Peter MacDonald
The Jesus of scripture is not confined to time or place. He is not only the man who walked the dusty roads of Galilee but also the eternal, omnipresent God: fully divine, fully human. He is both seated at the right hand of the Father and mysteriously present with His people on earth.
Damascus: When Light Confronts Darkness
Saul was a faithful, zealous follower of the Mosaic Law and he was so committed to what he believed was truth that he persecuted early Christians. But as he rode to Damascus, Jesus appeared in radiant light, knocking him from his horse and asking:
“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4)
Note that Jesus didn’t say, ‘Why do you persecute them?’ He said, “me”. Because to harm the Church is to harm Christ Himself. Such is the depth of His union with His people.
That moment changed everything. Saul became Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, spreading the Gospel across the Roman Empire.
He Can Appear Anytime He Chooses
If Jesus could appear to Paul, why not to a songwriter on a ferry?
Years ago, New Zealand musician Luke Hurley was in a different kind of battle, not one of violence, but resistance. He found himself irritated by how often Christians approached him. In frustration, he told God to stop sending them. And strangely, they stopped appearing.
Then, one day, while Luke was busking in Picton, a stranger approached and asked why he was playing. Luke told him he needed a fare to Wellington. The man quietly handed him the money and walked away.
Later, while on board the ferry, Luke stood at the rail, looking out at the scenery passing by, lost in thought. Then, silently and without introduction, the same man approached again and stopped nearby, leaning on the rail without speaking a word. They stood in silence together for some time, the hum of the ferry and the movement of the sea wrapping around them like a pause in time.
As the man turned to leave, Luke quietly said, “Thank you for the ferry fare.” The man stopped, turned to Luke, and looked at him with deep compassion in his eyes. Then, with gentle authority, he said: “Turn to God. He loves you.” And he walked away.
Luke never saw the mysterious man again. But that moment stayed with him.
In time, Luke did just that, he turned to God and he never looked back. What began as frustration and resistance became a lasting friendship with Jesus, forged not through religious obligation, but through a real encounter with divine love.
The Message Hasn’t Changed
In the film Joshua (2002), a modern-day retelling of Jesus walking among people, there’s a powerful moment where Jesus, under the name “Joshua” tells the Pope:
“Tell them I died for them. Tell them I love them. The message hasn’t changed.”
And it hasn’t.
Jesus still speaks to hearts. Still walks among the hurting. Still appears in light, in silence, in a stranger’s gaze, in the whisper of the Spirit.
Maybe you’ve seen Him and didn’t know it. Maybe He sat beside you on a ferry. Maybe He’s speaking now.
Open Your Heart Today
If your heart is stirred, don’t wait. Whether He meets you in a church pew, in a loft or beside the sea. He’s still calling:
“Turn to God. He loves you.”
The message hasn’t changed.
