The Search is Over

He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn’t even notice. He came to his own people, but they didn’t want him.

(John 1:11 MSG)

A young man actively searched for a woman to spend the rest of his life with and in the process, was found by a woman who began to fall in love with him. Sadly, the man didn’t realize what had happened and continued his hopeless search.

For years the Jewish people were expecting a Messiah, a deliverer. But when He came in the person of Jesus, they didn’t recognize Him. In fact, John tells us that “they didn’t want Him” (1:11). Can you believe that? They had waited all their lives for the Christ, but when He came, they didn’t notice or want Him because He wasn’t what they were expecting. Who is really losing out here?

But unless we think that the Jews are the only bad guys in the story, let’s take a good look at ourselves. How many of us go looking for a relationship with everyone except Almighty God Himself? We search for what will make us happy and complete everywhere else but for the Source of all true joy and wholeness. But the good news is “whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves” (v.12). There’s no need to keep searching because God isn’t very far from any of us. We’ll seek and find Him if we seek Him with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:13).

Joy to the World, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room.
Isaac Watts, “Joy to the World”