As we read through the four Gospel accounts of the life of Jesus, it becomes clear that not everyone who saw Jesus during His 33 years of life in this world saw Jesus, at least not for who He truly is, which is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Lord of Glory who came into the world as a man to save His people from their sin (John 20:30-31) (Psalm 24:8-10) (Matthew 1:21). This inability to see Him as such is in fulfillment of the prophesy in Isaiah referred to in John 12:37-41 revealing God’s judgement on a truth suppressing mankind, wherein God alone can open our spiritual eyes (John 9:39) (Acts 26:17-18).
We see this played out in the following short survey of those who saw and those who saw.
Mary and Joseph, and the Shepherds upon receiving the announcement from angels saw Jesus on the night that he was born (Luke 2:4-20). The Shepherds then, filled with great joy in seeing and believing Him to be who the angels identified as “Christ the Lord”, spread the news to others.
Simeon and Anna saw Jesus as Mary and Joseph brought him as an infant to the Jerusalem temple to dedicate Him to God as required by Mosaic law. Under the influence of God the Holy Spirit, they immediately saw this infant as the promised Messiah, the one whom they had longed and waited for through much of their lives (Luke 2:22-38).
Gentile Kings from the east saw Jesus in Old Testament prophesy and were willing to travel a great distance to see Him in person, as a child, and worship Him as the promised messianic King (Matthew 2:1-12) (Isaiah 9:6-7).
Jesus’ siblings saw him daily, having the burden of growing up with a perfectly obedient brother. Upon beginning His ministry, His brothers did not believe Him to be the Christ, but they saw Him as a lunatic (Mark 3:21) (John 7:3-5). However, upon Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, they came to see Him as Savior and Lord, joining the apostles in their worship of Him (Acts 1:14), with both James and Jude authoring New Testament epistles (James 2:1).
John the Baptist saw Jesus when He began His public ministry, recognizing Him to be the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world, testifying that Jesus is the Son of God (John 1:29-36). He heard audibly from Heaven God the Father testifying to Jesus as His beloved Son. John would later express uncertainty because of his personal circumstances, but was reassured by Jesus that He was the one who John had originally proclaimed Him to be (Matthew 11:2-6).
A Samaritan Women, shunned by her own people, saw Jesus at a well she was drawing water from, when He asks her for a drink. Surprised that Jesus would even address her, she engages in conversation with Him, in which He reveals His knowledge of her sordid past resulting in Him revealing to her that He is the promised Messiah, who gives living water, that cleanses from such a past, and brings true satisfaction in relationship with Him.
Believing His word, she immediately goes into the village of people who have shunned her, and as the first female evangelist, calls many of her fellow Samaritans to come see Jesus, which many do, seeing and trusting Him as the Christ, the Savior of the world (John 4:5-42).
Zacchaeus, a despised tax collector, saw Jesus from up in a tree, who upon Jesus stating His intention to come to his house, repented of and forsook His greedy ways, and restored fourfold all that he had dishonestly taken from people (Luke 19:1-10).
Conversely we have the rich young ruler who saw Jesus only as a good teacher, inquiring of Him, what he must do to inherit eternal life? He rejects Jesus’ answer (give up everything you value in this world to know, love and follow me) as too costly to pursue (Mark 10:17-22).
Ironically, we have multiple physically blind men who were given sight by Jesus, but who had already been given spiritual sight to see Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Son of David. (Mark 10:46 -52) (Matthew 9:27-30) (John 9:1-39).
Even more ironic was that the demons clearly saw Jesus for who He was, referring to Him as the Christ, God the Son, the Holy One of God who would one day confine them to eternal Hell (Mark 1:24) (Luke 4:41).
The Pharisees and religious leaders saw Jesus and hated Him. Despite every evidence that Jesus was who He claimed to be, they saw him as a threat to their positions of power and influence over the people, accused Him of cooperating with demons, and out of envy arrested, tried and convicted Him on false charges, turning Him over to the Roman authorities for crucifixion. (Mark 14:53-65) (Matthew 27:1) (Matthew 27:18)
Huge crowds saw Jesus heal sick people, open blind eyes and deaf ears, cast out demons and proclaim to them the Kingdom of God. The week of the Passover before His death, the crowds where ready to honor Him as King, but by the end of that week they were crying crucify Him crucify Him (Matthew 4:23-25) (Matthew 21:6-11) (Matthew 27:15-26).
Pontius Pilate saw Jesus, and despite declaring Him not guilty of the Pharisee’s accusations, out of fear, he capitulated to the cries of the hostile crowd and turned Him over to be crucified (Luke 23:2-24).
The two criminals crucified with Jesus first saw Him as someone like themselves. However, one would ultimately be given the grace to see Jesus as his Lord and Savior and receive the promise of eternal life with Jesus in Heaven (Luke 23:39-43).
The Roman Centurion saw Jesus on the cross take His last breath and acknowledged that truly this was the Son of God (Mark 15:37-39).
Two disciples on the road to Emmaus saw Jesus after His resurrection, but only after He had opened their eyes to do so, revealing to them how they should have seen Him in the Old Testament Scriptures. Upon seeing Him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy (Luke 24:13-31).
The Apostles, upon being chosen by Jesus personally to be His disciples and share in His kingdom, saw Jesus every day for over three years (John 15:16-17). They witnessed His kindness and compassion, His signs and miracles including His power over the wind and sea, demons and death. They themselves had been granted power by Jesus to perform many of those same signs and miracles. They heard His prayers to the Father and the Father’s confirmation of Jesus as His beloved Son (John 17:1-26) (Matthew 17:1-5). They all, led by Peter, affirmed that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:13-20). Yet, Judas would betray Him to the religious authorities for 30 pieces of silver, Peter would deny Him not once, but three times, and all of them, after pledging their loyalty to Him even if it cost their lives, would abandon Him in His darkest hour (Matthew 26:55-56).
Each of them, except for Judas, would see the resurrected Jesus and are graciously restored to a saving relationship with Him. Thomas was absent at Jesus’ first appearance and required proof that Jesus had been resurrected before he would believe. At His next appearance, Jesus provides Thomas that proof, resulting in Thomas worshiping Him as his Lord and His God (John 20:24-28).
Jesus acknowledges the great blessing Thomas has experienced in physically seeing Him in His resurrected body. However, He then points to the greater blessing that those who will see and embrace Him, through the eyes of faith, as their Lord and their God, will know (John 20:29).
Jesus does not say exactly what this greater blessing is. However, we are told in Romans 1:17 and Hebrews 10:38, that those who are justified, brought into right relationship with God through faith in Jesus, will live their lives in this world by that faith; faith in and dependence upon the greatness, the goodness and the grace of God revealed in the Son of God, who loved us and gave His life for us (Galatians 2:20), who is now revealed to us by the preaching and reading of His written word (John 17:20) (John 20:30-31). Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it is such faith that pleases, gives pleasure to God. I cannot therefore think of any greater blessing a man or women can have in this world and throughout eternity than to have the testimony that we pleased God (Hebrews 11:5).
Are you enjoying that blessing?
Grace and Peace ×
Excellent exhortation ❣️
Thanks Susan. God is good.