Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.
The saying belongs to repeated confrontations in which opponents tried to seize or kill Jesus while He withdrew from them and they lost sight of Him, and even the officers sent to arrest Him were so affected by His presence that they could not lay hands on Him. It was spoken to the rulers who rejected Jesus and sought to kill Him, and it points to their rejection resulting in their inability to reach Him. By leaving, He meant He would be with them only a little while longer before going to the One who sent Him and returning to the Father by ascension. That departure would soon take Him away from those who opposed Him.
Where He is means heaven with the Father, beyond the reach of persecutors and enemies. It is a refuge beyond persecution, scorn and hatred, a place of the adoration of angels where His murderers could never come or enter or follow. Those who rejected Him would seek Him after He had gone but would not find Him and could not come where He was. His enemies would seek Him after His ascension but could not find Him or go where He was going.
The hearers misunderstood these words, showing they did not grasp that He meant His return to the Father. The verse requires using the time to find Christ now, seeking the Lord while He may be found without delay. Those needing conversion must seek the truth diligently, for many will seek to enter in at the strait gate and shall not be able, and seeking Him after He has gone leaves them to die in their sins.
The saying belongs to repeated confrontations in which opponents tried to seize or kill Jesus while He withdrew from them and they lost sight of Him, and even the officers sent to arrest Him were so affected by His presence that they could not lay hands on Him. It was spoken to the rulers who rejected Jesus and sought to kill Him, and it points to their rejection resulting in their inability to reach Him. By leaving, He meant He would be with them only a little while longer before going to the One who sent Him and returning to the Father by ascension. That departure would soon take Him away from those who opposed Him.
Where He is means heaven with the Father, beyond the reach of persecutors and enemies. It is a refuge beyond persecution, scorn and hatred, a place of the adoration of angels where His murderers could never come or enter or follow. Those who rejected Him would seek Him after He had gone but would not find Him and could not come where He was. His enemies would seek Him after His ascension but could not find Him or go where He was going.
The hearers misunderstood these words, showing they did not grasp that He meant His return to the Father. The verse requires using the time to find Christ now, seeking the Lord while He may be found without delay. Those needing conversion must seek the truth diligently, for many will seek to enter in at the strait gate and shall not be able, and seeking Him after He has gone leaves them to die in their sins.