Finding Jesus For Yourself

If you didn’t grow up around church or Christian stuff or speak ‘Christianese’ then you might laugh when people say, ‘I found Jesus’ You might then think ‘I didn’t know He was lost – So how did He get lost?’ Maybe you’re thinking, ‘So is Jesus hiding all over the place like Easter eggs?’ or, ‘Why is Jesus hiding in the first place?’

Finding Jesus for yourself will take your whole life and he will make your life whole.

Who Is Jesus?

Maybe we’ve heard someone say, ‘I found Jesus’ after they went through a life-changing twelve-step program to get free from addiction. That’s pretty common. Jesus seems to be into getting to know people who’ve hit rock bottom and are ready to find a whole new way to live. Maybe we’ve heard someone talk about coming back to Jesus after a period when they didn’t really practice their faith. Maybe we’ve never really heard people talk about finding Jesus at all, and you’re just looking into whether or not you want to try to find Him yourself.

Because of a human (Jesus), who is also the eternal God, we are fully seen, fully known and fully loved by the God who made us and the world and we can experience immeasurable grace and truth as a result.

John, talking about the ‘Word becoming flesh’ said it like this: For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:16-17

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. John 3:16

What Are Some Ways to Find Jesus?

People think about Jesus in lots of different ways. Some people, like me believe He is the Son of God, who came to give us life—full life. There are people who believe He was a great human who taught great things but nothing more than that. There are people who believe He was someone who knew God well and even spoke for Him but was not God Himself. There’s a small group that questions whether or not He was a historical figure at all.

1.Go The Places Jesus Goes.

If we read the Gospels (the Biblical accounts of Jesus’ life) you will find that Jesus was always on the move and often in places you’d least expect to find someone whose life would influence the entire world.

We’ll find Jesus crossing ethnic, cultural and gender barriers at the well talking with a woman. We’ll find Him sleeping on a boat in the middle of a storm with a bunch of working-class fishermen.

When He delivers His most famous message (the Sermon on the Mount), He chooses a hillside instead of a temple.

He meets some of His first followers on the beach. When He overcomes temptation, He’s alone in the desert.

Jesus isn’t just in the unlikely places of life, He also always seems to be on His way somewhere. If we feel like we've lost Jesus, we probably haven’t. Jesus won’t leave us but He will lead you. He often leads us out of our comfort zone and into places where others need to be loved.

2.Find The People Jesus Hangs Out With.

Reading through the books in the Bible that tell the story of Jesus’ life (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) I see some patterns.

Jesus often encourages people who are sick, left out, misunderstood, wrongfully labelled, oppressed, prisoners and low on resources.

He doesn’t just live this way. He regularly and directly asks His followers to give to and learn from people in these situations.

In Matthew 25, Jesus identifies very closely with people who are treated as less than. He goes so far as to say that when we do something for someone that can’t make it worth our while or gain any advantage - we’ve done it for Him.

I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:36-40

When we look past people who need compassion, we look past Jesus.

3.Do the Things Jesus Does.

Finding and following Jesus is mostly going where He goes, loving those He loves and doing what He does.

Jesus often communicated in stories and questions, but in Matthew 16, He was really direct about what it means to find and follow Him.

... “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”  Matthew 16:24 ESV

Jesus rejected comfort, rejected making a name for Himself and loved without reservation.

He went looking for His friends after they betrayed Him and then cooked them breakfast on the beach.

He went against both religious and secular culture to not only respect women but elevate them. When people tried to wash His feet (it was a thing), He’d turn and wash theirs instead. (not a thing). When adults were hushing the kids, Jesus called them to Himself and told the adults they’d have to become like a child to really understand God and His kingdom. When religious leaders pushed rules, He pushed grace. He rested regularly. He went off to find solitude with God, He attended His local places of worship and He ate with cheating tax collectors, grumpy religious leaders and prostitutes. He hugged people no one would touch and He healed people of all kinds of pain and sickness.

How Do You Know if You’ve Found Jesus?

 When we look for Him, going where He goes, doing what He does, loving those He loves (everyone) and asking Him for His help, we find Him. We may not find Him where we thought He’d be, doing what we thought He’d be doing or with those we thought He’d be with, but we will find Him.

Jesus was answering similar questions when He said this in Matthew 7:7-11

Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better? Matthew 7:7-11 MSG

Whoever finds Jesus, finds life. So, the question is Do You Want to Find Jesus for Yourself?