Looking for Jesus.
There are at least three kinds of people looking for Jesus ...
Those who want nothing to do with Jesus
Those who are looking for Jesus in all the wrong places
Those who are looking in the right places
We see all of these people in the Christmas story and you probably know people who fit into all of these categories!
Those who want nothing to do with Jesus
Herod - was one of them. He was the “King of the Jews”. So, when the Wisemen from the east arrived with news of another “King of the Jews” Herod was not pleased at all.
Matthew 2:1-3 says:
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
“‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.”
We know why Herod was troubled! He was “King of the Jews” and would not tolerate any challenges to the throne.
And, we know why all Jerusalem was troubled as well. Whenever Herod’s kingship was challenged people died! And this fear was well founded as we see in
Matthew 2:16-18
“When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.
“Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: ‘A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.’”
We have people like this today! Some of them are rabid atheists. Not all atheists are malicious but some are like Herod; determined to wipe out any challenge to their way of thinking.
Do you remember the song “Looking for love in all the wrong places?” - some people are looking for Jesus in all the wrong places!
First, we see people looking for "proof" of Jesus.
(The following are PPT slides with pictures of "Jesus face" in the following places:
The Shroud of Turin
Jesus in the crop field
Jesus and someone in pink walking in the sky on Google Maps
Jesus on an apple butter jar lid
Jesus on a pancake
Jesus on a candy bar
Jesus on a half eaten tortilla
Even the Magi, who were sincerely looking for the Christ Child, were initially looking in the wrong place. But, really, how can you blame them? Where would the King of the Jews be born but in a palace? I mean, really!
And after the crucifixion we see the women and the disciples looking for Jesus at the tomb even after all of the times that He had told them that He would rise again after three days.
But those were honest mistakes! Not so with today’s “spirituality”!
Ben Witherington says, As a former New Age follower and devoted student of A Course in Miracles, I eventually discovered that the Course in Miracles was—in reality—the truth of the Bible turned upside down. Not having a true understanding of the Bible at the time of my involvement, I was led to believe that A Course in Miracles was "a gift from God" to help everyone understand the "real" meaning of the Bible and to help bring peace to the world. Little did I know that the New Age "Christ" and the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles were everything the real Jesus Christ warned us to watch out for. In Matthew 24 Jesus warned about false teachers, false teachings and the false "Christs" who would pretend to be Him.
When I left the New Age "Christ" to follow the Bible's Jesus Christ, I had come to understand that the "Jesus" of A Course in Miracles was a false "Christ," and that his Course in Miracles was dangerously deceptive. Here are some quotes from the "Jesus" of A Course in Miracles:
A "slain Christ has no meaning."
"Do not make the pathetic error of 'clinging to the old rugged cross.'"
"The Name of Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol... It is a symbol that is safely used as a replacement for the many names of all the gods to which you pray."
"The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself”
When I was actually in the middle of writing this sermon I came across and advertisement for a book called “The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus' Birth”. Sounds awesome, but, when reading the reviews I discovered that the authors do not believe the infancy narratives to be factual at all but just fictions created to tell moralistic, feel-good stories.
There were rave reviews from people who agreed with the author’s point of view that the Bible is fiction and poor reviews from Christians who literally believe that the Bible is true.
Big surprise. Didn’t buy the book!
Jesus is under attack even by those who claim to be Christians!
You won’t find the real Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior of the World, the Prince of Peace, the Way the Truth and the Life in an earthly palace or in a tomb or in anything other than Biblical Christianity!
But, here’s the Good News! Jesus WANTS to be found!!!
King Herod, who wanted to kill the Christ Child, knew where to look for Him! He had the Jewish leaders search the Scriptures! Jesus WANTS to be found and you can find Him in the Bible!
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
He sent His Son - that is the Incarnation! God in humanity! So that we could find Him.
Illustration: Playing Hide and Seek with the grand-kids; if you take too long to find them they shout out, “I’m here!” That’s how Jesus is, He WANTS to be found!
But you see, it’s a heart attitude.
The Magi wanted to find Jesus and took a short detour. The Father wanted the Magi to find Jesus so He pointed at Him with a star!
Matthew 2:9 says:
“After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.”
Jesus wants to be found! The entire “Jesus Book” is about finding Him.
In this time of Advent we find all three kinds of people; those who wish for Jesus to just go away, those who are looking for Him in the wrong places and those who are seeking Him with all of their hearts.
Those who seek the Lord with all of their hearts either know the Bible or are diligently seeking to know God’s Word and to understand what it says about God and our relationship with Him.
And, if we know His Word we know that the Advent we are celebrating now is only the first Advent and that there is a second Advent to come in the future.
At that time there will not be any confusion about who Jesus is. There may be those who hate Him and wish Him to go away but they will need to acknowledge His lordship.
Those who have looked in the wrong places while intentionally neglecting His Word will have their spiritual vision corrected.
Those who have sought Him with all of their hearts will finally see the great desire of their hearts. For it says in
Revelation 1:5-7
“To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father - to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”
“Look, He is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of Him.” So shall it be! Amen.
We will see Him in the sky - the 2nd Advent!
Jesus is NOT hiding! Jesus came to earth as a God wrapped up in an infant so that we could easily find Him.
Jesus grew into a sinless Man and spoke the true ways of God to us.
The Holy Spirit inspired the prophets and apostles to write the Scriptures so that it would be easy to study and find Him.
Jesus came as an infant. Jesus will come again as the Savior of all who love Him and long for His arrival.
This is not like making a choice about where you will be someday out there in the future, although it is, but really.
Do you want to live in slavery to sin and the tragedy of those choices or do you want to live in the freedom and joy of loving Jesus and being part of His great kingdom here on earth.
Life without Jesus Galatians 5:19-21a
“sexual immorality, impurity, indecency, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, carousing and things like these.”
Life with Jesus Galatians 5:22-23a
“Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
That’s why Jesus came to earth. That’s why we get so excited about the Advent! Make you choice today! Don’t wait.
This is the GOOD NEWS!!!
