We Have Seen

Day Thirteen                          

We Have Seen                       

Job 42:1-5

John tells us that “we have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Our word “seen” does not really convey the meaning of the Greek. The King James Version uses “beheld His glory,” which, though anachronistic nowadays, at least makes more of the verb. If we are in Christ, we have done more than seen His glory.

We see thousands of things every day. We see the light streaming through the bedroom blinds as we awake; we see the steam rising from the first and best cup of the day; we see the faces of our loved ones, the home we share, the road that leads us to the responsibilities we face, and so on. We see so much. In the same way, we see the traffic light changing and the vehicle emerging into our path. Time seems to slow as we await impact. It is said that, in that moment, we see our life flashing before our eyes. We see every detail of the catastrophe that is about to happen. Then, after the darkness, we see the bright lights and unfamiliar faces of the emergency department. And we look, desperately, for the faces of those we love the best.

It is this last sense of looking that most clearly resembles the word John uses in 1:14. This must have been a very personal testimony for the apostle. Did the face of Jesus come to him as he wrote these words? Did he remember the fresh-faced carpenter who found him by Galilee? Did he recall the earnest rabbi who taught them as they followed Him for three wonderful years? Or did he picture the blood-soaked brow, the pain-wracked Savior who laid down His life for those who had turned and run away? We can’t really know, but what we can say is that John did more than glance, dispassionately, at Jesus. The word he uses shows us that he looked, deliberately and long, at the object of his hope; and he did not find Him lacking. John “beheld” His glory.

George Herbert, in an old hymn, gives us exactly the right image. “The man that looks on glass,” he writes, “on it may stay his eye, or, if he wishes through it pass and there the heavens espy.” The same is true of Jesus. We can look at Him, superficially, not thinking about the implications of His claims; or, we can really look at Him, reflecting upon what we see, studying and considering His words and His deeds. When we do this, the eye of faith sees beyond the surface to the substance, and is lost in wonder, love, and praise.

Lord Christ, may I see You with the eyes of faith. May I do so much more than see the surface; may I see beneath the appearance of things to the reality of Your selfless love. And, having seen, may I praise You forever. Amen.