Recently, in churches all around the world, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus were acknowledged and celebrated. Many went to church on Easter Sunday and will not dart to enter the doors again until next year. For me, this is unexplainable. Why bother if this is the only time you go? Is it because you think you will gain some favor if you show up once a year? Maybe you just like all the excitement that surrounds this holy day. I hope your time was spent seeing Jesus in every aspect of Easter. He is there even if you did not focus on seeing and knowing Him.
If you missed seeing Jesus for whatever reason, you are not alone. In John 20:14-15, we find Mary Magdalene at the tomb. She is weeping because His body is gone. The Angels that were at the tomb ask he why she is crying, and she responds, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” She turns in verse 14 and sees Jesus, but does not know that it is Him. She does not recognize Him until He calls her by name.
John 20:14-16 “Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).”
In Luke 24: 13-31 you can read where Jesus appeared to two of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. He joins them and talks with them, but they do not recognize them. Why they did not recognize Him is unclear. It may have been that they were not expecting Him. After all, the last time they saw Jesus, He was beaten beyond recognition. It may have been that His appearance had changed. What we do know is that they did not recognize Him at all. Later, when He ate with them and spoke, it became clear to them that this was the Messiah.
Luke 24:13-16 “And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were kept that they should not know him.”
Luke 24:31 “And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.”
All throughout the New Testament, we find that Jews have rejected Jesus as the Messiah. They saw Him, but He was not what they expected as their Messiah. They did not want a baby born to a carpenter and a young Jewish girl. Their pride had conditioned them to believe their king would free them from the bondage of other governments. They wanted a king to rule in the earthly physical matters of this world. They were not looking for a spiritual kingdom. In John 5:39-43, Jesus is speaking to the Jews and declares that they would not receive Him.
John 5:39-43 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honor from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.”
We do find in Acts 2:41 that Peter is preaching, and three thousand Jews were saved. In Acts 4:4, again, Peter is preaching to the Jews, and about 5000 were saved. Today, there are still those who are leaving Judaism and following Christ. However, the Jewish nation as a whole does not believe that Jesus was and is the Son of God.
Act 2:41 “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Act 4:4 “Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.”
Today, there are still multitudes who do not see Jesus as the Son of God. I am convinced that we as Christians do not see Him as often as we should. I know that God is always with us and working to seek lost people. I know He wants to use us to do His work in winning souls. I wonder how many opportunities we have missed to talk to someone about Him because we were absorbed in our own agendas. Therefore, we did not see Him. I wonder how many times Jesus has shown Himself in healing a loved one, the near miss of a tragic accident, or the unexpected visitor at church, yet we missed seeing Him. Think about your last few days. Did you see Jesus?
