1 John 1:1 says:

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.”

Look at what this passage says about how John and the other disciples encountered Christ:

They heard Jesus.

They saw Him.

They touched Him.

Think about the purpose the disciples’ lives had all because of their deep and abiding understanding of who Jesus was. This understanding was based on a full picture, a three-dimensional one, influenced by being physically present with Jesus, and by the things they heard Him say and saw Him do.

How does this passage of Scripture speak to us as those who have been tasked with shepherding the spiritual development of teenagers?

Of course, we can’t take our students to a place where they can hang out with Jesus. That would be really cool. But . . . we can’t make it happen.

In light of that, what can we do to help our students know Christ more? To know Him in a way that is powerful? How can we help Jesus come alive from the pages of Scripture?

We can look to John’s words for help . . .

Heard–Your students can’t hear Jesus teach, so they must hear Scripture. If today you were told that the only resource you had available to you in your youth ministry was your Bible, you’d be OK. In fact, we might all be better off. Teach the Bible! Teach it well. Teach it often. Create an environment where Scripture saturates your youth ministry.
Seen–Students can’t watch Jesus preach and perform miracles. Bummer. But, they can see you modeling the amazing affect Jesus has had on your life. This can’t be overstated. Students must see you (and other adults) modeling Christ and living a life of purposes in the name of Jesus.
Touched–Students can’t touch Jesus. But, students can be the touch of Christ. Your teenagers need to live out their faith in a way that is sacrificial and servant-like. They need to be serving in homeless shelters, nursing homes, food banks and re-building projects. By being the touch of Christ, by seeing the impact it makes on others and by feeling the joy that comes in Christian service, your students will understand that God and His ways are more than stories in an ancient text.
We can’t physically put teenagers in front of Jesus. But with the help of the Spirit, God’s Word and a living and active faith, we can introduce our teenagers to a Jesus who is alive and relevant to their lives.

– Andy Blanks, Co-founder of youthministry360

Andy Blanks has worked in youth ministry for 12 years, almost exclusively writing, designing and developing curriculum. Andy is a teacher at heart and loves to challenge teenagers and youth workers alike through his writing and speaking. To read more, visit www.youthministry360.com.