“And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following…” (John 1:37-38b).

Seven times it is recorded in the Gospel of John that the Lord Jesus Christ “saw” something which caused Him to act.

First, in the verse referenced above, Jesus saw two of John the Baptist’s disciples and invited them to come home with Him. As a result, their lives were changed forever, and they brought others to Jesus!

Second, “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him…” (John 1:47a). Jesus also called him to follow Him as one of His disciples.

Third, at the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, there was a man who had been crippled for 38 years. “When Jesus saw him…” (John 5:6a), He healed him, and the Bible says, “And immediately the man was made whole…” (John 5:9a).

Fourth, as He was teaching His disciples in Galilee, “Jesus…saw a great company come unto him…” (John 6:5a). This great crowd coming out to hear and see Jesus in the desert place soon led to the miracle of the feeding of 5,000 men with just five barley loaves and two small fishes.

Fifth, we read about another great miracle taking place, probably in Jerusalem. “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth” (John 9:1). Jesus spit on the ground, made clay of the spittle, and anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. Then He told the man to go and wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam. “He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing” (John 9:7b).

Sixth, at the small town of Bethany, a close friend of Jesus named Lazarus was worse than blind — he was dead! His two sisters, Mary and Martha, along with many friends, were grieving and mourning the loss of Lazarus when Jesus arrived there. “When Jesus therefore saw her [Mary] weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept” (John 11:33-35). Jesus then called for Lazarus, already dead for four days, to come forth from the tomb alive — and he came!

Finally, at the Cross where Jesus was being crucified, His own mother was there, as well as His beloved disciple John. “When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved…” (John 19:26a), He commissioned John to care for His mother from that point on.

What is the lesson for us in all of this? Simply this — that our loving Lord does indeed see us, and He sees our needs, and He does care! I’m so glad of that fact! And here’s another — there is coming a day when He “shall wipe away all tears from their [our] eyes” (Revelation 21:4). Praise God! Won’t that be a wonderful day? Until then, dear child of God, remember — He sees, He knows, and He cares!