Encounters with Jesus

July 2, 2026

“A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. ‘Give glory to God by telling the truth,’ they said. ‘We know this man is a sinner.’

He replied, ‘Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!’” John 9:24-25

This month at Leeds First Methodist we’re going to be talking about encounters with Jesus. As we read through the Gospels, what quickly becomes clear is that every encounter with Jesus leaves people changed. Whether it is the blind receiving sight, the lame walking, the diseased healed, or even the dead raised to life, everyone who meets Jesus leaves that encounter having been deeply impacted.

Sometimes those encounters are deeply challenging—we might think of the rich young man or Zacchaeus. Sometimes they are deeply comforting—we might think of the woman at the well or the woman caught in adultery. Sometimes people respond positively, leaving behind their old lives to follow after Jesus. Sometimes people reject Jesus. But in every case—the good and the bad—an encounter with Jesus leads to change. And the same is true for us today.

Jesus wants to meet us, and through the sending of the Holy Spirit, He does meet us at every point in our lives. Our encounters with Jesus take place in a variety of ways, from reading Scripture, listening to sermons, praying, and even through encounters with others. The question for us is not if we can meet Jesus, but what we will do in response to those encounters.

Are we seeking to allow those encounters to transform us? Are we actively trying to make the most of them? Or do we shrug them off, ignore them, or even react negatively to them? Our response is always either drawing us nearer to Christ or pushing us away.

My encouragement for all of us is simply this: Let our eyes be open to all the ways Jesus is seeking connection with us, and let us make the most of every encounter. What a tremendous joy and encouragement to know we have a Savior who seeks us and works every encounter for our good. Just think of it: When we meet Jesus, He’s working to make us more like Him!

Grace and peace,
Brandon