Did it ever occur to you that the first time in Scripture wherein we hear GOD and Christ speak, it is in the form of a question?
In the Garden, GOD called out to Adam and asked, “Where are you?”
When his parents found the 12 year old Jesus, He asked them, “Why did you seek Me?”
Both of these questions carry powerful spiritual implications. Let us observe some of these thoughts.
When GOD asked Adam of his whereabouts, it was a rhetorical question. GOD knew where Adam was. The question should be considered in a spiritual light. In this sense, it will also be the last question GOD asks of us all in the end. And it will be the most important question of all eternity. Where are you, spiritually speaking?
To this there can be a variety of answers. To the one who has never become a Christian, the answer sadly will be, “I am forever lost.” Perhaps I had many opportunities to obey my LORD and to become an adopted son (Rom 8:14-17) but I chose to decline. The result will be devastating, because my GOD will reply, “depart from Me, I never knew you.” (Matt 7:23)
Where are you? Perhaps my answer will be, “I was at one time a faithful Christian but I did not endure to the end. I did not continue to walk in the light.” (Revelation 2:10; 1 John 1:7) Sadly the result will be the same, an eternal separation from GOD.
Where are you? The only answer which will be acceptable at that time will be, “I am a faithful follower of Christ.” (John 14:6) And thus we will be rewarded with our heavenly prize. This, not because of our deserving the prize, but because of GOD’S grace in devising a plan for me to be saved AND because I rendered obedience to that plan. (Romans 6:17)
Where are you? I hope that we each can answer that question in the proper way.
In a very similar way, examine the question asked by Christ, “Why did you seek Me?”
Why does the world seek Christ?
There were those in Jesus’ time that followed him because of various motivations. Some of these were honest and genuine and yet some of the motivations were purely selfish. The same is true today. Regretfully there are some today that seek Christ from a motivation of “how can this benefit me now”. Their desire seems to be of what benefit do I receive from being part of His followers.
So let us explore a text that addresses some answers to this important question. Why do you seek Me?
We can examine John 6 to find examples of those seeking Him for various reasons.
John 6:2 notes many followed Him because of the miracles. Perhaps they themselves were in need of healing. Or maybe it was just the curiosity of seeing the signs which He performed on others who were diseased.
Later in the reading of verses 14-15 some, when they had witnessed these signs, wanted Him to become King. Their motive was selfish. They sought Jesus because of what He could do for them.
John 6:26 states that some sought Him not because of the signs. They had an even more materialistic motive. They were hungry!
They sought Him because of the material things. Such could be true today, being a part of a Christian fellowship because of the possible material gain it provides. Maybe in business the local church provides a good source of prospects. Even Judas was guilty of following the Christ and eventually selling Him out for ill gotten gain.
It seems that some had a pure motive. Their question in verse 28 appears to honestly seek an answer. But Jesus’ discourse in the following verses led many to turn away from seeking Him, as verse 66 notes.
And finally in verses 67-68 we see Simon Peter summing up the honest, genuine follower of Christ when he answered Christ with this question, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Peter acknowledged the truth we find in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Why do you seek Me? My first hope is that you do seek Him. Johnny Ramsay once noted the saddest verse in the Bible might be John 5:40, wherein we read, “But you are not willing to come to Me that you have life.” Some are simply unwilling to seek Him.
Where are you? And why do you seek Him? Two simple questions with answers of eternal consequence!