Do we see Jesus?

Do we see Jesus?

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples.

As Jesus walked by, John looked at Him and declared, "Look! There is the Lamb of God!"

When John's two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.

Jesus looked around and saw them following. "What do you want?" He asked them. They replied, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are You staying?"

"Come and see," He said. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with Him to the place where He was staying, and they remained with Him the rest of the day.

INTRODUCTION

Good morning Southpointe!! We are in this new series “See Jesus with 20/20 vision. But the question is what is vision?

, , ESV  The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! … [35] The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

Vision is what we see, but it is also the way in which we see. Vision is the lens that interprets the events of our life, the way we view people and our concept of God.

If we have a scratch on our glasses, it may seem like everybody around us has scratches too, but the problem actually lies with us because our vision is impaired.

Jesus said that our eyes are the windows of our heart. Paul prayed that the eyes of our heart would be enlightened.

In other words, we perceive with our eyes but we see with our hearts. Our minds receive images from our eyes but our heart interprets these images.

If our heart becomes bitter, jealous, hurt or in someway infected, the lens of our heart is distorted.

What we perceive is happening and what is really going on could be two completely different things.

Jesus said, “You will know the truth and the truth will make you free”.

The word truth used here is not referring to the Bible itself, (although all truth is rooted in the Bible) but here the word truth means reality. Jesus is saying, you will understand what is real and that will free you.

Jesus said, “You will know the truth and the truth will make you free” (). The word truth used here is not referring to the Bible itself, (although all truth is rooted in the Bible) but here the word truth means reality. Jesus is saying, you will understand what is real and that will free you. So many of us live in a virtual reality. The way we view life can feel and look real, or make perfect sense, but still not be real at all. Have you ever watched a good movie and gotten totally into it? You experience all the emotions of real life. You may even leave the theater still “feeling” the movie, but it was just a movie? it was never real. The truth is: we see what we believe to be true. Another way to put it is, if you have the wrong pretext you will misunderstand the context. Having a revelation of what is real will deliver us from a life of torment that virtual reality often causes.

So many of us live in a virtual reality. The way we view life can feel and look real, or make perfect sense, but still not be real at all.

Have you ever played this type of game?

(Cody can we set up Dash’s game that boxing game and show it on the screen?)

Or have you watched a good movie and gotten totally into it? You experience all the emotions of real life.

You may even leave the theater still “feeling” the movie, but it was just a movie? it was never real.

Tell about Karissa watching that Marley, dog show

The truth is: we see what we believe to be true. Another way to put it is, if you have the wrong pretext you will misunderstand the context.

Having a revelation of what is real will deliver us from a life of torment that virtual reality often causes.

John the Baptist here in our text, He is dealing with this Jewish people who would be able to see and understand his interpretation and comparing Jesus with the sacrificial lamb.

So He identify Jesus to them as "the lamb of God" who would take away the sin of the world.

And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:

The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.

INTRODUCTION

Good morning Southpointe, we are believing for a big year!! 2020!!

Our theme this year is to see Jesus with 20/20 vision.

Here in our text this morning, we are at the time of the Jewish festival Of Passover.

Passover was one of the holiest feast days of the Jewish faith.

Tens of thousands of faithful pilgrims would flock to the temple from all over the Mediterranean to celebrate Passover, making their sacrifices to God and paying their half shekel temple tax.

John's exhortation to them (and us) is to “see” Jesus, the Lamb of God, to “behold” Him, to “look at” Him. Many who “see” Him (29) will choose to follow Him (37).

Tens of thousands of faithful pilgrims would flock to the temple from all over the Mediterranean to celebrate Passover, making their sacrifices to God and paying their half shekel temple tax.

In this sermon this morning, I’d like to explore this simple request – “we wish to see Jesus” – for, isn’t it true, wouldn’t we all, in one way or another, like to see Jesus?

Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. "Peace be with you," He said.

Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and look at My hands. Put your hand into the wound in My side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe!"

"My Lord and my God!" Thomas exclaimed.

Then Jesus told him, "You believe because you have seen Me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing Me."

The famous “doubting Thomas,” when he saw the resurrected Son of God, believed.

