We Would See Jesus
A New Year Resolution Worth Keeping

The beginning of a new year brings with it a familiar ritual. We make resolutions, set goals, and promise ourselves that this year will be different. We resolve to change our habits, improve our relationships, and transform our workplaces. But what if there was one resolution that could encompass all others? What if the answer to every longing in our hearts could be found in a single, simple request?

In the Gospel of John, chapter 12, some Greek men approached Philip with a profound request: "Sir, we would see Jesus." These words, spoken amidst the triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem, reveal something remarkable. While crowds were celebrating, throwing palm branches, and shouting "Hosanna," these men wanted something more. They had witnessed the worship, felt the atmosphere, and seen the spectacle. But they wanted a personal encounter.

They wanted to see Jesus.

Beyond the Motions

It is entirely possible to attend church every Sunday and never truly see Him. You can feel His presence, participate in worship, raise your hands, and clap along with everyone else—yet never actually encounter Jesus in a transformative way. You can join the spirit of a congregation without joining your spirit to His Spirit.

This distinction matters more than we might realize.

When people in the Bible encountered Jesus, something always happened. For some, it filled them with joy. For others, they fell prostrate in repentance. Demons fled. Legs that hadn't worked began to function. Eyes opened. Leprosy vanished. Issues of blood dried up. A little boy's lunch fed thousands. Fishermen dropped their nets and followed Him. Peter declared, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Thomas fell down saying, "My Lord and my God." John the Baptist proclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world."

Seeing Jesus always produces a reaction. Always.

The Difference Between Believing and Knowing

There are two powerful words that deserve our attention: the Hebrew word "yada" and the Greek word "genosko." Both mean "to know"—but not in a casual, superficial way. They speak of intimate knowledge, the kind of knowing that comes from genuine relationship.

In the Old Testament, God said of Moses, "I know him"—yada. When Abraham had relations with Sarah, the text says he "knew" her—yada. This is intimate, personal, transformative knowledge.

Anything less than this kind of knowing is merely motion, ritual, form, and ceremony. It may look spiritual on the outside, but it lacks the life-changing power that comes from genuine intimacy with God.

Consider the sobering words of Jesus in Matthew 7. People will say to Him, "Did we not cast out devils in Your name? Did we not prophesy in Your name?" These were people who performed miracles, who saw supernatural things happen. Yet Jesus will respond, "Depart from Me. I never knew you."

They thought they knew Him. They pointed to their accomplishments, their spiritual résumés, their miraculous works. But they never truly knew Him.

The Crisis of Our Times

We live in an era where doing has replaced being. We measure spirituality by activity rather than intimacy. We point to empty wheelchairs and abandoned crutches as proof of our connection with God, forgetting that miracles can flow through people who don't genuinely know Him.

The world around us is falling apart. Every week brings a new crisis, a new horror, a new level of wickedness that would have been unthinkable a generation ago. As it was in the days of Noah, so it is now—the thoughts and intents of people's hearts are evil continually.

In the midst of this darkness, people are desperately seeking. A true story from British Columbia illustrates this hunger. A young woman named Helen was stabbed repeatedly by her boyfriend. As she bled, she could have gone to a neighbor's house. She could have stopped at the 24-hour convenience store. She could have used the phone on the corner to call for help.

Instead, she dragged herself three blocks, leaving a trail of blood, until she reached the steps of a Pentecostal church. She tried to open the door. She died there, trying to get in.

Why? Because a year earlier, someone had given her one Bible study. That single encounter had planted something in her heart. When hell came to her doorstep, she knew where to go. She knew where to find help. She knew where Jesus could be found.

The question is: When people come to our churches, to our homes, to our workplaces—what will they find? Will they see Jesus?

The Place of Hope

The church should be a place where all are welcome—all colors, all creeds, all nationalities, all walks of life. It should be a place of hope, not condemnation. A place where the wounded find healing, where the dying find life, where those in darkness see light.

Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love one to another." They will know us not by our programs, not by our buildings, not by our worship style, but by our love.

First Corinthians 6:17 tells us, "He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." When we are truly joined to His Spirit, love, joy, and peace flow from us naturally. People see Jesus when they see us. We become living epistles, read by all men.

But this only happens through intimacy. You cannot manufacture the fruit of the Spirit through shouting, running, dancing, or even speaking in tongues. These things may be expressions of spiritual life, but they are not substitutes for knowing Him.

The Invitation

Everyone in this world is seeking some portion of the fruit of the Spirit. Everyone wants love. Everyone wants peace. Everyone wants joy. These things can only come through knowing Jesus.

If you are simply going through religious motions, the Christian life will be miserable. You will see only what you left behind—the parties, the pleasures, the temporary highs. You will view church as drudgery rather than celebration.

But when you truly know Him, everything changes. The Christian life becomes joyful, purposeful, and fulfilling. You are no longer bound by rules and regulations, but transformed by relationship.

This could be the last year we have to get it right. This could be the final opportunity to move from knowing about Jesus to actually knowing Him. From joining the spirit of religious activity to joining your spirit with His Spirit.

So make this your resolution: "I want to see Jesus."

Not just in worship services, but in everyday life. In your home, in your workplace, in your relationships, in your struggles, in your victories. Make this the year you move beyond the motions and into genuine intimacy with the One who gave everything for you.

When people look at your life this year, let them see Jesus. And when you look in the mirror, may you see someone who has been transformed by truly knowing Him.

Sir, we would see Jesus.

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