You may say it’s not fair that you live in these days instead of Bible days. If you could only see Jesus in the flesh you’d be a far better person. ”If only I could be one of the Apostles, I’d be a more victorious Christian. Why am I born now in this century with so much temptation and worldliness and I can’t see Jesus?”
When Jesus was about to leave His disciples, He said that it was going to be far better for them when He was gone, but they didn’t understand what He meant. How could it be better if He went away?
“Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” “Its expedient (Better) that I go away. (To your advantage).” John 16:6-7
“Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29
How could it be better without Jesus? The answer is all to do with faith and understanding deeper spiritual things, those truths below the surface. The obvious reason why it would be better when Jesus left, was the coming of the Holy Spirit and the the resulting enhanced fellowship we can now have with God.
When Jesus was on the earth there were 70 disciples. Of these only 12 of them could be Apostles and then only 3 were in the inner circle. Of these 3 only one leaned his head on the chest of Jesus, and that was the beloved Apostle John. It would have been hard to get close to Jesus in those days with 12 disciples let alone the millions today. How could we do that if Jesus was in His earthly body? With millions of disciples in the world, we’d have to make an appointment to see Him. We’d have to queue to look at Him, let alone touch Him.
Jesus said that the coming of the Holy Spirit who would help to solve this problem.
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." John 14:16-21
THE APOSTLE PAUL
Paul was the greatest of all the Apostles, yet he never walked with Jesus like the other Apostles did. Jesus was dead when Paul got converted on the road to Damascus. You would think that would put him at a disadvantage, yet he had a more powerful ministry than all of the others and He did the greater works that were spoken of in John 14:12.
Paul caught on to something different than that of the other Apostles. When he was saved on the Damascus Road, God separated him from everyone else to be taught something very special. It was another Gospel. It was a fresh revelation of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We read of this experience in Galatians 1:10-24.
Paul was shown things that really changed and motivated him. The other disciples hadn’t caught onto what Jesus had been trying to tell them so Paul came with a different Gospel. He was a new wine skin so to speak.
“In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” Romans 2:16
“Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began.” Romans 16:25
“Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:” 2 Timothy 2:8
We see that Paul’s gospel had the power to establish you and it was the gospel that you would be judged by one day. We have the gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, 4 Gospels in all, but now we read of a 5th - Paul’s Gospel? What’s this all about? Why didn’t God show the others this gospel?
One thing you need to realise is that the 4 Apostles only saw everything from their side of the cross, physically. They only saw things outwardly and didn’t understand the deeper spiritual side of things. Paul however saw things from the other side of the cross by revelation. He saw what was really going on. For instance the 4 Apostles had nothing to say about the 3 days that Jesus spent in the earth, after He had died, but Paul saw and understood it all by revelation. The Holy Spirit showed him.
“This is why it says: "When he ascended on high He led captives in his train and gave gifts to men." (What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)” Ephesians 4:8-10
When Jesus was raised from the dead the 4 Apostles only saw Him go up in a cloud and that was that. Paul however saw by revelation where Jesus went.
“which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 1:20-23.
Paul had his eyes opened by the Holy Spirit as we see in Ephesians 1:17-18. He had revelation given to him from God. Have you ever seen those 3D pictures? When you first look at them they are just a meaningless pattern, but after looking at them for awhile an image pops into view like a bird or some animal. It was there all the time but you never saw it. That is what revelation from God is like. You can be reading the same thing over and over again then suddenly you see a truth you never saw before and it changes everything.
Jesus said something very important to Peter.
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Mattthew 16:13-16
This verse shows us that it’s by revelation Christ will build His Church. It’s seeing things from a different perspective and not just looking at outward things like the Pharisees did. The Pharisees missed out even though they were sticklers for the word. They saw the letter of the law and not the deeper spiritual truths that Jesus presented them.
For instance the 4 Apostles only saw Jesus dying on the cross physically, yet Paul saw that he too was being crucified there with Christ, and not only that he also saw that he too was buried with Jesus and raised from the dead with Him.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
“Buried with him in baptism, where also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” Colossians 2:12-13
“Even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” Ephesians 2:5-6
All this understanding came from a man who never walked with Jesus like the other Apostles. It was all shown to him by the revelation of the Spirit. This is how Jesus said He would build His Church - by revelation. If you do not understand these truths your walk with God will just be acting and you will do most things in your own strength. Which is a recipe for failure.
Paul tells us to set our minds on things above and not on things of the earth.”You can never do this if you don’t see beyond the physical.
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your a life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4
Pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes as Paul tells us too so as to in his Ephesians prayer so that we might see things from God’s perspective.
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”Ephesians 1:17-23
When you see what Paul saw and identify with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection you’ll become more victorious in life and it will be more of Jesus and not just you fighting the battles. You’ll have more success by accident than you ever had on purpose.