The famous “doubting Thomas,” when he saw the resurrected Son of God, believed. Just a short time later, Jesus ascended back to heaven, where He will remain until His promised Second Coming. From that time until our present day, we on earth don’t have the privilege of seeing Jesus physically.

They’d come from as far away as Persia, Syria, Egypt, Greece and Rome. And this is the setting of our text today. John says, “Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’” ()

And just a short time later, Jesus ascended back to heaven, where He will remain until His promised Second Coming.

Wouldn’t we all like to get a first-hand glimpse of Him; to see, up close and personal, the kind of man He was, to hear His voice. Wouldn’t we all like to see Jesus?

From that time until our present day, we on earth don’t have the privilege of seeing Jesus physically.

But we do have the blessing that Jesus promised — that is, although we don’t see Him physically as His apostles did, we still believe in Him. We see Jesus by the eye of faith with that 20/20 vision.

In the sermon this morning, I’d like to explore this simple request – “we wish to see Jesus” – for, isn’t it true, wouldn’t we all, in one way or another, like to see Jesus? Wouldn’t weall like to get a first-hand glimpse of him; to see, up close and personal, the kind of man he was,to hear his voice, observe his mannerisms, follow his train of thought? Wouldn’t we all like tosee Jesus?

We believe the Scriptures’ abundant testimony about Him. We love, accept, and receive Him, and Jesus said that we are “blessed.”

So although believers alive on earth do not see Jesus face to face, nevertheless throughout this Church Age the Scriptures strongly encourage us to “see” Him, to “behold” Him, to “look at” Him in a number of different ways.

And our faith in Him will be strengthened, and we will receive the blessing that Jesus promised.

Let’s look at some way to see Jesus with 20/20 vision.

The question is why? I can think of two reasons. The first is curiosity, and curiosity is what I think is going on here in this passage. John says that, among the crowd who had come to the Holy City to celebrate Passover, was a small group of Jews from Greece. They zeroed in on Philip, most likely because he had a Greek surname and was from Bethsaida, a fishing village on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee where Greek descendents were numerous. Although we’re not told why these Greeks wanted to see Jesus, I think it’s safe to assume they’d heard about him and wanted to meet him face-to-face. Perhaps they’d gotten wind of his teaching or heard about some of the miracles he’d performed. There’s no indication that they wanted to be disciples or make any particular commitment to him. More than likely, they were simply curious: Who was this incredible man who’d calmed the storm and walked on water; who’d healed the sick and brought the dead back to life; who’d taken the old dregs of the Jewish Torah and turned them into the sparkling wine of a new creation? I’d say they were curious, that’s all.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

1. Consider Jesus.

Now, curiosity is a good thing. It’s often the motivating force of research and discovery, the stimulus that pricks our complacency and prods us to look into things more deeply. Curiosity may have killed the cat, as they say, but, for the most part, it feeds that innate longing we have to solve mysteries, unlock secrets and broaden our horizons.

As you read the Bible, remember that it frequently testifies about Jesus.

"You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to Me!

"You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to Me!

As you read the Bible and verses will grabs your attention, pause and think what it says about the Lord.

As you read a passage that grabs your attention, pause and ponder what it says about the Lord. “Consider” this marvelous, matchless Savior whom we serve — “meditate on him” (Amplified), “think of Him” (AMPC), “keep your mind on Jesus” (CEV), “think about Jesus” (GW).

“Consider” this marvelous, matchless Savior whom we serve — “meditate on him” (Amplified), “think of Him” (AMPC), “keep your mind on Jesus” (CEV), “think about Jesus” (GW).

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

One of the current trends in the church today is to make allowance for the fact that, often, people who first come to church come out of a sense of curiosity. They’re curious to know more about God and Jesus, the church and what it stands for. They want to know more about this covenant relationship that binds us together as one family of faith.

This speaks of a conscious effort to focus our thoughts and attention on our Savior, the Son of God.

They’re curious, but, as yet, not committed. So, some churches have developed what they call, “seeker services,” services designed for folks not all that familiar with the liturgy we use and hymns we sing and acts of praise such as The Lord’s Prayer and Apostles’ Creed that we recite, Sunday after Sunday, at the drop of a hat. It’s an effort to meet people where they are and introduce them slowly to the rudiments of worship, rather than have them dive in head first.

