Where is Jesus John answered them saying, I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. It is

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1 Where is Jesus Several years ago, there was a fascination with Where is Waldo? This phenomenon started in 1987 (hard to believe it was 30 years). For those who have not heard or do not remember this, Waldo is dressed in a striped shirt and wearing a knit cap and is posing in a picture. The object is to find him in that picture. The idea of finding someone who is posing within the picture is challenging because the picture is often filled with a lot of details that tend to draw us away from seeing Waldo. The same can be true for us when we try to find Jesus. The Messiah had been prophesied by many of the writers in the Hebrew Bible. There are more than 300 prophecies that point to this Messiah. We have come to know that Jesus is the Messiah. However, as He lived on earth, there were many who were not so sure. John, the cousin of Jesus, is also known as John the Baptist. John at first thinks that Jesus is the promise Messiah. In John the 1 st chapter we read where John calls Jesus the Lamb of God. John answered them saying, I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:26-29 NASB) 1

2 Later, John is taken prisoner and will be executed. For some reason, John wonders if he has indeed found Jesus, the Messiah. Perhaps, John has heard about the many miracles that Jesus has done and how He has demonstrated authority over the nature, now John is seeking validation. He (John) sends some of his followers to inquire about Jesus. Matthew records this question from John in the 11 th chapter and verses two and three. Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else? (Matthew 11:2-3 NASB) Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else? Do we need to look elsewhere for the Messiah? Where are you Jesus? Are you the one? Jesus lives on earth for approximately 33 years. He is active in His ministry for three and one-half years. During those years, people had to make up their minds whether to believe that Jesus is the Messiah or not. Some looked at Jesus and found the Messiah. Some looked at Jesus and saw a heretic-a blaspheming liar. Some looked at Jesus and saw a good man and prophet of God. Some looked at Jesus and totally missed seeing Him. The vocal group that saw a man blaspheming God convinced the Roman authority to kill this man named Jesus. The trial of Jesus is recorded in all four gospel accounts of His life. Let s look at the one recorded in Luke the 22 nd chapter starting in the 66 th verse. When it was day, the Council of elders (or Sanhedrin) of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their council chamber, saying, If You are the Christ (or Messiah), tell us. But He said to them, If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I ask a question, 2

3 you will not answer. But from now on THE SON OF MAN WILL BE SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND of the power OF GOD. And they all said, Are You the Son of God, then? And He said to them, Yes, I am. Then they said, What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth. (Luke 22:66-71 NASB) Even with Jesus clearly stating that He is the Son of God, they refused to see Him. This is like Waldo high-lighted with flashing neon lights we still can t see him. At His crucifixion, a Gentile, saw Jesus. Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, Truly this was the Son of God (or son of a god)! (Matthew 27:54 NASB) Given that the interpretation allows for the centurion not knowing Jehovah God, he recognized there was a god like quality about Jesus. We know about the resurrection and that Jesus spent the next 40 days meeting with His disciples and preparing them for their role in establishing His church. Still the time was to come when His disciple would be looking for Jesus. The apostle Paul tells us that Jesus emptied himself and left heaven to come to earth. Jesus had a mission. That mission was to die on the cross for our sins. Once His mission was complete, where was Jesus to go? Luke answers that question. Luke writes on two different occasions about the event of Jesus returning to heaven. 3

4 First, as he (Luke) brings his gospel to a close, he records the final instruction of Jesus and then the ascension. Now He said to them, These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and He said to them, Thus it is written, that the Christ (or Messiah) would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for (and) forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in (on the basis of) His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising (lit blessing) God. (Luke 24:44-53 NASB) The second time Luke records the same event is in the beginning of his historical account of the early church-the book of Acts. The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. To these (or whom) He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. Gathering (lit. eating with or 4

5 lodging with) them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, Which, He said, you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth. And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky (or heaven) while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky (or heaven)? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven. (Acts 1:1-11 NASB) While Jesus was talking with His disciples, he ascended back to heaven. They were standing there and watched as Jesus rose into the heavens. Where is Jesus? Jesus did not establish His throne on an earthly space or country. He certainly could have commanded legions of angels to come and route the Romans. He could have chased the Jewish leaders out of Jerusalem and shown them that He was in fact the Son of God. Jesus returned to heaven. 5

6 Jesus had completed His part in God s plan of salvation. He (Jesus) had purchased our pardon with His blood and reconciled us back into a relationship with God where in we are no longer slaves to sin and Satan but are now children of God. Where is Jesus? Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus and tells us where Jesus is now. I pray that the eyes of your heart (or whole being) may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (or holy ones), and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:18-23 NASB) Where is Jesus? God has placed Him at His right hand in the heavenly places. God has also made Him head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. So, what does it mean to us? Jesus is in heaven sitting at the right hand of God. Jesus is on His throne and given all authority. Jesus is victorious over death and Satan. What does that mean to us? Paul again tells us in his letter to the church in Rome that because of Jesus being at the right hand of God bring us enormous power. Let us wrap up with this passage from Romans the 8 th chapter. 6

7 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring a charge against God s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised (raised from the dead), who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED. But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:31-37 NASB) Because Jesus is in heaven, we have a new and exciting life. We are justified from sin and we can never be taken away from our inheritance. We have become conquerors through Jesus. Where is Jesus? Is He in your heart this morning? 7