finding Jesus

Considering all the possible new years’ resolutions, is that you want? If it is, what stands in the way of that happening in your life? Mark 1:35-45 points out four barriers – barriers that you might think stand in your way of finding Jesus. But the truth is that Jesus is so overpowering, none of them can stop Him from being found!

1) You can find Jesus in spite of your expectation. (v. 35-37)
We can find Jesus in spite of where we think He is and what we think he’s doing. It’s true — we all have our idea of the heart of God, what is important to Him. Could it possibly be that we are wrong from time to time? Could it be that we are always wrong?

2) You can find Jesus in spite of your agenda. (v. 38-39)
We can find Jesus in spite of who we want Him to be and what we want Him to be doing. Let’s face it – we all have an agenda that we want God to be about. We all want to ascribe to Him qualities and passions and activities. But when we base those things on what we want, we have effectually reduced God to an idol that we have constructed. Idolatry is making God in our image. An attempt to force Him into our mold. Read the Old Testament. This has been a problem throughout human history, hasn’t it? And apparently, it continued to be a problem even in the New Testament, even with God in the flesh standing before them.

Mark and Jesus are pointing out the real mission of the Messiah. Jesus’ primary mission was not to be healer but to be redeemer. And He said “it’s time to move in that direction.” If you’re tired of missing Jesus, quit basing your understanding of Him on your understanding of Him. Base it on Who He says He is!

3) You can find Jesus in spite of your problems. (v. 40-42)
What an explicit picture of Jesus overcoming our barriers! This man had problems. Any one or more of a set of serious chronic skin diseases. It was extremely painful and crippling. It banished him from society. It isolated him. It rendered him religiously unclean. But Jesus was only an honest & personal request away. Very simply, Jesus’ response was passionate compassion. “I am willing” means in the original language “I want; I desire; I will.” Jesus was willing to receive this man despite all the rejection he had suffered, all the pain that had racked his body and his life, all the disgusting nature of his personal problems.

4) You can find Jesus in spite of your sin. (v. 43-45)
Look carefully at what Mark is pointing out to us here: a) The sin of our disobedience has Kingdom consequences. This man did what he wanted to anyway. And look what it caused. There must be some genuine repentance in the church over this even today. Because if you look around, there are Kingdom consequences this world is suffering because of our disobedience. You see, we’re just like this man … healed, but disobedient. And look at the cost.
But, Mark is also pointing out that b) The plans of Jesus will never be thwarted. Jesus has the final say. His will will be accomplished. He can use you. But if you want to wrest away the control, He can accomplish His will in some other way just as easily. What do you need to do right here, right now? How bad do you want to find Jesus?