He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.  And we have seen His glory…full of grace and truth.  John 1:14

The better we get to know someone, the more their true self comes into view.  Just ask newlyweds who are discovering that the honeymoon is over as their two carnal natures collide.  What was charming in courtship can become irritating in marriage. What was hidden by distance is exposed by proximity. Over time, character is revealed not by candlelight but in the kitchen.

John knew Jesus this way.  He did not admire Him from a distance. He ate with Him, slept near Him, watched Him face day after day of needs pressing in from every side. For three years, John saw Jesus exhausted, hungry, interrupted, criticized, in danger, disappointed, and grieving. He saw Jesus under stress. He saw Him misunderstood. He saw Him falsely accused. He saw Him surrounded by crowds who wanted miracles more than they wanted Him.

And what did John discover? Not a flaw. Not one moment when holiness thinned under pressure.

Human intimacy can be sobering. Much needs to be forgiven. With Jesus, intimacy reveals what must be worshiped. John drew close to Jesus and found no shadows waiting there. There was no selfishness beneath the Savior’s kindness. There was no private contradictions behind His public persona. He was always the same ~ full of grace and truth.

Lord Jesus, lead me beyond the places in me that still retreat from love, and bring me into the safety of Your perfection. Amen