He Hides From The Skeptical Mind

This struck me as funny.

The powers that be sent men to arrest Jesus and He mocks them like it is a game of hide and seek.

"So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, 'You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.' So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, 'When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?' The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. Jesus then said, 'I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.' The Jews said to one another, 'Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?" - John 7:28-35 ESV

How could they know He was talking about the crucifixion, resurrection and ascension?

These days Jesus is found by faith. The natural skeptic can't find him to argue with Him. He Is in Heaven. If we seek to arrest Him through accusation He Is beyond us. He Is far beyond that.

He Is found by faith. He lives in a place only accessible by faith.

"But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul." - Deuteronomy 4:29 ESV

"And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the LORD." - 2 Chronicles 12:14 ESV

"You have said, 'Seek my face.' My heart says to you, 'Your face, LORD, do I seek.' " - Psalm 27:8 ESV

We don't just look with our mind. We must look with our heart and that is a different process. Our heart sees the cross and understands. The cross shows us a love that is undeniable. When we understand that Jesus went to the cross. He wasn't dragged there. He gave His life there. The Father's heart found Jesus in the grave and infused life into Him. Jesus died to satisfy God's mind but rose to satisfy God's heart.

When we speak to people we must appeal to both heart and mind. A person can find reasons to reject love but the heart makes different calculations.

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