I’VE SEEN HIM FOR MYSELF
Have you seen Him?
When you’ve truly seen God through a real relationship with Jesus Christ you will recognize that you have encountered Him because there are certain things that will occur in your life as evidence.
To “see” doesn’t just mean visually. It also means to discern, to deduce and to understand. if that has truly happened in your life NOBODY can take that away from you.
We understand in Mark 16:9-14 that if the disciples had paid attention to the information that Jesus had taught them over the three plus years they were together, they would have been able to SEE and recognize the truth about His resurrection more readily.
Here's a little background. Here we are at the time that Jesus had been crucified and laid in a tomb. After all this had happened there were markers that should have alerted the disciples of the truthfulness of Jesus’ teachings through things like the darkness that occurred while He was on the cross in the middle of the day or the veil of the Temple being torn, and an earthquake and rocks being split. But the clincher should have been when the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints were raised and they literally walked into the city and appeared to many. (Matthew 27:45, 51-53) However, the disciples leaned only on their own understanding and grief of what they saw visually. They should have recognized and seen spiritually because of the teaching that they had already received through Jesus.
After all these things occurred, the disciples scattered to nurture their grief and Peter backslid and went back to what he was doing when he first met Jesus because of the guilt and shame of his denial of Him. They all seemed to allow their emotions to get the best of them rather than their knowledge and experience of who Christ was.
Despite all this, Jesus began to announce His resurrection in Mark 16:1-8 through an angel that appeared to Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and a woman named Salome as they went to the tomb to anoint Him. They saw that Jesus’ body was not there and the angel instructed them to go tell the disciples AND Peter that Jesus went to Galilee and would meet them there. But because of their fear and amazement they disobeyed the angel and fled from the tomb without telling anyone. They were caught up in the circumstances they found themselves in.
You can say, “I’VE SEEN HIM FOR MYSELF”, when you mess up and run away from God, but He shows you grace and gives you yet another chance to do what He asks you to do. Mary Magdalene received this grace as we see in Mark 16:9 because on the very day Jesus arose, He showed Himself to her. But this time she went and told the disciples that she had seen Him for herself. They didn’t believe her because they were too busy living in their grief.
You can stand victorious and boldly say, “I’VE SEEN HIM FOR MYSELF” even when people around you doubt you or don’t believe your testimony because they are too caught up in their own circumstances and troubles to even remember what Jesus has already spoken to them. They may allow the cares of this world to overshadow the truth of His word. Sometimes you have to put your emotion in check.
We are reminded in Luke 24 of Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the resurrected Jesus and the disciple’s negative response but, before Jesus finally revealed Himself to His “crew”, He also showed Himself to two men who were on their way to Emmaus. These men were “average”, everyday people who Jesus decided to reveal Himself to. He walked with them, at first not letting them SEE who He was. Although He let them know He had someplace to be, He decided to stay with them awhile to clarify some things because they asked Him to. (Luke 24: 28, 29). He took some time to teach these men because they really wanted to KNOW Him. After Jesus revealed Himself completely to the men, they went back to Jerusalem to tell the eleven disciples they had met Christ. But they were not believed either. As they were speaking Jesus appeared in the midst of them all and rebuked them for their unbelief. (Mark 16:14, Luke 24:36-45)
You can say, “I’VE SEEN HIM FOR MYSELF”, when you have experienced the Holy Spirit convicting and correcting you because of something you said or did that was contrary to God’s will and plan for you. If you’re not careful to remember the things you’ve been taught, you can allow your circumstances to be your guide instead of Christ. Jesus will not allow you to stay stuck in your sin and emotions. He will continue to send people, signs, dreams and even allow circumstances to reveal to you the error you are in. And when that happens, don’t try to make excuses. Accept the correction, repent and move on to fulfill your purpose.
And what is your purpose? Mark 16:4 says Jesus commissioned them to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved but he who does not believe will be condemned.
Yes, you can boldly proclaim, “I’VE SEEN HIM FOR MYSELF” when you learn to not only quote His word but live His word and allow it to transform you to the glory of His Name.
HAVE YOU SEEN HIM FOR YOURSELF?