Seeing Jesus

1 John 1:3 What we have seen and [ourselves] heard, we are also telling you, so that you too may realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And [this] fellowship that we have [which is a distinguishing mark of Christians] is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

There are some pretty bold claims in this passage. For one John is saying that they have seen and heard Jesus. Second, he is stating emphatically to this gathering of believers: this fellowship – this experience is available to you. Third, they are not only presently having this kind of relationship with the Ascended Jesus, they are having it with His Father! Those are bold claims.

Jesus made claims like this. In the Gospel of John He makes a bold pronouncement to His disciples when Philip asked to see the Father: Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father [cause us to see the Father—that is all we ask]; then we shall be satisfied. ⁹ Jesus replied, Have I been with all of you for so long a time, and do you not recognize and know Me yet, Philip? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say then, Show us the Father? You could reason, Well, Robert, He is Jesus. Of course He could make that bold claim. But hold on a second. In the letter to the Ephesians Paul prays: May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,¹⁸ That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];¹⁹ [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! AMPC Galatians 2:20 echoes these words when Paul emphatically states:  I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me…

Did you catch it? Paul believed Jesus lived inside of him! And if He lived in Paul He also lives in you and me? The implications behind this are far worse than you can imagine. For Paul is saying, If you have seen me – you have seen Jesus. You may be tempted to say that this is not so bad. But wait a minute. If what Paul says is true of himself it is also true of everyone who calls themselves followers of Jesus. I should be able to confidently say: If you have seen me – you have seen Jesus! If you are a follower of Jesus you should be able to confidently say: If you have seen me – you have seen Jesus! Does that cause you to pause? Why? Could it be that the answer is found in Paul’s prayer? May Christ …through YOUR FAITH …[actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts… Maybe the manifest reality of that truth is weak simply because our faith has been weak. We either don’t believe Pauls’ words, or we don’t believe Jesus, or our focus has been stuck on our performance rather than Who Jesus says He is and the Power of His Word. We believe more in the power of the devils lies than the truths of God’s Word. Now that should wake us all up. What are we doing that awakens and reveals Jesus in and through us? What are we cooperating with that causes our faith to grow so big Jesus comes out?

Luke 17:21 states: People will not say, Look God’s Kingdom is here or there it is! No! God’s Kingdom is in you! Is the weakness of our faith predicated upon the immensity of our king? Who is the King in our life?