“Believe and See"
John 20:1-31
“Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” [John 20:29]
“Doubting” Thomas believed only after he had seen [and handled] the risen Jesus. His witness, like the other Apostles eight days prior, came with physical contact. Believing came with sight for that first inner circle of disciples; and it was a witness that they died for.
They had seen the seven signs that John recorded, and this the greatest sign came, too, by sight. Theirs was a privileged generation. Paul wrote that our risen Lord was seen “by Cephas, then by the twelve.” “After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, … After that He was seen by James then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” [1 Corinthians 15:5-8]
Their witness was what they saw [maturia – a testimony of what one has seen, heard, and handled]. The Apostles lived and died for what they saw, not just for what they believed. And that is the great apologetic of our faith today.
And so today seeing is not believing; rather it is in the believing that we see. By faith we believe in the witness of the Apostles, and then seeing follows through revelation of the Spirit of God that indwells.
We cannot go back in time and physically witness the Crucifixion and Resurrection just as we cannot go back in time to witness the fall of Rome. But like all historical events, we rely on verifiable historical witnesses and then by faith believe.
If the historical accounts in John’s Gospel are reliable, then our eyes, hearts and understanding can be opened by faith when we choose to believe. Therefore, once the reliability of Scripture is ratified, it is then in the believing that we see. Believing the empirical evidence leads to revelation and understanding.
The disciples in John 20 saw first-hand the empty tomb. They then studied and interpreted their observations and believed.
But here is the important dynamic of the Christian faith. Once you believe, fuller revelation follows. And that is when this life of faith enters a whole new realm. Because it is in the believing that we truly see.
