“Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.'” John 12:20,21
One of the great passages of Scripture concerning seeing Jesus, was written by the Apostle John. In his first letter, he wrote: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life…” (1 John 1:1) If ever there was one who was close to the Lord Jesus while He conducted His ministry on this earth, and later when He gave to John, the vision of Himself in the book of Revelation, it was John the Apostle. John was a very meticulous man, paying attention to detail. He was a man who was committed to accuracy, and the communicating of that which he saw, heard, and touched. Being the disciple who was the closest to the Lord Jesus, John would not miss his opportunity to study Christ, His movements, expressions, His words, and His works. He saw first-hand the reality of God in Christ, revealing Himself through the thin covering of flesh and blood. That which he saw not only gripped him, mind, heart, soul, and spirit, but created in him a thirst for the eternal, that which was of God. The possibility of knowing God not only stirred John to the depths of his soul but propelled him to forsake all in order to follow Christ. In that day-to-day close proximity to Christ, John beheld the glory of God. This is why he would write in his first letter, to convey to all who would ever read that letter, that he had heard, seen, looked upon, and even touched that which concerned the Word of life. Specifically, he would address the singular essence of that eternal, living Word, by saying: “…the Life was manifested,” and we have seen it. He goes on to write, “…we…declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us.” (1 Jn. 1:2) Why did John begin his letter in this way? Why is he so very direct and specific in what he is declaring what he saw, and then proclaiming that it was not only the eternal “Word,” but the eternal LIFE of God? He wrote what he saw, being led by the Spirit, so that thousands, even millions, could KNOW the reality of his experience by knowing fellowship with the Father and the Son of God.
The matter of fellowship with God, or communion with Christ, is the great result of seeing Jesus. But how does one SEE Jesus, and know the reality of His presence and power today? Is He as real today as He was in John’s Day, especially after His ascension into heaven, no more to be seen in the way that John saw Him?
John tells us that the reason for his testimony and experience of seeing Jesus was so that every believer in Christ should know fellowship with the Risen Christ by the Spirit. He confirms this by saying, “…that you may have fellowship with us; and TRULY our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” (1 Jn. 1:3) Is just the declaration of the possibility of having communion, or fellowship with God, enough? John then adds: “And these things we write to you that your JOY may be full.” (v.4) Is John speaking primarily of heaven, and fellowship with Christ there, or is he speaking of a joy that is to be known “on earth as it is in heaven?” Though our bodies are limited in what they can receive from God, and the blessings of knowing Him, we can know something of this fulness of joy which is communicated to the soul by the Spirit of God. If Christ is to be known, and His joy experienced, then the believer must walk honestly, whole-heartedly, in the light of Christ’s truth, with no cloud between.
Dear Father, Make us see Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.