The Initiating, Pursuing, Seeking, Divine Friend We Have

in Jesus
Marie Notcheva

Last month, I spent some time reflecting on an insight the Gospels give us into Christ’s
character – that of a Pursuer and Initiator of fellowship. Sometimes we are called to wait
upon God; other times, He waits patiently for us….but always, He is seeking us out first.

What We Know

We know from Jesus Himself that He came to “seek and save” the lost. We also know
from John 15:16, Romans and elsewhere that we did not choose God, but rather He took
the initiative in seeking us out - the strongest argument for monergism there is. There
isn't a Christian alive who isn't moved inwardly by the scene of the Father rushing out to
meet the Prodigal Son. When Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd, He is alluding to
His tendency to go after that one lost sheep He mentioned in Luke 15.

What We're Supposed to Know

But here is something so reassuring and simple that I often doubt, dismiss or forget: He
initiates reconciliation (restoration of fellowship) with the sinning Christian. Even
when we go through dry, 'desert' periods of prayerlessness, spiritual famine, and shying
away from approaching Him in prayer, He pursues us. We don't have to slide into a
season of overt sin and rebellion to resist coming to Him in prayer: we do it all the time. I
get so self-focused and intent on being "productive" that I blow off devotional time. Then
I fall prey to what Jerry Bridges calls "Quiet Time Guilt", and figure I'm such a carnal,
uncommitted Christian that Jesus wouldn't really want me around anyway. My energies
turn to "doing (spiritual) stuff", to make up for the fact that I don't have the emotional
energy or courage to really face Him and repent.

The longer one stays in this dry valley, the easier it is to stay there (remember the law of
inertia?) and the less "worthy" we feel to come back and repent. But what's so amazing
about the restoration process is that Jesus pursues us even while we're in the valley. So
why do we let shame and self-consciousness keep us there? He doesn't need us (God
doesn't "need" anything), but for some inexplicable reason He wants us.

One morning, I was thinking about Christ's restoration of everyone’s favorite Apostle,
Peter. I have seen many devotions and other writings waxing nostalgic about the beach-
side encounter of John 21, where Peter leaps out of the boat and comes rushing to Christ
for forgiveness. Many consider this the first meeting between Christ and Peter since his
callous denial back on the night of Jesus' arrest. Commentators have speculated that Peter
went fishing that morning to get away from the ministry and return to his old life as a
fisherman. The common assumption is that Peter, not having faced his Lord until the
moment He showed up on the beach, was at once eager to set things right.
However, Scripture indicates that things had already been "set right", because Christ
specifically sought out Peter when Peter lacked the ability, the courage, and/or the faith to
come back. Much has been made of the angel's post-resurrection words, "and Peter", in
Mark 16:7. The angels instructed the women at the tomb: But go, tell his disciples and
Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee…” I agree that Peter’s inclusion was not
coincidental; it is highly likely that he felt so much remorse and shame over his denial
that he felt disqualified to come back to the Lord. He may have even questioned his
salvation.

What Peter Found Out

Even more telling, however, is an oft-overlooked verse at the end of the Resurrection
account in Luke 24: "They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the
Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, "It is true! The Lord has
risen and has appeared to Simon." (emphasis mine). Later, in his letter to the Corinthian
church, Paul also mentions this obscure apparition in passing: "...and that he appeared to
Peter, and then to the Twelve." From the timing, Christ's personal appearance to Peter
must have been concurrent (or nearly so) with the angels' instruction to the women.
Given the close timing, could there have been a sense of urgency in getting ahold of
Peter? This is pure speculation on my part, but could it have been that Peter just wanted
to run away; to distance himself from the other disciples, and his own sense of failure?

These few verses, which do not detail the encounter between Christ and Peter (perhaps to
protect Peter's privacy), are loaded with significance. Peter messed up and was ashamed;
absolutely devastated. Although Scripture doesn't explicitly say so, it's reasonable to
assume he wanted to repent. He was with John when they went to the tomb in John 20:1-
9, so he hadn't completely broken ties with the others. But who was the first one Jesus
specifically sought out after His Resurrection? The very one who denied him. The most
broken one. He didn't wait for Peter to seek Him out - Jesus initiated the first contact.
How cool is that?

Maybe when we get to meet him in heaven, Peter will fill us in on that meeting, and who
said what to whom. Given what we know about Christ, the tender nature of a regenerate
disciple's heart, the nature of offense and the lavishly forgiving character of the Triune
God, it's safe to assume it was a painful confession that instantly became an indescribably
joyful reunion. That's why Peter leaped out of the boat - he couldn't wait to get back to
see Jesus, with Whom his friendship had been eternally restored. The beach-side charcoal
fire was the third post-Resurrection encounter Peter had had with Christ (the second was
in the Upper Room, see John 20:19-21), but it was the one where he would be fully
restored to ministry and his allegiance to Christ reconfirmed. Forgiveness is
instantaneous. Healing and restoration come in time, and God's timing is always perfect.

The Conclusion We Can Draw (Hint: Jesus Christ is the Same Yesterday, Today
and Forever!)

Why is this insight so significant? It drives home to me how the Lord really does seek us
when we go astray (or just grow apathetic) all throughout our Christian walk. I often
think of the parables and the "seeking" of God as being pre-conversion, but once we
become His children He doesn't suddenly lose interest in us. While we do need to repent
before true, intimate fellowship is restored, God goes out of His way to woo us back to
His Throne of Grace when we would slink back. Is it shame or pride that keeps us away?
Perhaps an odd mixture of both. It is easier to convince ourselves that He is sternly
waiting, teeth clenched, for the penitent to come crawling back before He will even
condescend to listen to a faltering prayer than to accept His seeking, restoring, vulnerable
grace extended to the wayward. There is a desire deep within the human heart to be
pursued. We want to be sought after; to be valued. We want God to like us.

Several times, both in earlier periods of lifestyle sin and more recently in seasons where I
become keenly aware of my pride (like Peter, probably recalling his earlier boasting), I
have noticed unmistakable overtures from God - small but significant signs confirming
that yes; I am still wanted. I wondered if coming back home to Him was possible, or if I
would arrive only to find that the locks had been changed.

Once, in 2003, I was under heavy conviction for blatant unforgiveness I was holding in
my heart. Every time I opened the Bible, my eyes would fall on warnings to the
unforgiving. Every Christian book - even the Bible study I was then doing - was focused
on the theme. To top it off, I heard two different pastors, in the same week, both preach
on the importance of forgiveness to the Christian. Finally, I gave in. "Ok, Lord, I get it.
You've made Your point." Immediately, He arranged a “chance meeting” with the other
individual to test my obedience.

His rebuke leaves no sting. His assurance comes from many different places - through
preaching, many times books, His Word itself. God orchestrates circumstances in our
lives to illustrate that He's paying attention and wants to draw us closer. The net result is
the same: He's taking the first step towards us, to restore what's broken in our relationship
to Him. He doesn't wait for us to muster up the initiative on our own, because He knows
that we can't. He is not ashamed to call us friends, and as He did with Peter, He will find
a way to let us know we're still wanted.

So what are we waiting for?