What if Jesus showed up in your life… and you didn’t recognize Him?

Not because He wasn’t there, but because He didn’t show up how you expected.

I recently started watching The Chosen again. When I first watched it, I didn’t have much biblical understanding. But now, with a deeper foundation in Scripture, I find myself noticing scenes differently—connecting them back to the Word. 

One scene that stands out is when Nicodemus is completely shaken. Here is a Pharisee, a teacher of the law, witnessing Jesus—a man from Nazareth—do what he could not. He sees a woman healed. He watches a leper restored. And suddenly, Scripture begins to come alive in a way he cannot ignore. 

His mind goes to Book of Isaiah 35:5–6, where it speaks of the blind seeing, the lame walking, and the broken being restored. These were signs of the promised Messiah. Nicodemus is troubled for days, wrestling with what he has seen. He even seeks out John the Baptist for clarity. He tries to reason with other Pharisees—Shmuel in particular—yet he cannot fully resolve what’s unfolding before him. 

In essence, his struggle can be summed up like this: “This man fits the Scripture… but not our expectations.”

How often do we do the same? 

Sometimes we miss Jesus because He doesn’t move the way we want Him to. We expect immediate answers, visible breakthroughs, and clear direction. But when He works differently—quietly, slowly, or unexpectedly—we begin to question. 

Disappointment is a real and human response. When our expectations go unmet, it can feel like God is distant or silent. And in that space, we become vulnerable. 

What’s even more challenging is this: sometimes Jesus shows up in our disappointment, not just after it. 

We often associate sadness, grief, and confusion with something being wrong—as if God is absent in those moments. Scripture shows us a different picture. God is not only present in breakthrough and victory, but also in sorrow, waiting, and uncertainty. 

On the road to Emmaus, the disciples were walking in deep disappointment. Their hopes felt shattered. And yet, that very place—their confusion, their sadness—became the setting where Jesus drew near to them. They didn’t recognize Him, not because He wasn’t there, but because their understanding of how God should move didn’t include pain. 

Sometimes we miss Jesus, not because He hasn’t shown up, but because He shows up wrapped in circumstances we’ve already labeled as negative. 

But the truth is, God wastes nothing. He uses every moment—joy and sorrow, clarity and confusion—to reveal Himself and draw us closer. Even in disappointment, He is present. Even in the waiting, He is working. Romans 8:28 reminds us of this.