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Seeing is not Believing

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day made one huge mistake: one that is still being made. See if you can spot it in this passage about Jesus’ crucifixion.

“In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. ‘He saved others’, they said, ‘but he can't save himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.’ Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him” (Mark 15:31-32)

Did you see it? The mistake is found in the phrase, “Let this Christ… come down… that we may see and believe”.

The old phrase says that “seeing is believing” and that is exactly what the people of Christ’s day demanded. They wanted proof. They wanted to “see” before they “believed”. Unfortunately, God’s kingdom does not work that way. In fact, the Spiritual order is “believe and then see”.

In John 11, when Jesus raises his friend Lazarus from the dead, he states, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” (Verse 40). Believe and then see.

In another place Jesus tells us to, “Seek first his (God’s) kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). If you “believe”, you will “see” the blessings that will follow.

Now, it may sound like a technicality to say that the Biblical pattern is to “believe and then see” but, in fact, it is absolutely essential to keep that order. If we turn that around and demand to “see before we believe”, as the people in Christ’s time did, then we will never get started. There are some things in this world that can only be proven by trying them.

Waiting for absolute proof will not work. Faith always requires us to “believe” and then “see” what happens.

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

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