An Encounter with Jesus Changes Everything

Christian experience is a precious thing. Whatever else they may be, true Christian believers are simply those who have encountered Jesus personally. Without that, it is doubtful if we can be called Christians at all. There are in Scripture, in the Gospels, many records of people who encountered Jesus, and their lives were never the same afterward. So today, too, there are life-changing encounters with Jesus that have brought real and lasting change to those involved. Let’s look at four instances (one from each Gospel) and see what they may say to us today about what may lead us to encounter Jesus for ourselves.

A Desire for an Encounter with Jesus

Luke 19:1–10 (Zacchaeus) on BibleGateway

Zaccheus was born a native Judean, under the Roman occupation. At the time of Jesus’ ministry Zaccheus had become a rich man, wealthy on the profits from his role as a tax-gatherer for the occupying Romans. Moreover, he was the local chief tax gatherer, so he profited even further from another rake-off on the activity of other tax-gatherers under his oversight. In the Jews’ eyes this made him a traitor and a defrauder—not just because he was serving the hated Romans, but because extra “service charges” were added over and above what was required to meet the Roman tribute. Zaccheus was thus socially an outcast.

But he had heard about Jesus, and he was curious to see this Man of miracles and teaching. He was desirous, and acted on it: he sought actively to see Him, hearing He was passing through the town. A desire flamed up in him to see the Man of the moment, and such a pressing need was this, he was prepared to sacrifice his dignity to accomplish it. Being short of stature and quite unable to see through or over the crowds around Jesus, Zaccheus saw a chance up ahead: a tree that he could climb to get a view. So this little, and wholly despised man, ran on and climbed the tree, and so got his desired look.

Something in his heart moved him—which in hindsight we can perhaps identify as the grace of God working on him. And so the story goes: Jesus arrived, looked up, called Zaccheus down, and went with him to eat at his house. Zaccheus was overwhelmed with the grace and kindness, and humbled to the point of repentance. Publicly he declared that not only would he immediately give half of his goods to support the poor, but confessed his wrongdoing in the most practical way:

“Where I have defrauded anyone I will repay him four-fold.”

That’s a 400% self-imposed penalty payment!

Such was the outcome in a heart newly touched by the grace—”the goodness of God that leads to repentance” (Romans 2:4b).

Are we so desirous to see and know Jesus that we too, who have been touched by grace, would be willing to sacrifice our dignity, make a public confession, and provide a practical restoration if we have harmed others? Such is the power of an encounter with Jesus. Or are we hard-hearted, and liable to make the grace of God void? That would be too terrible.

An Encounter with Jesus Satisfies Our Deepest Thirst

John 4:4–26 — The Woman at the Well

An encounter with Jesus neither expected, nor even at first enjoyed, came to the lonely and outcast woman, drawing water with labour at the well of Sychar in the heat of the day. A simple friendly request, “Give me a drink,” had led to a conversation culminating in a revelation of the Christ to one who (on her own confession) was a rejected and a despised person. Yet, despite failed marriages, the divorces and a current adulterous relationship, an underlying thirst for true knowledge of the things of God existed in her.

The woman had long thought on the Samaritan situation. Her moral, social, religious and racial situation, plus the ongoing search for love on the human level, actually hid a far deeper thirst in her that Jesus perceived and spoke to. The God for whom she longed, whom she knew about only from Scripture and tradition, the One who would set all things right, had suddenly appeared right there where she was.

“I who speak to you am He.”

In our encounters with Jesus we, like her, may have many hard personal and other questions. But they all get overwhelmed, and swept aside, when we realise that God Himself in Christ is meeting with us right where we are, in all our life’s difficulties, and He is offering the better answer to all our thirst, doubts and questions. All legalities and details are completely lost in the wonder of having our hearts given to drink of the true Water of Life.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions of the Lord, but don’t be surprised to get an answer that sweeps them away!

Faith That Reaches Out

Mark 5:21–43 — Jairus and the Woman Who Touched Jesus

When Jesus had returned to the western shore of Galilee, from his mission to deliver the Gadarene demoniac, the crowds gathered to meet him, and among them came one earnest, believing and humble man. An important synagogue official, Jairus was of high standing in his community. But he did not stand on any pride of place. Falling down before Jesus, he simply begged him to come heal his young daughter who lay close to death. Jesus responded on the instant to this humble faith, and accordingly went with him. The crowd pressed around and jostled for a place to be near Jesus, to hear him, and to see what great works he would do—they idolised the power, but had little knowledge of Jesus. But Jairus saw more of who Jesus was, and came in the simplicity of his family need, to beg Jesus’ help.

And as they went, another was there who had secret faith. A woman who had suffered from twelve long years of haemorrhage (unstoppable bleeding) was now poor and bereft. Everything she’d had was gone on treatments from the physicians of the day, which had not only taken all her money, but seemed to have actively harmed her—she was still suffering greatly. And, under the old law anyone with an effusion of blood was legally unclean, so she would often have been pushed away as “unclean” by whoever she met. Cast off, destitute, and suffering she still had a hope—Jesus the Prophet was passing along the road. Desperate for help she told herself that if she could touch the hem of his robe his power and goodness could heal her. She believed it completely, but had a huge barrier to overcome. She had to pass all those people who would be likely to thrust her out and prevent her meeting with Jesus at all! But, undeterred, she pressed through, and there was so much other jogging and jostling that no-one even noticed her. How set they were on jostling for their own place! She got nearer, and nearer, and finally she could stretch out her arm, and her fingers laid hold on the edge of Jesus’ robe. And instantly she was healed—her faith was answered in the overruling grace of God. And she was ready to go off quietly, with no fuss, in deep gratefulness at her deliverance from the terrible sickness that drained her very lifeblood.

