Seeing Jesus

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading today titled Seeing Jesus was written by Kenneth Peterson. At four months old, Leo had never seen his parents. He had been born with a rare condition that left his vision blurred. For him, it was like living in a dense fog, but then eye doctors fit him with a special set of glasses. Leo's father posted the video of mom placing the new glasses over his eyes for the first time. We watch as Leo's eyes slowly focus. A smile spreads wide across his face as he truly sees his mom for the first time.

Priceless. In that moment, little Leo could see clearly. John reports a conversation Jesus had with his disciples in John chapter 14. Phillip asked him, show us the Father.

Even after all this time, Jesus' disciples couldn't recognize who was right in front of them. He replied, don't you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me? Earlier, Jesus had said, I am the way and the truth and the life. This is the sixth of Jesus' seven I am statements. He's telling us to look through these I am lenses and see who he truly is, God himself. We are a lot like the disciples. In difficult times, we struggle and develop blurred vision. We fail to focus on what God has done and can do.

When little Leo put on the special glasses, he could see his parents clearly. Perhaps we need to put on our God glasses so we can clearly see who Jesus really is. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from the Gospel of John chapter 14 verses 1 through 11. Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God.

Believe also in me. My Father's house has many rooms. If that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.

Thomas said to him, Lord, we don't know where you are going. So how can we know the way? Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.

From now on, you do know him and have seen him. Philip said, Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us. Jesus answered, Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, Show us the Father? Don't you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me?

The words I say to you, I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father living in me who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.

Or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Would you pray with me? Holy Spirit, open our eyes to see that Jesus really is the way, the truth and the life. Give us eyes to see and a heart to follow in obedience today. And it's in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen. Thanks for listening today. My name is Wes Ward and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.