I have often wondered what it was like to sit at the feet of Jesus during His earthly ministry—to hear a man speak with such authority and clarity that His Words caused a group of officers, sent by the chief priests and Pharisees, to ignore their charge (John 7:32-52) or to listen as He exposed the hypocrisy and dishonesty of those who denied Him. It would have been amazing to witness His miracles and compassion for people, BUT I was not there.

While I was not there, I can read about how others reacted to His life and teaching. Would I have been among those who believed and faithfully followed Him? (John 6:68-69) Would I have been among those who believed and followed Him for a while, but then turned away? (John 6:66) Would I have been among those who rejected Him from the beginning or called for His crucifixion? (Mark 15:9-15)

There is no doubt that those who saw our Lord’s work and heard His message were blessed. (John 20:19-29) On the evening of Christ’s resurrection, He appeared to the disciples and showed them His hands and side. Upon seeing this evidence they were “glad when they saw the Lord”. Thomas was absent, but later the disciples told him, “we have seen the Lord”. He responded, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Thomas was there the next time Jesus appeared to them, and Christ showed him the same evidence He showed the other disciples. Thomas, as the other disciples, believed when he saw the proof.

Then our Lord said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”. This does not mean we are without sufficient evidence to produce faith in Christ and His resurrection. (John 20:30-31) The written Word records a powerful and undeniable confirmation to anyone possessing a pure heart. This complete and final revelation is our blessing from God. This was the process, function, and purpose of first century Christianity, and is also why we no longer need miracles or revelations. (Jude 3)

So while a few of the earliest Christians actually witnessed our Lord’s ministry and sat at His feet, most did not. Instead, everyone else was either taught by the few eyewitnesses or by inspired teachers. We also know that miracles gave testimony to the message’s veracity. (Acts 2; 5:29-32)

The Bible was given as a way for posterity to put themselves in the shoes of those who lived before—to learn from their mistakes and successes, especially as it pertains to spiritual matters. We learn about God, and our origin, purpose, and responsibilities through its words. It is in that way we can all sit at the feet of Christ.

The Grissom Road congregation has a meeting beginning March 1st and going through the 6th. Brother George Slover will be presenting Gospel lessons on the Theme of “At the Feet of Christ”. We want to invite everyone to attend.

Terry Starling