July 30th, 2026
This week, all that’s been on my heart is the importance of seeing Jesus.
A couple of weeks ago, we talked about the story of Jesus healing the man blind from birth. He taught about the danger of blindness through that miracle. John 9:39-41 says,
‘Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees, who were with Him, heard Him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”’
The Pharisees lived a hypocritical life, pretending to see when they could not. Matthew 15:14 says,
“Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
They were deceived into believing they were seeing when they were completely blind. So, how do we know if we can see? Just as our natural eyes function as light receptors, our spiritual eyes only see when we are walking in the light. 1 John 1:7 says,
“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
True holiness, which will always bring fellowship in the body, is the result of light. The light of heaven is purifying. John 3:20 says,
“For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”
True holiness walks in the light!
Matthew 6:22-23 says,
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”
This verse is in the middle of a broader teaching of Jesus on hypocrisy in giving, prayer, and fasting. Jesus taught on the importance of not treasuring worldly goods, and He went on to teach about the importance of seeking first the kingdom of God—not the things the world seeks after. This context is important, because our spiritual eyes will only be healthy when our hearts are focused on the right things. If our hearts and eyes are focused on worldly goods, the desires of life, or the opinions of men, we will be deceived. The Pharisees were hypocrites, guilty in their blindness, because they refused to admit they could not see.
Jesus lived before them, performing miracles, demonstrating the love of the Father and the principles of heaven and they couldn’t see Him. They were so blind that they missed the light of Jesus, in all its brilliance. A blind person could be outside at high noon on the brightest day, but still walk in darkness. If our eyes aren’t healthy, we’ll live in darkness in the middle of a glorious day.
Can you see Him?
Hebrews 12:1-2 says,
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
We must see Him. It is only by looking to Jesus that we can run our race with endurance.
Revelation 1:14-16 says that His eyes are like flames of fire and His face is like the sun shining in full strength.
Many people try to live the Christian life with eyes so dim they can barely see. We can’t live off the hope and light other people have seen. Many have heard descriptions of Jesus’ light, beauty, and goodness, but they’ve never seen Him themselves. Other people’s encounters may stir a desire to see Him, but that’s not the same as seeing Him with our own eyes.
You could sit with a blind person and describe the sun in detail. You could describe what the grass, flowers, and trees are like. You could describe their loved one’s face. You could tell them of the immense beauty of the world around them. They may even be able to describe it back in such detail someone could believe they have seen it. However, the knowledge of someone else’s encounter is not the same as seeing it yourself. Would you be satisfied living with only a description of the world around you? Why do so many settle for that reality in their Christian walk? Jesus wants us all to see Him for ourselves!
Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:18 that the “eyes of their hearts would be enlightened.”
He prayed that way because that was the commission he was given by Jesus Himself. Acts 26:16-18 recounts the words of Jesus to Paul on the road to Damascus. It says,
‘And the Lord said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen Me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.”’
To turn from darkness to light, eyes must be opened! That’s the call of the Gospel.
After Jesus was resurrected, His own disciples didn’t recognize Him as He walked with them on the Road to Emmaus. He taught them from the Word, and they listened in awe, but they couldn’t see Him, until He broke bread with them. Luke 24:30-32 says,
‘When He was at table with them, He took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. And He vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the Scriptures?”’
Their hearts burned, but they didn’t recognize Him until their eyes were opened.
We were created to see Him. Our spiritual eyes must be open and healthy to receive the light that shines from the face of Jesus. It’s not enough to get a dim reflection of His light from someone else. It’s not enough to hear His light described to you. The light of the Father, the unapproachable light that shines from the throne of God (1 Timothy 6:16), shines in our hearts through Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 says,
‘For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”’
His life is our light. We know from the Pharisees that the only way we can remain blind is if we refuse to admit we can’t see. If there is any area of blindness in our lives, all we have to do is ask God to open the eyes of our hearts so the light can flood in. In His light is life, hope, peace, healing, direction and everything we need. Let Him open your eyes today. Let Him reveal Himself to you in glory. Let Him open every area of your heart to let the light shine in. It’s what you were made for!
