This post was contributed by Kevin Schrapel.

It is often said, “it’s in the perception of…”

There they stood, sort of white, emerging from the lawn of the magnificent Adelaide Road linear park.

From a distance, the imagination of a very young grandaughter could say, “look, a fairy village!”

Another’s not-so-fanciful musing might decide it’s a graveyard for gnomes.

Of course, as you walk closer, and with the benefit of age, experience and common sense, they are obviously toadstools.

Perception plays a large part in understanding reality.

So what about Jesus?

When you think about Jesus, the man talked about in the Bible, what is your perception of him?

Was he only a good bloke who went around demonstrating love in action to those he met along his path of life?

Want to know the reality of Jesus?

Read what those who knew him and lived around the same time wrote about him, namely Matthew Mark, Luke and John.

Their writings are the first four books of the New Testament, the second half of the Bible.

Jesus once asked his close followers, his disciples, “What are people saying about who I am?”

They replied, “Some say, John the Baptiser, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets”.

He pressed them, “And how about you – who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the messiah, the son of the living God” (Matthew 8:27-29).

Some thought – or perceived – that because of the unique things – miracles – Jesus did and the things he said that he was one of the special men of God – prophets – who had come back to life.

Peter, through his special and close relationship with Jesus, knew the reality of Jesus.

Peter knew because of what he had seen: lives changed for good, illnesses cured, storms calmed, sight restored; and what he had heard: his talks with Jesus, all joined with the working of a God-given faith.

Peter knew and could recognise the reality of Jesus, the son of the living God.

The closer the reality of your life comes, through learning about him, talking to him through prayer, listening to what he tells you, the more real Jesus will become in your life.

You will know and enjoy the reality of his love, his care, his power, his forgiveness, all of which brings a newer reality to your life.

Jesus is now saying, “Who do you say that I am?”

What is your answer?

God bless you.

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