What do you see?

This afternoon we took our daughter to see a movie.  She has had an exceptionally good week at school and the movie was one way in which we wanted to show her our appreciation.  We have shown it all week in other ways, but being 6 years-old the movie is what really stands out in her mind.

It was an animated kid’s movie, one that had a seemingly unending series of previews for other movies.  I wasn't

 paying much attention to them when I heard this:

“Just because you don’t see something doesn't mean it’s not there.”

That got my attention.  I think it was spoken in regard to the characters in a movie, characters that were too small to be seen by the principal characters.  Maybe along the line of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids! 

I have been reading Acts 9:1-6 over the past few days, which is the opening part of Saul’s conversion story.  Saul, travelling from Jerusalem to Damascus, is suddenly in the presence of a bright light.  Verses 4-6 say:

And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

And that is it.  From that point onward Saul is incontrovertibly a believer in Jesus.  He doesn't see Jesus.  He doesn’t say anything in response to the voice besides his "Who are you" question, not even something as simple as “I believe.”  But there is never another moment in the Bible, neither in the book of Acts, nor anywhere else in the New Testament, where Saul (later Paul) is anything but a man whose feet are firmly planted on faith in Jesus.    

Tomorrow is Easter, the day when Christians throughout the world remember the resurrection of Jesus from the death he suffered on Good Friday.  And He still lives today.

We don’t see Jesus physically, but we know that He lives and reigns eternally.  And because He lives we know that He will give us eternal life as well.  Skeptics of the Christian Gospel may deny this, because after all, “Seeing is believing.” But Hebrews 11:1 says,

         “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Like Saul/Paul, I haven’t seen Jesus physically, but I know He lives and that His promises are sure.  May He reveal Himself powerfully, and personally, to you too, for your joy and peace, and His glory.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.