Eyes to See - The Risen Lord

The scene of the crucifixion of Jesus stands as the preeminent picture in the Christian landscape. When you think about that event what image does it bring up in your mind? What do you see? Depending on your religious tradition you may see Jesus on a simple stake, a cross, or a tree. His body is wounded and cut. A cruel crown of thorns digs into his scalp. Nails are driven through his hands or wrists. You see a dying man hanging under a sign reading "the King of the Jews".

It is interesting to take notice of what an eyewitness saw, because he observed something radically different. He didn't see a dying man. Who is this eyewitness? It is one of the criminals who were executed alongside Jesus. As he was dying he put faith and Jesus and said to him, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42) Upon cursory glance this statement of faith may not seem all that extraordinary. In order to get the full impact we have to contrast the attitude of the criminal with Jesus' disciples.

Unlike this criminal, Jesus' disciples knew him very well. They had sat and listened to him teach. They had seen him perform many miraculous signs and wonders. Only a short time earlier Jesus had even brought his disciple Lazarus back from dead. The disciples knew Jesus and this was particularly true of the twelve apostles who were selected to fulfill special assignments. These twelve spent the better part of three years in Jesus' intimate company. They traveled with him. They ate with him. They slept alongside him. They got to know Jesus' up close and personal and they were given the ability to really grasp who Jesus' was. This is shown in an account recorded at Matthew 16:13-17

"When Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven!"

When Peter looked at Jesus what did he see? At that moment, Heaven opened his eyes and he saw that Jesus was the promised messiah, the Christ, the Son of God. However, even though Peter and the other disciples knew Jesus to be the Christ their eyes were still closed in many respects. To the Jewish mindset of the day they expected the messiah to be a king and military leader who would liberate their nation from the Romans. After subduing all enemies, the messiah would usher in a time of worldwide peace and prosperity. Because of these expectations, the furthest thing from an option that they would accept is that the messiah would be handed over to their enemies and be killed. But, just after Peter made that declaration of faith in Jesus as Christ, Jesus began telling them that this very thing was to befall him. The Gospel records, "From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.". But old expectations were so ingrained in these Jewish men that even with Jesus telling them matter-of-factly about his death and subsequent resurrection Peter still had difficulty comprehending such a thing. The scripture continues, "So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: “God forbid, Lord! This must not happen to you!” (Matthew 16:21, 22)

With these Messianic expectations in mind we have to put ourselves in the minds of Jesus' followers during his triumphal entry into Jerusalem in his final days. Jesus sits upon donkey colt and rides it from the Mt. of Olives down to Jerusalem in the manner of a Jewish king coming in peace. Matthew tells us this was to fulfill what the prophet Zechariah spoke saying,

Tell the people of Zion,
‘Look, your king is coming to you,
unassuming and seated on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey. - Matthew 21:5

So as Jesus rode into Jerusalem what did the disciples see? It may be that they saw a king, riding to power, on the road to vanquish the Romans from Jerusalem. How then, their hearts must have raced as they saw the crowds welcoming Jesus with palm branches shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!” (John 12:25) Their enthusiasm was fever-pitched and filled with dreams of the coming Kingdom.

We can imagine then how their hopes and dreams ended at Calvary, where Jesus was executed. Though warned repeatedly about it, this seemingly tragic turn of events completely caught the disciples off-guard. When the Jewish authorities arrested Jesus and the Romans his disciples abandoned him and fled. Peter, who had been so perceptive earlier to put faith in Jesus as the Christ, disowned him. Their overall, disheartened attitude is well encapsulated in a conversation that two disciples had just days after Jesus death.

Now that very day two of them were on their way to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking to each other about all the things that had happened. While they were talking and debating these things, Jesus himself approached and began to accompany them (but their eyes were kept from recognizing him).

Then he said to them, “What are these matters you are discussing so intently as you walk along?” And they stood still, looking sad.

Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things that have happened there in these days?”

He said to them, “What things?”

“The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied, “a man who, with his powerful deeds and words, proved to be a prophet before God and all the people; and how our chief priests and rulers handed him over to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. Not only this, but it is now the third day since these things happened. Furthermore, some women of our group amazed us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back and said they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of those who were with us went to the tomb, and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see him.”

So he said to them, “You foolish people – how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things written about himself in all the scriptures. - Luke 24:13-27

We notice here the utter devastation and confusion that comes through in these disciples of Jesus. When they are asked what they are talking about, they stand still looking sad. They confer that they had hoped that Jesus would have been the one to redeem Israel. And even though some women had reported that Jesus was alive they were not filled with joy but were perplexed. To them Jesus was dead and the hopes for the Kingdom had vanished.

Now we go back to the criminal crucified next to Jesus who asked, "Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.” When this man looked over at Jesus he didn't see a dying man. When Jesus' disciples hope in his Kingdom was just ending this man's was just beginning. He knew that for Jesus, death was not the end; but that he would come again in his Kingdom. When he looked at Jesus he didn't see a dead man - he saw the King of Israel - the very thing the sign proclaimed! Now when we think of Jesus what do we see? Do we see a dead man or a risen king?

When it comes to seeing Jesus in this way I can think of no better example than that of the apostle Paul. The recorded account doesn't tell us whether Paul had any dealing with Jesus prior to his death. Since Paul was such an important figure in early Christianity we can probably conclude that this omission indicates that he did not. He only knew of Jesus after the fact when the risen Lord revealed himself to him. This glimpse of the resurrected Jesus stirred him so much that it brought an immediate change for this one time persecutor of the Christian congregation. After retiring to Arabia for an undetermined length of time, Paul returned and began boldly preaching the name of Jesus' in the synagogues. That first look of Jesus totally changed Paul's goals in life and he spent the rest of his earthly existence pursuing the risen Lord. As he writes to the Philippians,

My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. - Phil 3:10,11

We are blessed to today to have some of Paul's writings in our collection of scriptures. What continues to impress me is how determined Paul is of the present reality of Jesus Christ and how the Lord is found in a central position. Paul paints beautiful pictures of Jesus as he is, enthroned on high, with a name above every name. (Phil 2:9-11) His desire is that the eyes of our heart be opened to know Jesus as he is - in all his fullness, splendor, and glory. (Eph 1:15-23)

As we already considered, Jesus' first-hand followers had difficulty understanding his resurrection. Even when faced with compelling evidence of the empty tomb and testimony from the women they still did not grasp his resurrection. It took a face-to-face appearance with the apostles for them to fully understand. The gospel of John records that one of their number, Thomas, was not present at this time. When the other apostles related to Thomas how they had seen Jesus; their joy was met with his doubt. Thomas skeptically replied, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." - John 20:25

A week later, Thomas got his wish. Jesus appeared before him and he was forced to acknowledge the glorious truth, Jesus was not dead. He was alive! Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." - John 20:29

We are so blessed to have the testimony of those that saw Jesus with their eyes of flesh just as they were blessed to see him. However, we who have not yet seen Jesus physically are particularly blessed. As Jesus said, "blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." This well describes the criminal that hung beside Jesus and put faith in his resurrection. It also describes us who have yet to see Jesus as he is, but have spiritually perceived him. Peter thus writes about us, Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." (1 Peter 1:8,9) Because we have put faith in Jesus and his resurrection we are strengthened in our own hope of one day seeing him. As John writes, "We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2)

May our God and Father grant us the spiritual eyes to see Jesus, the risen Lord, and keep us safe in the hope of one day seeing him face to face!