Looking for Jesus was a more perplexing activity than trying to find the inimitable and seemingly ubiquitous Waldo. The wise men from the east started the parade of those looking for Jesus. While still a mere babe, Herod was on the lookout but without luck. Mom and dad scoured the relatives to find him (Luke 2:44) and coming up empty, they went back to Jerusalem and scoured the town to find him there. This, by the way, is the only story about Jesus as a young lad.
Finding Jesus seemed just about as difficult even after adulthood. Even though one could hardly miss the miracle man from Galilee, people seemed to be on the constant lookout for Jesus (John 11:56). Even the disciples couldn’t seem to keep track of him (Luke 4:42). A second generation Herod was delighted when he finally had the opportunity to see Jesus (Luke 23:8) after looking for him. Even after he was removed from the cross and safely tucked away into the tomb, they couldn’t locate him (Luke 24:3). The angels responded appropriately in that moment by saying, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He has risen as he said.”
How could it be so hard to find Jesus? He topped the “who’s who” list for first century Palestine.
All of this searching for one who said plainly as the last words to close out the book of Matthew, “And be sure of this, I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.” The reason people couldn’t seem to find him is that they didn’t understand where he would be, or where he needed to be at any given time. Even as a child, his response marked the kind of response he could have given a hundred times, “Why did you need to search? Didn’t you know that I must be . . .” (Luke 2:49)? Of course he would be off praying to the Father. Of course he wouldn’t be in the tomb. Of course he would need to be in the temple. Of course he would need to preach in more places than one. Of course he would need to heal more than a few. Of course he would be sitting by the well talking to someone. Of course he would be teaching in the temple courts.
For those who find it incredible that people had a tough time finding Jesus when he was walking right in their midst, I might suggest that he is just as accessible now as he was then. Yet still, people are looking for Jesus like he’s a needle in a haystack. But, as Paul told the Athenians, “He is not far from any one of us” (Acts 17:27). Folks simply need to open the eyes of faith to the one who right now is center stage in heaven and will be the featured attraction for eternity. If you are one who is looking, quit looking so hard. Pray and ask and seek and find. It’s that easy. I find him every day.