But it was not to be. Jesus suddenly stopped, and turning around in the crowd demanded, “Who has just touched my robe?” At which question the disciples and the crowd went still. And they said, “Look at this crowd, how it throngs and presses. How can you ask us, ‘Who touched me?'” But Jesus insisted: there was a touch that was not accidental. A hand of faith had reached out and had been answered with virtue (power and grace), flowing from Him. A deep silence fell, and folk drew back, exposing a woman who, now in fear and trembling that she had offended the Prophet, fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And Jesus, having brought her to open confession, lifted her up, commended her faith, and bade her go in peace.

You can’t steal from Jesus. What you need has to be sought, and given, and publicly acknowledged.

Meantime, Jairus must have been standing on tenterhooks, not daring to interfere. And then came the dreaded news: the little daughter had died. The messengers had a final view on this story; there is point troubling the Rabbi (the Master, ie Jesus) any further. She’s dead, we are all so sorry, but it’s over. How Jairus’ faith must have been challenged, his heart struck with grief, his hopes dashed and disappointed.

But as soon as Jesus heard their words, he knew otherwise. The story was not finished. The patient (and perhaps now wavering) faith was not to go unanswered. “Keep on believing,” Jesus tells him. And they proceeded to the house, where the wailers and mourners were. But putting them all outside, and taking only Peter, John and James with him, He went into the room, raised the child, and gave her back to her parents. Jairus’ faith was vindicated.

There’s so much we can take from this unique double story. But faith, in the face of severe realities of sickness and death, would not be unanswered. Do we have the sick woman’s faithful persistence, or the patience and faith of Jairus? We do well if we, like them, keep up our belief in the face of even the most severe grief, loss, or need that we can imagine. Jesus will always answer a genuine faith in Him.

Following Jesus Above Everything Else

Matthew 19:16–26 — The Rich Young Ruler

Matthew 19:16–26 tells us of a near-perfect man, who balked at what was required to make him complete. An upright young man, a faithful law-keeper, knew in his heart that he lacked what would make his life “perfect”, or complete, and lead him to ultimate happiness in God. As concerning the law, he had kept all the great commandments from his earliest years. But it did not satisfy; something was missing, he needed something (one thing?) more. In his unfulfilled state he came to Jesus to ask about the “one thing” that he lacked that would make him complete in the eyes of God, and satisfied within.

Jesus recognised his faith and sincerity, and respected him, checking out his standing and his inward desire. Clearly his riches did not satisfy his heart, and in fact, in the eyes of most of the Jews of that day, they would have been taken to indicate the family and the man himself were mightily “blessed”. And, doubtless, he and his household were all up to date with all sacrifices, burnt offerings, tithes and other elements of the Mosaic covenant. He had no doubt about it; all things were kept as commanded. Yet in his heart he was not complete. It weighed on him that something was lacking. But what? The law and the counsellors of it had given him no rest, no relief from this nagging consciousness that “there must be something more”. He wanted to know, not just hope, that he would have life everlasting. It nagged at him that he did not know. He decided to find Jesus and ask him what was missing. Greeting him with a respectful title, commonly applied to the religious leaders and teachers of the day, he said, “Good Master… what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

What came back dismayed him: he was surely on the wrong track. This holy prophet was not “good”? Then who was, if He wasn’t? But Jesus did not leave it at that. He simply directed the young man to keep focused on God, and not get tangled up with titles and offices. And an answer came: if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. “Yeeees, I know that,” so what do you mean; which ones are we talking about? And it turns out to be what he already knows. He is on track, it seems, so he declares with confidence: “All this I have kept.”

But the nagging is still there. What is it that I still lack, what is it I still haven’t understood? What is the one good thing I need to do?

Then comes the real shocker. “If you want to be perfect, then sell what you have, give it to the poor… and come follow me.” Oh dear! Cast away all that fortune, that blessing, that status and the righteous reputation. All of it, to go?! This was definitely not the answer he had expected or desired. His possessions were great, and he did so much good with them, and was an honest trader who cheated no one and looked after his workers. All good!!

Jesus’ words pierced to his heart, where the longing was good, but had to be backed up with action. If he wanted the full satisfaction he must stop being attached to the outward things of the present world, and seek the kingdom first and foremost. Jesus actually put him on the same basis as the other disciples: seek first the kingdom of God, and all other things (that you need) will be added to you. If he truly desired eternal life, he had to make that his true goal, and show his intentions practically. He had to let go of all that held him, and commit to Jesus. At that time he couldn’t face it, and turned away, sorrowful for the losses he would face. He had his answer—make God and His Son your chief interest and joy—but things held him back. With a load of riches weighing him down, he was cumbered, and could not enter into the eternal life-calling.

The disciples were astonished: if that rich, blessed, upright and good young man could not enter the kingdom—who on earth could? But Jesus clarified it for them. “Do not despair, for with God all things are possible.” He held out a promise of hope yet to be fulfilled. Can we therefore imagine that, at Pentecost, the young man finally turned over his life to the Lord, was baptised, and being filled with the Spirit, was among those “who had goods and sold them, and divided them among all the believers, as anyone had need” (Acts 2:44–45)?

We must beware the things that hold us. We may be those who were raised in the church, and have always sought to do good. We appear to be good, upright, blessed. We might even be rich! But what if those things block us from simply being wholly committed to Jesus and the Kingdom of God, above and beyond all else?

When we ask Jesus what we must do to inherit eternal life, and fulfil His perfect will, we must be ready to act, no matter what it might seem to cost. We don’t lose. In the true Christian life, instead of the merely religious rightness, we get a whole new life and a whole heavenly family, right here on earth!

Ray Skinner – 28 June 2026