A casual, laid-back approach to Jesus will not help you establish the desired close walk with Him.

Various translations emphasize the purpose, determined effort of the believer to deliberately put his or her attention on the Lord Jesus.

You may or may not have heard about this, but there’s a new program sweeping the country today called, “ALPHA.” It actually began in England twenty years ago. A minister at Holy Trinity Church in Brompton, London, was looking for a way to present the basic principles of the Christian faith to new members. What emerged was the “Alpha Course,” named after the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In a relaxed and informal setting, he addressed simple questions such as “Who is Jesus?” and “Why do we pray?” Things like that. Over time, he moved on and others picked up this new member course he’d started and added their own innovations.

We are to “look unto Jesus” (ASV), “keep our eyes on” Him (CEV), “look steadfastly on Jesus” (Darby), “never stop looking to” Him (ERV), “focus on Jesus” (GW), “fix our attention” on Him (ISV), “think constantly of him” (Phillips), “keep looking to Jesus” (NLV).

The various translations have captured the central thought of a determined, purposeful focus of our thoughts upon our Lord Jesus Christ. Think about that for a moment. Would your soul be more edified by thinking of Jesus, or by thinking about today’s football game?

In 1990, a minister named Nicky Gumbel took over, and he made a startling discovery: Of the thirteen members in his “new member” class, ten hadn’t joined the church at all. They were just there to learn more. A bell sounded. He realized how this simple course in basic Christianity had become a tool for evangelism. So, he went to work, streamlining the course, developing a simple format consisting of supper, a brief talk on a subject of common interest, followed by small group discussion. As the numbers grew, he trained leaders to lead the small groups. He intentionally geared everything to making the experience as comfortable and inviting as possible to the person who’d just walked in off the street. He was emphatic – no question would be treated as too trivial, threatening or illogical. Every question would be addressed courteously and thoughtfully, and no one would be pestered if he chose not to come back.

Now understand me here I do realize that there is room for recreation and entertainment in a Christian’s life. But if our central daily focus is not Jesus Christ, then we are out of balance.

Today, there are Alpha courses popping up all over the world. On their web site, alphacourse.org lists twenty-one countries in which Alpha is now offered. No doubt, it’s more successful in some places than others. Time will tell whether it’ll continue to expand and grow or prove to be just another passing fad.

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand.

Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

Apostle Paul urges us to a twofold decision: (1) set our vision and (2) set our minds on heavenly things.

Personally, I see Alpha as one of many ways to satisfy people’s natural curiosity. It’s one way of responding to the request the Greeks made so long ago when they said to Philip, “We wish to see Jesus.” Like them, we, too, want to see Jesus because we’re curious.

In this Church Age in which we live, Jesus is in heaven, seated victoriously at the right hand of God the Father. In light of that perspective, the apostle Paul rightly urges us to a twofold decision: (1) set our hearts and (2) set our minds on heavenly things.

But there’s another reason people wish to see Jesus, and that is, like so many of our heroes, he’s bigger than life. Unlike the rabbis of his time, he taught as one with authority. He broke the rules of social convention and ate with tax collectors and sinners. He deferred to no one, not even Herod. He dared to touch lepers and walk among Gentiles. He had compassion for the poor; yet, showed no contempt for the wealthy. He put down the religious leaders for their false piety and, by contrast, held a child in his arms and said,

Notice that the choice is ours, a choice to “set” our vision and minds on things above, where Jesus is reigning in victory at God’s right hand.

The opposite, wrong, harmful habit pattern is to keep our hearts and minds focused “on things here on earth”

True Godly 20/20 vision consists of foresight, insight and oversight that come from His sight.

“Whoever becomes humble like this child will be greatest in the kingdom of God.” ()

Foresight is like looking at life through a telescope. This outlook allows us to know what is ahead as it connects us to our future.

Foresight is the element of vision that helps life make sense and gives us the motivation.

Insight is like viewing life through a microscope.

This perception gives us an understanding of why things happen in life. It also helps determine the underlying motivations of the heart.

Oversight puts life into context. It is like flying over our house in a helicopter.

