Believe
Eyes That See
By David E. Metcalf
Written: 2/22/24
One of the most famous verses in the Bible, John 3:16, says something simple. If we believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, we will have eternal life. That’s it. No requirement to do good things, or any other requirement. Just believe.
The concept of believing is central to human existence.
When interacting with people, listen to how many times the phrases “I believe,” “I think,” “I know,” “I hope,” and other similar phrases are used.
Next time you listen to music of any genre, listen for a phrase about believing. There are numerous examples.
Next time you watch a movie, watch for the concept of believing, and notice how believing is encouraged and necessary for something good to happen.
How many times have we heard stories of those who were extra motivated to accomplish something when they heard someone say, “I believe in you?”
In another place in the Bible, Jesus said that those who believe without seeing are more blessed than those who believe only after seeing. This was after He appeared to His disciples after His resurrection. One of the disciples insisted on seeing and touching the nail scars in the hands and feet of Jesus before believing. I guess he wanted to make sure it was Jesus and not someone trying to win a lookalike contest!
Was Jesus saying to believe in something we cannot see even if there is no evidence it exists? No, I don’t believe so. Oh, notice what I just said! See how easy it is to use the phrase “I don’t believe,” or “I believe”? Yes, it is integral to our existence.
No, Jesus wasn’t saying, “If you just believe in unicorns, they will exist.”
So, what was He saying? Perhaps He was saying, “start seeing with your heart instead of your natural eyes.” Have you ever listened to someone say something like, “I’m fine,” with a big smile, but you could tell they were not? You are seeing and hearing with your heart, not your natural eyes and ears. Throughout His time with His disciples, Jesus was trying to get the disciples to see and hear with their spiritual eyes and ears, and not just with their natural senses. Just read through the Gospels in the Bible (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and notice how many times Jesus does this.
Perhaps Jesus also was saying, “Look at the evidence, and believe.” Even if He had not appeared physically to the disciples, there was still reason to believe Jesus rose from the dead. He told them numerous times that it was going to happen. If someone performed all the amazing miracles He performed and then told you something was going to happen, it wouldn’t be hard to believe the prediction would come true. Then, when the tomb was opened and found empty, that was more evidence. Those stones in front of the tombs weren’t easily rolled back. And this tomb had guards in front to make sure no one messed with it.
So, I ask you, the reader: do you believe in God? Do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe in eternal life?
Before you answer, look and listen with your heart, not your natural mind. Do you have deep longings in your heart to love and be loved? Do you have a realization that all humans are imperfect, sinful, selfish, and in need of help, in need of a savior? Does the idea of living forever in a sinless, happy, loving world feel good to you? If you knew that world existed, wouldn’t you like to live in it? Do you sometimes have so much pain and sadness deep within you that you wished you didn’t exist? Do you sometimes wish you could feel the kind of happiness you felt in the past but haven’t felt in years? Do you wish you had someone who could just take all the physical pain, life’s struggles, heartaches, and depression away from you, even if just for a little while? Or, maybe you are loving life and living in a wonderful season of happiness. All of these things are issues from the heart. You don’t see these emotions in a literal sense, but you feel them and they are very real.
Also, before you answer, examine the evidence. Is anything ever created without a creator? What is easier to believe – that the universe and all that is in it were created by a Divine Being, or that it all appeared out of nothing? When you read the Bible, do the stories of the people and events sound very much like people and events today? Do the concepts of love, sin, conflict, hope, war, and all the other concepts discussed in the Bible match exactly what you see in the world we live in today?
I have not seen God or Jesus with my natural eyes. But I have seen Him with my spiritual eyes. I’ve also seen the evidence, and I believe. I encourage the reader to do so also. And then we will have eternal life, with the pains of this life short-lived. See you in eternity!