Even a glimpse

The New Testament tells of some Greeks who “came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus’” (John 12:21). Were these men something like those who say they will not believe unless they can see Him? Perhaps.

Faith is hard. We who believe in God would also like a vision of Him, yet we might go through our entire lives with only the promise that we will see Him one day. The requirements of seeing are high.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8)

I know my own heart and have to admit that purity eludes me. Even thinking that I have it indicates that I do not. Yet as I read about those whose hearts seem to qualify, seeing God isn’t what I would imagine it to be. Daniel had a vision and it knocked him over.

So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. (Daniel 10:8)

Seeing God is far too lofty for most of us. In my desire to know Him, He allows glimpses, mostly through what He does rather than giving me a direct look at Him. Yet I am encouraged. The Bible says that God has made us a little lower than the angels and put everything in subjection to us. Even though Christians believe this is true, and even though we cannot see our heavenly Father, or….

At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:8–9)

The visible evidence of God is Jesus Christ. Our good look at God is a good look at Jesus Christ. He can be seen. He is the reward for even the desire for a pure heart. Seeing Him means seeing what He has done for us in dying for our sins. That vision of Him takes away our own strength for we realize how weak and feeble we are, but seeing Him also replaces our feebleness with His power. 

As the Greeks said, today I wish to see Jesus.