Seeking, but Not Finding

A telemarketer called a home one day, and a small voice whispered, "Hello?"

"Hello! What's your name?"

Still whispering, the voice said, "Jimmy."

"How old are you, Jimmy?"

"I'm four."

"Good, Is your mother home?"

"Yes, but she's busy."

"Okay, is your father home?"

"He's busy too."

"I see, who else is there?"

"The police."

"The police? May I speak with one of them?"

"They're busy."

"Any other grown-ups there?"

"The firemen."

"May I speak with a fireman, please?"

"They're all busy."

"Jimmy, all those people in your house, and I can't talk with any of them? What are they doing?"

"Looking for me," whispered Jimmy.

The Jokesmith, quoted in Bits & Pieces, April 1, 1993, pp. 3-4.

John 7:25-36
25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from."

28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me."

30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. 31 Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, "When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?"

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

33 Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come."

35 The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? 36 What did he mean when he said, `You will look for me, but you will not find me,' and `Where I am, you cannot come'?"

In John 7:25-36 you see the discussion concerning Christ Jesus again by a group which must be distinguished from "the people" of verse 20. These were inhabitants of Jerusalem who knew that the intention of the rulers was to kill Christ Jesus. Yet the fact that Christ Jesus was able to speak boldly in public made them speculate as to whether the rulers had reversed themselves and were now concluding that this man was the Christ (v. 26).

Further meditation on the problem led them to dismiss this possibility, for Christ Jesus' origin excluded Him from consideration; They were saying, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, "I have come down out of heaven'?" (John 6:42).

The Messiah was to be a man of mystery-no man knows where He is from. To say of the Messiah, “That none should know whence he was” is a false statement if there ever was one.

Many people reject Christ Jesus and the claim of the gospel, just as some of the people of Jerusalem did; because they have wrong ideas of who He is and what He offers. They were seeking, but even with the Messiah in front of them they could not find Him.

1. Messiah? Can't Be (vs. 25-27)

If you remember in 7:19 the religious authorities were plotting to kill Christ Jesus. I don't know about you, but if someone was trying to kill me I think I would avoid them. At least under normal circumstances, but when it comes to Christ Jesus normal takes on a new meaning. 

Christ Jesus spoke boldly and publicly without challenge. When you except Christ Jesus into your heart, He gives you a boldness to carry out His work. Was it possible, wondered the people, that the religious leaders had concluded that Jesus really was the Messiah.  Obviously not. The rabbis have the following proverb: Three things come unexpectedly: 
A thing found by chance.

The sting of a scorpion: and,

The Messiah.

(from Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Biblesoft)

It seems that they thought that there should be something peculiar and mysterious in the Messiah's birth, or in the manner of his appearing, that no person could fully understand. Yet had they stopped to consider Christ Jesus' miraculous conception, the appearance of the angels on the night of His birth or the wise men who came to Him, it might have eased their minds on this point.

For some reason the Jews thought that the Messiah, after his birth, would hide himself for some considerable time. I guess maybe they thought about the prophecy about the redeemer coming out of Egypt. So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." Matt 2:14-15

The people refuse to believe that Jesus was the Messiah because they knew where He came from. There was no mystery as far as they were concerned. They were over looking something very important, and that was that the Scriptures tell the how and where of Christ Jesus's birth. (Isa 7:14) "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”

(Mic 5:2-5a)

"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah (ef-rawth')

Too little to be among the clans of Judah,

From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.

His goings forth are from long ago,

From the days of eternity."

Therefore He will give them up until the time

When she who is in labor has borne a child.

Then the remainder of His brethren

Will return to the sons of Israel.

And He will arise and shepherd His flock

In the strength of the LORD,

In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God.

And they will remain,

Because at that time He will be great

To the ends of the earth.

This One will be our peace.”

There are many today who are like these people from Jerusalem. They think they know the facts about Christ Jesus, but they do not and this leads them further away from Him. What is worse is these people don't know their facts are bad or they simply just don't care. Once more Christ Jesus answered rumors with direct proclamation. Once more Christ Jesus tries to straighten out the facts.

2. The Messiah's Rebuttal (vs. 28-29)

These people know about Christ Jesus’ geographic origins, but they could not grasp the real Source of His mission. They were too blinded and earthbound. The people were dealing in the physical and Christ Jesus was about to remind them of the spiritual. Yes, He was the son of Joseph and Mary, but He was more; much more.

Christ Jesus was not running around “doing His own thing.” Here again in verses 28–29 Christ Jesus speaks of His deep, intimate relationship with His Father, whom He knows as His antagonists do not!  The people had sufficient evidence of Christ Jesus' divine mission, and that He is the Messiah. But they didn't understand or connect the dots. 

This knowledge they had was no knowledge at all. Because they did not accept Christ Jesus' divine mission, they did not accept the one who sent Him. It was God the Father who had sent Him. In rejecting Christ Jesus the people showed that they do not know God. 

Christ Jesus is intimately acquainted with the Father that sent Him. There is a harmony of the divine attributes in the work of redemption, and an agreement between natural and revealed. So much so, that the right knowledge of who Christ Jesus is would not only cause you to admit He is the Messiah, but also introduce you to God the Father.

3. Messiah's Time, Not Man's (vs. 30-36)

Even though His enemies were seeking to lay their hands on Him, they could not, because Christ Jesus' time has not yet come. No group, however violent and strong, can change God’s plan, and they can't change His timeing or His method. It is our sovereign God who is making the moves, not the enemies of Christ Jesus. Otherwise, none of us could sleep in peace in this mad, confused world. 

Now some good news is found in this passage. Many of the people did believe in Him (v. 31). What they had seen and heard had convinced them that Christ Jesus is the Messiah. Christ Jesus has fulfilled Scripture; He gives eternal life to those who ask for it; He heals the sick; and He mends broken hearts. 

But when the Pharisees hear this underground murmuring about Him, they made their move and join with the chief priests in sending officers to take Him. It seems that evil always organizes and becomes institutionalized in order to become legitimized. 

But it is Christ Jesus who knew His own time and sets the pace. And the time was not now, but in a little while at the Passover in about 6 months, not here at the Feast of the Tabernacles. That will be the time of His sacrifice and His victory over sin and death. And then His return to the the Father who sent Him. 

The Pharisees will not be able to go to the place where He is because the door has been closed. “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God.” (Heb 3:12) It is only believing disciples who can follow Christ Jesus to the Father. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6 

“then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed...Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:10;12 

The attempt of the Jews to work out some kind of explanation of Christ Jesus’ going where they could not come is once again done in earthly terms. Does this strange man, who so angers them, plan to lose Himself among the Gentiles in their scattering, spreading His heretical message? Where else could He go and not be found? Of course none of these Jews would contaminate themselves by going among these unclean heathen. But how prophetic is their explanation. Little do they realize that the presence of the resurrected Christ will come to be known and accepted throughout the whole Gentile world. Are you excepting Him this morning, are you ready if He comes?

Conclusion: Messiah? Can't Be! So many people have trouble excepting Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour because He does not meet their preconceived ideas. The Messiah's rebuttal - They do not want to recognize Christ Jesus for who He is – our salvation; and so reject God the Father as well.

Messiah's time, not man's; He said He would come back and He hasn't so why should I believe in Him? Christ Jesus isn't bound by time, space or any thing else. He said He will come back and since He has never broken His word, He's coming back. The question is are you ready? Will you be counted among the faithful or will you be cast out never to go where He is? What if you step into eternity before He comes back? How confident are you in your belief system?