Some Greeks walked directly up to the disciple Philip and requested, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”
“We wish to see Jesus.” They desire to experience, first hand, the presence of Jesus. They wish that Jesus might see them and shape them in a way that can only happen with a personal encounter. In other words, they wish to truly know Jesus in the same way Jesus’ friends know him. They thirst for a direct encounter.
So do we. We too wish to see Jesus.
These words, “we wish to see Jesus,” are inscribed on the fronts of many pulpits around the word, reminding us that the presence of Jesus is offered every Sunday to those who yearn to be a friend of Jesus. But, there was one pulpit that I visited once that was quite different.
Rather than being inscribed on the exterior in some sort of intricate, wood carved detail, the words actually could not be seen unless you entered into the pulpit. And, as you entered the pulpit, you would see the words etched into the wood on the surface right where the preacher would place his or her sermon manuscript. The first thing that the preacher would see when they entered the pulpit were the words, “we want to see Jesus.”
I am assuming that the pulpit designer was probably not a pastor, but rather an everyday Christian who made their living by building stuff with their hands, much in the same way that Jesus did before he became a preacher.
But, this everyday Christian had a reminder, a biblical reminder even, for those preachers who would dare grace that pulpit of his. His reminder was that the preacher should not simply tell us about Jesus. The preacher should not just inform us about Jesus and his deeds. Nor should the preacher just go off on his or her own tangent and preach his or her own word. Rather, the preacher is to show us Jesus.
“We want to see Jesus,” the pulpit designer begged the preacher.
I think that the hymn, “Open our Eyes” expresses both the Greek’s and the pulpit designer’s heart-felt desire quite well:
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 help us to listen
Open our eyes, Lord
We want to see Jesus
So, with that in mind, I would like to say that it is interesting to know that Jesus was in his early thirties when he worked his signs and preached the good news.
But, that is just information.
To truly know and see Jesus like a friend is to see that he is the one friend in your group of friends who does not ever give up and who can never be pushed down for long.
He is the grain of wheat that dies and becomes buried by the dirt, but always springs back up, better than ever.
He is the one who is not deterred by the dirt in life. He is the friend who raises you up on a low day. He is the one who fills you with life, even when it seems that your life is spent.
It is interesting to know that Jesus was a Jew; a rabbi who kept to the best of Jewish tradition.
But, that is just information.
To truly know and see Jesus like a friend is to see that he challenges you in the way that best friends do. Like a best friend, he wants you to be the best you that you can be.
He challenges you to let go of your selfishness and open your heart; forgiving those people with whom you have problems and helping those who need help.
He is the friend who says, “I have a meeting for you to go to…and I will go with you,” when you have troubles with addiction.
He is the friend who says, “Come with me, I’ve got something fun to do,” and then takes you along with to build a ramp for an elderly neighbor.
He is the friend who says, “You want to have some fun in the dark?” and then takes you to the grocery store to help fill a box with food, and then secretly, covertly even, drop it off on the doorstep of a struggling person in the middle of the night.
It is interesting to know that so many things that Jesus said and did have deep roots in the Old Testament and Jewish tradition and were not just made up out of thin air.
But, that is just information that you can look up yourself.
To truly know and see Jesus like a friend is to love him and all he stands for, yet be a little befuddled when those around you do not care as much. It is as if the words of God come across as clear as thunder and dissipate into the distance. And, like a friend who knows that Jesus actually has something to say that is good and life giving, you care when it is not heard.
It is interesting to know that Jesus died on the cross, executed not by the Jewish people, but by the Romans, most likely for causing disruption during a sensitive week.
But, that is just information.
To truly know and see Jesus like a friend is to hear his words and hear the nature of his heart. It is a self-giving, loving heart that says, “[on the cross I] will draw all people to myself.”
To see Jesus is to see that he loves the world.
To see Jesus is to see that he opens his arms to gather all, not just a few.
To see Jesus is to see that all can be his friends, not just you and those who are like you.
To see Jesus is to love those who Jesus loves.
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 help us to listen
Open our eyes, Lord
We want to see Jesus
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