There is a perspective that we can only receive from a distance that helps us understand where we are with respect to where everything else is.

An ongoing 20/20 vision of Jesus is what will make us effective, fruit-bearing children of God.

An ongoing contemplation of that heavenly vision is what will make us effective, fruit-bearing sons and daughters of God on this earth.

In our opening Scripture we saw John the Baptist crying out, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” Today, 2,000 years later, that is still the single most important thing that anyone on earth can do.

We all need role models, and, when you think about it, you couldn’t find a better role model than Jesus. He always seemed to know the right thing to say. When the Pharisees tried to trip him up, he saw right through them. For example, they handed him a coin and asked him whether they ought to pay taxes to Caesar. If he said, no, he’d be in trouble with the state; if he said, yes, he’d be in trouble with the church. But he knew what they were up to, and so he said,

We need to “see” Jesus, to “behold” Him, to “look at” Him through the eyes of faith, to “consider” Him, to “fix our eyes” upon Him, and to continually set our hearts and minds on the things above, where Jesus is seated at God’s right hand as our Lord, our Savior, and our coming King.

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

“Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s.” ()

If you’ve never made Jesus your personal Lord and Savior and He is speaking to your heart to do so today, please allow evangelist Billy Graham to lead you in a wonderful prayer of salvation. You will be changed for life and eternity!

He always knew what to say; he always knew what to do. One time, the religious leaders brought a woman before him who’d been caught in the very act of adultery, an offense punishable by death. They wanted to know what he thought they should do to her. If he showed mercy, they could accuse him of not upholding the law; but if he condemned her, he’d prove to be one of them. Instead, he scribbled in the sand, and, as he did, he said, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.” () One by one, they all slipped away because there wasn’t a soul among them who wasn’t guilty of sin.

Jesus is the person we’d all like to be more like. Think about it: You never hear of Jesus going back to apologize for something stupid he may have said or done; you never hear of Jesus wishing he had a better job, a bigger house, a nicer robe or a new pair of sandals. Unlike us, he lived as one with God. He had his priorities straight. His approval and his riches were not of this world.

And so, like the Greeks so long ago, we wish to see Jesus, if only for the momentary inspiration of seeing the embodiment of this ideal person we would aspire to be more like. The catch is, according to John, the Greeks never got an audience with Jesus. Philip took their request to Andrew, and, together, Andrew and Philip told Jesus, but Jesus didn’t say yes or no.

Instead, he said,

“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life … Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself.” (, )

In this odd and cryptic sort of way, Jesus takes our curiosity and our admiration and elevates them to something more significant and transforming. And this is the Good News of the gospel: This little band of Greeks will get to see Jesus, all right, as will we, not as an object of curiosity, and not as a hero, but as the Savior of the world, high and lifted up on a cross for all to see.

And what this means is that to see Jesus is not simply to look at a historical figure, impressive as he may be, but to behold the Christ as one crucified for the sins of the world in order to offer salvation to all who would call upon his name. Like Moses placing a serpent on his staff and holding it high for all the people to see, Jesus is the signpost pointing us to God and to a life of self-surrender in love and service to others. He is the promise of our deliverance from sin and death, the herald of a New Creation calling us to a life of faithfulness and obedience to God. And this is his message in a nutshell, “Those who love their life will lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” ()

Jesus himself showed the way – he voluntarily surrendered his life in obedience to God, trusting God to order and provide. In so doing, he not only defeated the powers of sin and death, but was raised from the dead as the first fruits of eternal life. To see Jesus, then or now, is to see him crucified for the sins of the world, and, in response, to lay down our lives for the sake of others.

This is what we do, figuratively speaking, every time we gather at the Lord’s Table – we participate in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We remember how his body was broken and his blood was shed for the remission of sins, and we take the bread and drink the cup in remembrance of him. And, being renewed in faith, we go out, by God’s grace, to be the body of Christ in the world today, looking for signs of his presence along the way.

A few years ago, I heard this song. It spoke to me then. It speaks to me now. It goes like this,

A few years ago, I heard this song. It spoke to me then. It speaks to me now. It goes like this,

“Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus, to reach out and touch him, and say that we love him.

Open our ears, Lord, and teach us to listen, open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.