A couple of weeks ago, we talked about the story of Jesus healing the man blind from birth. He taught about the danger of blindness through that miracle. John 9:39-41 says,
‘Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees, who were with Him, heard Him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.”’
The Pharisees lived a hypocritical life, pretending to see when they could not. Matthew 15:14 says,
“Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
They were deceived into believing they were seeing when they were completely blind. So, how do we know if we can see? Just as our natural eyes function as light receptors, our spiritual eyes only see when we are walking in the light. 1 John 1:7 says,
“But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
True holiness, which will always bring fellowship in the body, is the result of light. The light of heaven is purifying. John 3:20 says,
“For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”
True holiness walks in the light!
Matthew 6:22-23 says,
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”
This verse is in the middle of a broader teaching of Jesus on hypocrisy in giving, prayer, and fasting. Jesus taught on the importance of not treasuring worldly goods, and He went on to teach about the importance of seeking first the kingdom of God—not the things the world seeks after. This context is important, because our spiritual eyes will only be healthy when our hearts are focused on the right things. If our hearts and eyes are focused on worldly goods, the desires of life, or the opinions of men, we will be deceived. The Pharisees were hypocrites, guilty in their blindness, because they refused to admit they could not see.
Jesus lived before them, performing miracles, demonstrating the love of the Father and the principles of heaven and they couldn’t see Him. They were so blind that they missed the light of Jesus, in all its brilliance. A blind person could be outside at high noon on the brightest day, but still walk in darkness. If our eyes aren’t healthy, we’ll live in darkness in the middle of a glorious day.
Can you see Him?
Hebrews 12:1-2 says,
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
We must see Him. It is only by looking to Jesus that we can run our race with endurance.
Revelation 1:14-16 says that His eyes are like flames of fire and His face is like the sun shining in full strength.
Many people try to live the Christian life with eyes so dim they can barely see. We can’t live off the hope and light other people have seen. Many have heard descriptions of Jesus’ light, beauty, and goodness, but they’ve never seen Him themselves. Other people’s encounters may stir a desire to see Him, but that’s not the same as seeing Him with our own eyes.
You could sit with a blind person and describe the sun in detail. You could describe what the grass, flowers, and trees are like. You could describe their loved one’s face. You could tell them of the immense beauty of the world around them. They may even be able to describe it back in such detail someone could believe they have seen it. However, the knowledge of someone else’s encounter is not the same as seeing it yourself. Would you be satisfied living with only a description of the world around you? Why do so many settle for that reality in their Christian walk? Jesus wants us all to see Him for ourselves!
Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:18 that the “eyes of their hearts would be enlightened.”
He prayed that way because that was the commission he was given by Jesus Himself. Acts 26:16-18 recounts the words of Jesus to Paul on the road to Damascus. It says,
‘And the Lord said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen Me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.”’
To turn from darkness to light, eyes must be opened! That’s the call of the Gospel.
After Jesus was resurrected, His own disciples didn’t recognize Him as He walked with them on the Road to Emmaus. He taught them from the Word, and they listened in awe, but they couldn’t see Him, until He broke bread with them. Luke 24:30-32 says,
‘When He was at table with them, He took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. And He vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the Scriptures?”’
Their hearts burned, but they didn’t recognize Him until their eyes were opened.
We were created to see Him. Our spiritual eyes must be open and healthy to receive the light that shines from the face of Jesus. It’s not enough to get a dim reflection of His light from someone else. It’s not enough to hear His light described to you. The light of the Father, the unapproachable light that shines from the throne of God (1 Timothy 6:16), shines in our hearts through Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 says,
‘For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”’
His life is our light. We know from the Pharisees that the only way we can remain blind is if we refuse to admit we can’t see. If there is any area of blindness in our lives, all we have to do is ask God to open the eyes of our hearts so the light can flood in. In His light is life, hope, peace, healing, direction and everything we need. Let Him open your eyes today. Let Him reveal Himself to you in glory. Let Him open every area of your heart to let the light shine in. It’s what you were made for!
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