Sunday, December 18, 2022

Seeing Jesus Through Paul’s Eyes




Reading through the Pauline Epistles helped me see Jesus in a deeper, fuller way than I ever expected. I have known Jesus as Savior, Lord, Teacher, Healer—but through Paul’s eyes? I saw Him as everything.

Paul did not just talk about Jesus. He lived and breathed for Him. Every letter, every sentence, every teaching was anchored in Christ. And not just the surface level parts either—Paul showed us Jesus in His fullness. Crucified. Risen. Glorified. Seated. Working. Returning. The way Paul described Him made me pause more than once and say to myself, “Do I really know Him like that?”

Through Paul’s letters, I saw Jesus as the Messiah andthe Son of God—not just a title, but a reality. The One who fulfilled every promise. The One who was sent to redeem, not just rescue. Paul did not shy away from the depth of what that meant. Jesus was not an optional part of the faith—He was the faith. The cornerstone. The whole reason we get to stand before God, righteous and accepted.

Paul kept pointing to the cross, over and over. And the more I read, the more I saw that for Paul, the cross was not just a moment in history—it was the center of everything. Jesus crucified meant my old life was crucified too. Paul made that personal. “I have been crucified with Christ,” he said. “It is no longer I who live…” That challenged me. Because sometimes I want resurrection power without dying to self. But Paul reminded me—you cannot have one without the other.

Then he showed us Jesus resurrected—not just alive, but victorious. Alive in us. Giving life to our dead places. That filled me with hope. Because sometimes I forget that the same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in me too. Paul never let us forget that Jesus is not just someone we look back on—He is alive now. Working now. Reigning now.

Paul also taught me that Jesus is the source of salvation and justification. That I do not have to perform, strive, or beg to be accepted by God. Jesus handled it. Fully. Forever. That part always brings me to tears. Because I know what it feels like to try and earn what was always meant to be received. Through Paul’s words, I was reminded again: I am saved by grace. I am kept by grace. And I stand in grace.

And finally, Paul introduced me to Jesus and the Christian life—how He shapes how I live, how I love, how I lead. Paul made it clear: this walk is not about religion. It is about relationship. It is about being hidden in Christ. About living in such a way that people do not just see me—they see Him.

Reading Jesus through Paul’s eyes was more than theology—it was testimony. It was transformation. It made me want to know Jesus deeper. It made me want to be more rooted, more surrendered, more aware of who He is and who I am because of Him.

Through Paul’s lens, I saw Jesus not just as Savior—but as my everything. And I do not want to unsee that.