Do you see Jesus clearly?
I used to love going to the optometrist to get new glasses. My eyes used to be pretty good so I liked to be able to walk out with the "no glasses necessary" judgment. 2020 vision was a nice thing. But that was many years ago. Now I look forward to being able to get a good prescription lens to be able to see clearly. It's great to put on that new pair of glasses and suddenly see clearly. Sometimes it is so crystal clear that I don't know how I was walking around before WITHOUT glasses!
Last Sunday we looked at Mark 8 - a pivotal chapter in the gospel of Mark about seeing Jesus clearly. The many healings around this chapter kept pointing us to physical blindness and deafness as a way of helping us to think about spiritual blindness and deafness.
It is finally in Mark 8:29 that Peter seems to clearly see Jesus...
Mark 8:29
Peter answered "You are the Messiah."
Yet in the very next few verses, it seems that Peter does NOT see Jesus clearly at all, as he questions Jesus' plans to go to the cross.
The next chapter, which we skip over this week, is the great follow-up to this event - the transfiguration of Jesus. It is in this moment that Jesus is revealed in his royal robes, in dazzling light, in full spiritual glory, before the eyes of Peter, James and John, and in the presence of Elijah and Moses, the prophets of old...
Mark 9:2-4
2After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
This was a revelation - this was Jesus being revealed in all his glory before his arrest and crucifixion. This was a glimpse into his majesty and power, something that had been hidden in the time Jesus had been on earth. This is something that the disciples would not see again until Jesus had risen from the dead and would ascend into heaven in front of their very eyes (Luke 24:5-52). It reminds us of where Jesus came from - of what he laid aside to come into our world as a human and to become the sacrifice for our sins. It is a reminder of what he gave up for us.
Yet this identity of the glorious Jesus has also been revealed to us as his present state today. Jesus our Messiah and Lord IS the risen Christ, the King of heaven. He is, right now, in his royal robes, sitting on his throne, ruling over our world and over our lives. He is seated in the heavenly realms today:
Colossians 3:1
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
We are reminded of this as we recite the Apostle's Creed also:
The Apostle's Creed
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
We need to remember this. Jesus is risen, ascended, and glorious. He is ruling and in all his glory. When we come to worship him, we come before the risen King, once crucified, forever raised. If we are to see Jesus clearly, we need to see him as he is now, and fall at his feet in worship, rejoicing that he will come in his glory to bring us to be with him forever one day.
Do you see Jesus clearly?
Do you see him clearly as he is today?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we give all praise to our risen Lord and King Jesus. May we tremble before him and give thanks that he is our Lord and Saviour, as well as our brother and friend. May we not fear the world, but be reminded of his power and authority over all things in this world and in our lives. Amen.