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

But above all you saw His glory when, by the highest vision of the mind, you contemplated Him – I mean the Word – in His beginning, with His Father. There you saw the glory that He has “as the only begotten of the Father.”

  - Eriugena, Homily on John 1.1-14, Irish, 9^th century

The pulpit in the chapel where I attended seminary has etched in bronze on its desk a simple statement. It reads, “Sir, we would see Jesus.”

The purpose of preaching is to show Jesus, for in seeing Jesus, we are powerfully affected and transformed. As believers we have a high calling from God, a calling to follow Jesus, to be transformed into His image, and to gain Him as the upward prize of our high calling (Phil. 3.14). One day we will see Him face to face, and then we will be like Him (1 Jn. 3.1-3). For now, we press on toward that mark, seeking Jesus wherever we may know Him.

We only realize our true calling in life to the extent that our lives are hidden with Christ in God, as He increases in us and we decrease. The goal of Christian discipleship is to learn Jesus, as Paul put it (Eph. 4.17-24), and the duty of all preaching and teaching is to facilitate, encourage, and empower us for that process. The highest goal of every pastor and teacher should be to see those entrusted to their care becoming complete in Christ (Col. 1.28).

All Scripture is, in one way or another, about Jesus (Jn. 5.39). When we read Scripture, we’re reading the revelation of the Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. So all our devotions, meditations, studies of God’s Word, and all preaching and teaching of Scripture must, at some point, open up the beauty, goodness, power, majesty, wonder, and love of Jesus for our consideration.

This should be our prayer every day: “Lord, show me Jesus.” Show me Jesus in the Bible. Show me the Christ Who plays in 10,000 places (Hopkins) in the faces of the people I see each day, the colors and forms of the creation, and the vast expanse of the skies. Show me Jesus at work in my soul, willing and doing according to Your good pleasure. Show me Jesus, so that, by Your Word and Spirit, I may be transformed into His own image (2 Cor. 3.12-18).

Show me Jesus, exalted in glory, so that I may earnestly seek for Him to come on earth as He is in heaven, making Your Kingdom and glory known to the people in my life.

Jesus is the fairest of all men. He sits at the Father’s right hand, robed in majesty and strength. His face radiates with brilliant glory, bright and overwhelming, yet kindly and peaceful, and we sit there with Him by grace through faith (Eph. 2.6). To look into the face of Jesus is to see the glory of God (2 Cor. 4.6), the very presence of the Father which weighs upon us with transforming power.

Jesus asked the crowds concerning John the Baptist, “What did you come out to see?” We might ask the same of ourselves: What are we looking for in the Bible? In a sermon? In our Sunday school classes and Bible study groups? In the open doors of opportunity for witness and service with which we are presented every day? In the sudden wonder of a glorious sunset or a bird in flight? What are we looking for, what are we hoping to see?

Are we looking to see Jesus?

Let your prayer be, “Lord, I would see Jesus,” and you will be amazed to hear Him speaking to You and confronting you everywhere.

Psalm 110.1-4 (Aurelia: The Church’s One Foundation)
“Sit by Me at My right hand,” the Lord says to my Lord,
“Until I make Your foot stand on all who hate Your Word.”
From in His Church the Savior rules all His enemies;
While those who know His favor go forth the Lord to please.

Filled with the Spirit’s power, in holy robes of love,
From early morning’s hour they serve their Lord above.
Christ reigns a priest forever, the King of Righteousness
And King of Peace who ever His chosen ones will bless.

Lord, show me Jesus today and every day; show me Jesus, Lord!

You can see Jesus
You can see Jesus, but, as Eriugena observed, you’ll need to put your mind to the task. Contemplating Jesus is a source of great wonder, joy, and power. Download the free PDF, Glorious Vision: 28 Days in the Throne Room of the Lord (click here), and spend a month in Psalm 45, contemplating Jesus. Order the book, Be Thou My Vision (click here), and let Scripture and great saints of the Celtic Revival lead you into a closer examination of the glory of God in Jesus Christ.

Our course Introduction to Biblical Theology can teach you how to see Jesus in all parts of the Scripture. This online course allows you to study at your own pace, and shows you how to understand the Word of God, in all its parts, as contributing to the vision of Jesus Christ. The course is free, although there is a charge for course materials. For more information, click here.

Order the workbook, God’s Covenant, and work your way through Scripture, following the unifying threads of God’s covenant as these all come together in Jesus Christ (click here).

Your gifts help to support this ministry. God supplies our needs, and He may be pleased to do so, at least in part, through you. Please seek Him in prayer concerning this matter. You can use the Contribute button at the website to give with a credit card or through PayPal, or you can send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction VT 05452.           

T. M. Moore
Principal
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All psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.