I hope no one answered the question above with a yes. No one has seen Jesus with their physical eyes since Paul did on the road to Damascus, recorded in the book of Acts (Acts 9). I know many people claim to see Jesus today, and even converse with Him, but they are at best mistaken, and at worse lying. How do I know this? Because Paul, referring to the appearances of Christ, said, “Last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared also to me” (1 Corinthians 15:8).
The good news for Christians is that someday we will see Jesus with our own eyes, but some conditions must first be meant.
Hebrews 12:14 (NKJV)
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
In the last couple of blogs, we have emphasized the importance of peace and holiness. Is developing these characteristics worth the time and energy it takes? The answer is a resounding yes, for the reward is seeing the Lord. Jesus confirmed this in His great sermon on the mountain top.
Matthew 5:8 (ESV)
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
There are at least two ways in which the pure in heart will see God. First, the word “see” sometimes carries with it the idea of experiencing something.
John 3:36 (ESV)
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
In Acts 2:27 the word “see” is used this way regarding what Jesus would not see in Hades. It says He would not “see” corruption. So, to see something is to experience it. To see the Lord is to experience a relationship with Him, enjoying the blessings of His fellowship. Who will experience fellowship with both the Father and the Son? Those who pursue peace and holiness, or as Jesus said, the pure in heart.
The second way in which the pure in heart will see God, and probably the way the Hebrews writer had in mind when referring to seeing the Lord, is literally. Can you imagine a greater reward for pursuing peace and holiness than seeing God face to face? This will begin at the second coming of Christ.
1 John 3:2 (ESV)
2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
This seeing of Jesus will continue into eternity where we will look upon the face of God and spend the rest of time in fellowship with Him (Revelation 22:3-4). I do not know about you, but I think this is worth spending a life pursuing peace and holiness. As Paul once said, this is “of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”
As you wind down for the night, think about these things.