that one will do, and he will begin to see things.
So encounters are real, but the truth of the word of God is superior to encounters, which is why we need to stay with the word.
Different people in the Bible had unique and specific encounters; for example, Zacchaeus on the tree, Paul on his way to Damascus, etc. No one else had the same encounters; that’s why Paul never raised it as an issue of discussion or basis for conversation. His encounter was powerful and transforming, but it can never be a doctrine.
Someone is waiting for you to discover light in the same manner that Paul did. There is no more light in the firmament; you are the light of the world. Jesus depends on you.
Stay with the major. There is something called application to scripture, which differs from biblical implication. If a word ministers personally to you, keep it to you. That’s your encounter. It will be a grave disservice to the church if a verse received for personal edification is used as a congregational doctrine.
The basis for biblical interpretation would include; context, pretext and post text, language, audience.
What the scripture says to one, applies to everyone.
It requires deliberateness and being intentional to understand what the scriptures says.
This will enhance your walk with God and will also make you confident in your dealings with God.