Strong Desire To See God

I would like to bring couple of people from the Bible who really wanted to see God.

I. Moses (Ex. 33:18)

18 And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”

19 Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” 20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. 22 So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. 23 Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

In the O.T times God didn’t appeared to people but N.T says that God tabernacle among us. He took the form of a human being and lived among us.

II. Zacchaeus

The second person I would like bring is Zacchaeus. (Luke 19:1-5)

[1] And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

[2] And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

[3] And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

[4] And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.

He was rich but had intense desire to see Jesus. He had a lot of obstacles to see Jesus. There were people around Jesus, He was too short but he never counted the limitations. His wish bypassed all the boundaries and climbed on a sycamore tree and saw Jesus. When he took a step to see Jesus; Jesus was ready to take a further step to go with him to stay at his house.

III. Mary Magdalene

11 But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

14 Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

Everyone (all the disciples) left the tomb but Mary stayed back to see Jesus. She was crying, as she couldn’t find Jesus. Here is a crying Mary to see Jesus. Do you have such a heart?

Conclusion

John 12: 37, “Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.”

John 12: 42, 43, “Nevertheless, many of the leaders believed in Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue. 43For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

When Jews were not ready to accept Jesus here the Greeks wanted to see Him. Let me finish my message with a question; As you are here to worship God did you see Jesus today?