Seeing Is Believing

You know how much I love Christmas movies – any time of the year. I get out my “I Believe” button when watching Miracle on 34^th Street. I especially love the Tim Allen The Santa Clause series. In the first movie, Scott Calvin (SC) finds himself in Santa’s workshop at the North Pole. When Scott confesses his lack of belief, even in what he is seeing, the little elf Judy makes a profound statement: “Seeing isn’t believing; believing is seeing.” No matter how you say it, there is an interesting and important connection between seeing and believing. Frankly, it depends on what (or whom) you want to see and what you choose to believe.

For some, seeing is understanding; it is mastering the basic concepts and answering all the essential questions. Unfortunately, understanding can never lead to faith. The writer to the Hebrews stated it best: “By faith we understand” (11:3). Understanding does not open the door to faith; faith opens the door to understanding. Some things can never really be seen until certain things are believed.

So what is the relationship between seeing and believing? The Gospel of John gives us important insight into this question. According to John, it was Jesus who enabled people to see God (1:14, 18). John the Baptizer testified that he had personally seen and bore witness to the Lamb of God (1:34). When the first disciples approached Jesus and asked him where he was staying, Jesus simply replied, “Come and see” (1:39). After coming to Jesus he promised them, “You will see greater things” (1:50). The Samaritan woman’s testimony was very simple: “Come and see a man” (4:29).

On the other hand, Jesus rebuked the crowds for insisting on the need to see miraculous signs and wonders. “Unless you people see signs and wonders…you will never believe” (John 4:48). In fact, the ability to see depends on a person’s connection to God. Jesus told Nicodemus, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3). It’s not possible to see unless you really want to see. And then real seeing begins by seeing Jesus. Before his crucifixion some Greeks came to the disciple Philip with a clear and simple request: “Sir, we would like to see Jesus” (John 12:21). They didn’t ask to see miracles; they didn’t ask to argue the fine points of philosophy and theology; they did not demand proofs of the existence of God or the nature of God’s Son. They simply asked to see Jesus. And that seeing made everything else possible.

The fact is simply this: Every human being is born spiritually blind. No one is able to see and no one is able to believe without experiencing a healing of their blindness. To be healed of blindness, a person must begin by acknowledging the need of healing, by admitting that he is blind. When a man born blind first encountered Jesus, he had no illusions about his blindness nor about his need for healing. When Jesus put mud on his eyes and instructed him to wash the mud off in the pool of Siloam, I’m sure the man and his friends could have questioned what kind of crazy person would do such a thing. No evidence could be produced demonstrating the logic of such a strategy. Yet, the man simply obeyed, and testified, “So then I went and washed, and then I could see” (John 9:11, 15). When the Pharisees refused to accept the testimony of their eyes, the blind mind gave them a very simple testimony of his experience of Jesus: “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see” (9:25). Later, when the healed man encountered the healer, Jesus asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” (9:35). Because of his personal experience of healing the man wanted to believe. He was not looking for reasons to justify his disbelief; he was looking for reasons to believe. “Tell me so that I may believe in him” (9:36). To which Jesus replied, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you” (9:37). This man had known he was blind and needed healing. When Jesus touched his eyes and enabled him to see, the man quickly believed and worshipped. “‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshipped him” (9:38).

But the Pharisees still refused to see and believe. So Jesus had to talk to them about their blindness and their refusal to see their need to have their eyes opened. “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who [think they can] see will become blind” (9:39). But the Pharisees just took offense: “What? Are we blind too?” (9:40). “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains” (9:41).

So, seeing is believing. But seeing is impossible unless Jesus touches your eyes. And Jesus cannot touch your eyes unless you admit that you are blind. You have to admit that the most brilliant person in the world is unable to see Jesus and therefore, to believe. Your ability to believe will then open up a whole new world of seeing. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead he promised, “If you believe, you will see the glory of God” (John 11:40). When some of the people found the teaching of Jesus difficult to believe, Jesus replied, “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own” (John 7:17). In the end, faith is a choice; a decision to see Jesus, a choice to do God’s will, a choice to accept the authority of and obey whatever God shows you. Seeing is believing, and believing is seeing. But neither seeing nor believing is possible unless you know you’re blind and have a true desire to see Jesus and to worship him. God will then make sure your eyes are opened, and you will begin to see the glory of God.