“Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.” – John 1:14
Insights from God come through Christ’s incarnation. Jesus is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24), the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence (Hebrews 1:3). In Jesus all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form (Colossians 2:9).
As Jesus commands us, we must remain in him to gain insights from his incarnate presence. When we are close to him with our mind fixed on him, the Holy Spirit will open the eyes of our hearts.
One key way to remain in Jesus is to have his words remain in us (John 15:7).
The four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are the proclamation of who Jesus really is. They are “making a convincing case” for the true identity of Jesus in a historical narrative. In other words, the Gospels are showing you Jesus in action in the real historical context. You are invited to enter the story and to be with Jesus for yourself.
When you enter the story of Jesus by spending time in the Word, particularly, in the Gospels, you begin to see who Jesus really is. At the same time, the Holy Spirit will give you insights you need through the life, words, and deeds of Jesus.
You also find many different encounters people of the New Testament had with Jesus recorded in the Gospels. Jesus interacted with all kinds of people. He healed some, rebuked others, and encouraged those who needed the words of affirmation only He could speak. Some reached out to him, while He simply knew how to respond to others who possibly were unaware of what they needed most. Rich, poor, young, old … Jesus knows and cares for us all; no one is beyond his love and compassion! The stories of his encounters with the people of His day are also our stories. As you identify yourself with these Biblical characters, your encounter with Jesus will give you a new insight into who He is and make you more like Him.