JOHN 6:36
But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
"Let me see a miracle, THEN I'll believe!" someone usually says in regards to any discussion involving GOD, the Bible, Jesus Christ.
The old saying, "Seeing is believing" doesn't apply to the Kingdom of GOD and the truth that reigns there; at least not the sort of 'sight' that this world is accustomed to. In vs. 40 the LORD Jesus says, "40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
So in this latter instance, seeing is coupled together with believing, which affects a soul, a life that leads us into eternal life and genuine faith.
Think about all the miracles that the children of Israel saw with their very own eyes: the awesome power of GOD that brought the Egyptian deities (and no doubt, the demonic powers behind them) down to the dust. 10 plagues against the 10 most prominent gods of that land - as well as Pharaoh himself, who was considered 'a god' in his own right. All eventually bowed before YHWH, the Creator GOD!
Then there was the parting of the Red Sea so that the Hebrews could pass over on dry land, and in which the Egyptian armies were drowned as those walls of water came crashing against them, destroying soldier, horse and chariot (incidentally, they found some corral encrusted chariots at the bottom of the Red Sea - fancy that!).
Then the crossing of the wilderness - for 2 or 3 million ex-slaves of Egypt, the decedents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who witnessed GOD's provision of food, water, warmth and shade, Who ensured that their clothes and shoes didn't wear away in their 40 year journey (for a study in the book of EXODUS, check out this TTUF series!)
Yet throughout the many miracles that they all saw with their own eyes, that entire (first) generation of Hebrews that left Egypt all died in the wilderness because of their unbelief (HEB 3:12-19; 4:6) all but two: faithful Joshua and Caleb (NUM 14,6,30,38; 26:65).
Miracles don't produce faith.
Faith can sometimes, if GOD's wills, produce miracles.
The Word of GOD, and believing the truth of GOD's Word - this produces faith (ROM 10:17)! And in such faith, we 'see' spiritually (JOHN 8:56) what those who refuse to believe can never see.
With our natural eyes we behold everything that can be seen (with the naked eye) and both eye and creation are temporary. Nothing physical in creation will last. We who are believers, disciples of Christ will inherit new, eternal, glorified bodies in the coming, glorious Kingdom of GOD! And on that day, faith will no longer be necessary, for those things that are hidden by our natural eyes (but seen now through the eyes of faith) will then be seen with our supernatural eyes (ROM 8:23-25)!
Even Job understood this and the book named after him is likely the oldest source of revelatory Scripture that we have:
JOB 19:25-27
25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
There are those that the Father has granted to the Son, and these arrive and behold the glory of the Savior - and believe, and they will never, ever be rejected by the LORD Jesus, nor will they ever be lost, once found (JOHN 6:37-39).
The light of the LORD lights upon everyone who comes into this world and there are degrees of light, some far brighter than others, depending on whether one refers to general revelation or to special revelation. Depending on how one responds to the light granted, more or less will be granted on that basis:
MATTHEW 13:12
For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Being faithful in what we are granted by GOD, will result in Divine promotion, the granting of more things and a condition of being increased in some blessed way:
LUKE 19:17
And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
Those who will rely only what they can see with their physical eyes, who refuse to exercise faith and see with spiritual insight, who close their eyes and hearts to the truth of the Gospel that GOD yearns to impart to such lost souls, they will only partake of the things of this life. They will only know an intermingling of blessing and burden that this world under the curse of sin can afford, and then, only experience them within the terribly short lot of years as we can have - 70, 80 years of life, before they are then brought through death into judgment (HEB 9:27).
HEBREWS 4:1-3
1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. 2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. 3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
How longsuffering the LORD was with His disciples while He was on the Earth - and how wonderfully patient He is with His disciples today, though He reigns supreme at the right hand of the Father, still He must endure so much in seeing our "little strength" (REV 3:8), but also encourages us by assuring us that we "have kept His Word and not denied [His] name"
While on Earth, at the first, His disciples were almost nearly clueless as to Who Jesus really is (MARK 4:41)! They didn't realize until later that when they saw Jesus, they were actually seeing the very nature and truth of the Father (JOHN 14:9).
And after so many occasions when the LORD foretold of His death - and His resurrection; once the stone was rolled away, and He was risen and seen by some, Thomas refused to believe until he could touch Jesus' scars in hand, foot and side.
Then the LORD appeared again and went directly to Thomas:
JOHN 20:27-29
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
And for all of his fumblings and stumblings so often, Peter was granted the sort of spiritual sight that when he made this declaration, the LORD called him "blessed". You know what I'm talking about. When Jesus asked His disciples Who they thought He was:
MATTHEW 16:16-17
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
May we exhibit the kind of spiritual sight (faith) but "have not seen" with our natural eyes the face of our LORD Jesus that He may also call us "blessed"!
2 CORINTHIANS 3:17-18
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2 CORINTHIANS 4:6
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Next time we will look at JOHN 6:37-39 - A No Lose Salvation Situation!
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