Who found who?

Matthew 16:13-17     When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Jesus had just performed a miracle feeding 4000, again on just a few loaves of fish and bread. The Pharisees & Sadducees had pursued him demanding a sign from heaven. Christ had rebuked them; He departed with his apostles and began to reveal more of what was to come of his fate to them. They were beginning to see, and somewhat understand how He was going to suffer, die, and arise, as God had laid out for His Son. They were coming to understand more of the mystery; God was opening their eyes and minds through their hearts. Christ rejoiced at Peter’s confession of his faith; Christ knew that God had opened and revealed this to Peter. In the study of this passage we are led to the Gospel of John. My study Bible quotes; “The similarity between the confession of Peter and the purpose statement of John is inescapable.” John’s purpose statement is found in John 20:30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. John’s Gospel is written so that you may respond to that tug that God has placed on your heart.

It does not matter how you think that you came to faith in Christ, but in it you MUST understand that you did not find Christ, He found you. You did not through research, by following rules, by going to church, by being a good person, by not being an evil person, by your good deeds outweighing your bad, by the scales of life weighing in your favor, by praying to a specific saint at a specific time……..the list is endless of how we think that we find Christ. We do not find or accept Him as has come to be a popular term. God places a desire in your heart to know Him; it is what you do in response to that desire that determines your eternity. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. There is no other way in to heaven. There is no way to ever find the key except through your heart’s response to that desire He places there. Through a humble, repentant, heart, that grasps and understands that need, eternal Salvation is “found” in Christ alone. Even at some point in your Christian growth you hopefully begin to grasp that humbling that God did pursue you; lost in the depravity of a life steep in sin from birth; a humble joy and thanksgiving for being one that he has pursued.; pushes you to pursue a life of discipleship. Your relationship and devotion to the One who provided you not only with forgiveness, but with eternal paradise. You were lost in all other sins and ways you believed; but he “found” you.