03/27/2024 – Seek Jesus for the Right Reason
John 18: 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” 5 They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. 6 Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
Why do you seek Jesus? Those who are not in Christ seek an explanation for our Christian behavior and lifestyle. It seems foreign to them. The world accuses Christians of trying to escape reality. Sigmund Freud viewed religion as a form of compensation. He believed it served as an escape from the less pleasant aspects of human existence. Religion provides solace or refuge from life’s challenges. There may be some truth to that for some or maybe even many of the people who make an attempt in their own strength to get closer to God. We find in the ministry of our Lord Jesus that the multitudes followed Him mainly seeking physical healing. Jesus also rebuked those who were after Him for material food after He multiplied the fish and the bread.
Many claim to seek Jesus, but when He reveals who He is, they stumble and fall. When God’s enemies approached, our Lord proclaimed: “I am”. This is the same proclamation God made to Moses from the burning bush. Jesus was proclaiming that He is God – sovereign over all. We must seek Him to receive Him as Lord and to serve Him forever.
He is our Lord, the one true God! He has revealed Himself fully in the Bible as the God who is sovereign, who requires obedience, who judges sin. He is the God of mercy and salvation!