February 2, 2020 – What Is It That You Seek? – John 1

What Is It That You Seek?

Ever play ‘hide and seek’?  Sure you did. We all ran and hid from a friend, who would count to a determined number (based upon the size of the hiding space), and then come looking for you. The goal, if you were found, was to race the seeker back to home base, and if you won, be declared ‘safe’, or more heroically, be the one who calls ‘home free’ for everyone.  There were different ways to play the game, but it usually went something like that.

Did you ever notice that when the seeker was seeking, you were actually hoping to be found? Or worse, the longer the game was being played, and you had not been found, a sneaking suspicion was growing that no one was actually looking for you?  Brrrr!

Anyway, my granddaughters and I play a special form of ‘Hide and Seek’.  They call it ‘Count to 10’.  It works this way.  They go to some part of the house, I hide, and when I am hidden – I count to 10 – AS LOUD AS POSSIBLE!  They come running to my voice, pull back a curtain or look behind a chair, and scream with delight, “I found you!” And then, of course, we play again, and again, and ….

The first recorded words of Jesus in the book of John are, “What do you seek?” (NASB) They were spoken to Andrew and we believe John, who had been with John the Baptist and had been directed to Jesus, … ‘The Lamb of God’.

They responded with “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?”He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”(NASB)  And they went with Him.

These were the opening questions which were in fact the entry points to becoming disciples / lifelong followers of Jesus. The rest of John’s book points out exactly who Jesus is.

In Jeremiah 29 we read, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you . . .” 

Scripture also tells us that God draws us to himself because He loves us. Jesus says in John 6, No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.”

And we know of God’s love fromJohn 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

Jesus in Matthew 7 simply states, “seek, and you will find.”(NASB)

Jesus is totally worth seeking. His love, His mercy and His grace is offered to you. And talk about ‘counting to 10!’  He draws you to himself and promises that if you seek Him with a heart desire, you will absolutely find Him. He will offer you the same invitation He gave to Andrew, John, Peter … and on and on through history.

‘Come and see.’ 

He loves you, and He wants you to seek Him, to find Him, to trust Him and to follow Him.