SEEKING JESUS
(week 38/13)
OLUBI JOHNSON
Luke 2:41-47 KJV: Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover. (42) And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. (43) And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. (44) But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. (45) And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. (46) And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. (47) And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
Here, we see the historical account of the Lord Jesus’ visit to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover at the age of 12 with His parents: Joseph and Mary.
After the feast Joseph and Mary left Jerusalem and assumed the Lord Jesus was in the company of their kinsfolk; however, they soon discovered that the He was not and had to go back to Jerusalem seeking Him: they found Him after 3 days in the temple studying the Word of God: hearing and asking questions.
This event is a prophetic shadow that symbolizes what the Church has been doing for about 2000 years.
The Church symbolized by Mary—the Church that experiences the new birth and the baptism of the Holy Spirit and Joseph—the leadership of this church, have left ‘Jerusalem’—the place of revelation after experiencing the feasts of Passover: symbolizing the born again experience (1 Cor. 5:7) and Pentecost, the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Act. 2:1-4) assuming that the Lord Jesus is in their company. They soon discover that the Lord Jesus is not with them: symbolizing the fact the glory we see in the ministry of the Lord Jesus and the early Church is not with the present day Church.
So, we have to go back to ‘Jerusalem’ the place of revelation seeking Jesus; we find Him on the 3rd day: symbolizing the 3rd. millennium from the birth of Christ—the 21st. century.
So, it is in this 3rd day that the Church that has only been satisfied with Passover will now find the Christ in His glory in the temple at Jerusalem: the Church that has stayed in the place of revelation.
This same truth is re-echoed by the Lord Jesus when He said symbolically and prophetically that the Church would be perfected in the 3rd. day:
Luke 13:32 KJV: And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
This same truth can be seen using David as a type of the Church: we see that he was anointed 3 times:
1. In his father’s house by Samuel (1 Sam. 16:12-13)—symbolic of the being born-again and the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
2. As King over Judah alone at Hebron (2 Sam. 2:1, 4)—symbolic of manifesting perfection (Jn. 14:12).
3. As King over all Israel (2 Sam. 5:3-5)—symbolic of permanent perfection (1 Jn. 3:9).
The church has only experienced the 1st anointing, we are yet to experience the 2 kingly anointings that will cause us to reign as spiritual Kings firstly, locally in our homes, churches and cities and then secondly, universally in all the nations of the world (Dt. 28:10).
So, it is in this 3rd day that the Church will find ‘Jesus’ by seeking Him in ‘Jerusalem’ in His perfection, fullness and glory. We are to seek Him to experience manifesting perfection and then later permanent perfection and so manifest His glory to the whole world (Is. 60:1-5), disciple the nations and so close this age (Mt. 24:14).
How are to seek Him?
By ‘eating His flesh’ and ‘drinking His blood’.
John 6:26-29 KJV: Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. (27) Labour not for the meat, which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. (28) Then said they unto him, what shall we do, that we might work the works of God? (29) Jesus answered and said unto them, this is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
John 6:53-63 KJV: Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. (54) Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. (55) For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. (56) He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. (57) As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. (58) This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. (59) These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. (60) Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, this is an hard saying; who can hear it? (61) When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? (62) What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? (63) It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Here, the Lord Jesus berates the people for seeking Him only for ‘bread and fish’ and not for the spiritual growth that will enable them to do the same miracles He was doing (Jn. 14:12). The emphasis of most of the preaching and teaching we hear today is on physical, material and financial blessing and NOT on spiritual growth: omitting the weightier matters of the law.
Matthew 23:23 AMP: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you give a tenth of your mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected and omitted the weightier (more important) matters of the Law–right and justice and mercy and fidelity. These you ought [particularly] to have done, without neglecting the others.
This is true of the majority of the Church today: they are seeking the Lord Jesus only for physical and material blessings: not for growth into His perfection and fullness that would then cause us to inherit the Spirit without measure to do the same miracles He did.
To do this, we must ‘eat His flesh’ and ‘drink His blood’ which symbolize using the blood, the Word—‘the Word became flesh’ (Jn. 1:14) and the Spirit to grow into His perfection and fullness.
Hebrews 13:20-21 KJV: Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, (21) Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1 John 2:5 MKJV: But whoever keeps His Word, truly in this one the love of God is perfected. By this we know that we are in Him.
1 John 4:12-13 MKJV: No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us. (13) By this we know that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
