Many Children play a game, which I used to play, called “Hide And Seek.” The children who seek do not always find those who are hiding. However, the Bible says if anyone seek the Lord with all their heart they will find him (Jeremiah 29:13). Yet, the biblical Word of God tells us that some people seek Jesus for different reason and do not find him as their Lord; while others seek and find him as their Lord and Savior. But God who knows the heart of everyone, wants everyone to know how to find him.
REASONS SOME PEOPLE HAVE FAILED TO SEE JESUS AS LORD
BENEFITS OF MIRACLES. A large number of people followed after Jesus for the personal benefits of the miracles he did, which no other person was able to do (John 15:24; Luke 4:18-19). On one occasion, Jesus miraculously fed over five thousand people with two fish and five loaves of bread. At other times he healed people of all kinds of incurable physical and mental diseases. He casted out tormenting demons. He raised people from the dead.
POLITICAL POWER. Many Jews sought to make Jesus their king on earth, believing he would free them from the oppressive rule Rome (John 6:15). They saw Jesus as a king like David, who was a ruler and conqueror (Luke 1:32). They did not see him coming into the world to be king of a spiritual kingdom that was not of this world (John 18:36). They fail to understand that he came to rule in the hearts of those believed in and obeyed him (Luke 17:20-21; Romans 14:17; Matthew 7:21).
POSITION AND RECOGNITION. Religious leader sought to eliminate Jesus to hold on to their positions of recognition and exploitation of God’s people (Matthew 23:1-10). They coveted the seat and leadership position that God promised to Jesus by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15; Mark 15:9-10).
MONEY AND WEALTH. Judas was one of those who came after Jesus to gain money and personal wealth. Having a greed for money, Judas likely believed that the Jews would make Jesus their king, and being his disciple, he would access to the wealth of the king. However, Jesus’ kingdom on earth did not materialize as Judas seemingly had thought. Driven by lust for money, Judas decided to betray Jesus to religious leaders who wanted to kill him, for thirty pieces of silver.
REASONS SOME HAVE FOUND JESUS AS LORD
SEEKING FORGIVENESS OF SIN. A woman who recognized she had many sins, sought the Lord for forgiveness and salvation. She came and knelt at Jesus’ feet, cried, washed his feet with her tears, dried his feet with hair and anointed them with precious perfume. Jesus forgave all of her sins (Luke 7:47-48).
FOLLOWING JESUS. Some of Jesus’ disciples chose to follow the Lord, when others walked away from him (John 6:67-68). Some, like Stephen, were were willing to take up their cross, suffer and even die to follow the Lord (Acts 7:54-60; Matthew 16:24-25).
DESIRING TO BE LIKE CHRIST. Paul wrote about desiring to be like Christ (Philippians 3:10); and being conformed to the likeness of Jesus, with the help of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:28; John 14:16).
WANTING TO BE WITH THE LORD Jesus said he went to heaven to prepare a place for those of us who love him; and he said he will come again to take us to live with him forever (John 14:2-3). Some set their hearts on things above where the Lord is, and do not set their minds on thing on the earth (Colossians 3:2).
It is in seeking the Lord with all our heart that we find him.
