Some Thoughts

Sir, we would see Jesus. (John 12:21, KJV).

Is it wrong to be unsatisfied with the picture of Christ shown to us in the Bible?

That depends, I think, on what we mean by unsatisfied. If we mean “uninterested, in such a way that we look elsewhere for satisfaction,” then yes. Or, if we mean “unconvinced, in such a way that we need to walk by sight before we’ll believe,” then yes. But if we mean “greatly appetized for more, in such a way that we long for the glorious appearing of Christ–for the time when we no longer see him as in a glass, darkly, but when we see him as he is: face to face” then no.

David wanted to see Christ with his own eyes (Psalm 42, 101 [show] As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. [2]My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? [3]My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?" [4]These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. [5]Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation [6]and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. [7]Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. [8]By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. [9]I say to God, my rock: "Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" [10]As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?" [11]Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will make music. [2]I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house; [3]I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. [4]A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil. [5]Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure. [6]I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. [7]No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes. [8]Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all the evildoers from the city of the LORD.
). Paul wanted to see Christ with his own eyes (Philippians 3 [show] Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. [2]Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. [3]For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh-- [4]though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: [5]circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; [6]as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. [7]But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. [8]Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ [9]and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-- [10]that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11]that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. [12]Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. [13]Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, [14]I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. [15]Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. [16]Only let us hold true to what we have attained. [17]Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. [18]For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. [19]Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. [20]But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21]who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (ESV)
). The Apostle John wanted to see Christ with his own eyes (Revelation 22 [show] Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb [2]through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. [3]No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. [4]They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. [5]And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. [6]And he said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place." [7]"And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." [8]I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, [9]but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God." [10]And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. [11]Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy." [12]"Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. [13]I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." [14]Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. [15]Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. [16]"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." [17]The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. [18]I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, [19]and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. [20]He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! [21]The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. (ESV)
). And so did Thomas (John 20 [show] Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. [2]So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." [3]So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. [4]Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. [5]And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. [6]Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, [7]and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. [8]Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; [9]for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. [10]Then the disciples went back to their homes. [11]But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. [12]And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. [13]They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." [14]Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. [15]Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." [16]Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). [17]Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" [18]Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"--and that he had said these things to her. [19]On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." [20]When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. [21]Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." [22]And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. [23]If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld." [24]Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. [25]So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." [26]Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." [27]Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." [28]Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" [29]Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." [30]Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; [31]but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (ESV)
).

It might be good for us, every now and then, to ask ourselves exactly why we want to see Jesus. Is it to quell our lingering doubts that all this “Bible stuff” is really real? Is it so that, finally seeing him with our own eyes, only then we can go “all in” on the gospel of Christ–so that only then we can declare that he is truly Lord over all, and devote our entire being unto him alone?

Or–like a bride who knows that her groom awaits her, who knows her beloved, who knows that he keeps is promises, who knows that he stands outside the chamber door eagerly waiting to finally welcome her into that eternal embrace–is it because we simply cannot wait to have all obstacles cleared out of our way, so that the new life in and with him will finally begin, so that the next age will finally dawn in the consummated Kingdom of God, where we will be with him where he is finally and forever?

There are two kinds of wanting to see Jesus–do you long like David, or do you long like Thomas? What kind of wanting do you live?

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. (Titus 2:11-15, ESV [show] [11]For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, [12]training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, [13]waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, [14]who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. [15]Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. (ESV)
)

Just a thought.