John 1:35-39 - Lesson #10

Much of the New Testament is devoted to coming to Jesus and bringing others to Him. How do we approach the Savior of the world and how do we properly witness so others will be brought close to His side? These will be the topics of our next few lessons.

John 1:35-39
"Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, 'Behold the Lamb of God!' The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, 'What do you seek?' They said to Him, 'Rabbi' (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), 'where are You staying?' He said to them, 'Come and see.' They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour)."

Though John the Baptist had a clearly defined ministry and devoted followers, he never hesitated to point others away from himself and closer to Christ. John never felt threatened or insecure when someone walked away. His disciples knew the message of repentance and had prepared their heart to receive the Savior. John must have felt like a proud father when his "kids" left to follow Jesus.

The two disciples were a little tentative, maybe even scared, because they followed Jesus at a distance. Perhaps they were shy, lacking self confidence - perhaps even their faith was weak - but Jesus, as is the case all through scripture, became the great initiator and took the first step. This is a very humbling truth to understand. We think we have made so many wise decisions and traveled so far in our approach to God, but one day we will discover He made all the moves and crossed the infinite divide to stand right in front of us and ask, "What do you seek?"

It's important we ask this question during our initial approach to God and also as we continue our journey. What do we really seek? Are we looking for social acceptance or quick fixes for our problems? Are we seeking financial blessings or protection from potential curses? If this is our motivation, we will never find Jesus. But if, as is the case with the disciples, we simply want to know where He is so we can be with Him and learn from Him, Jesus will smile and say "Come and see!" "Come, let's spend some time together and you will find what you are seeking." The disciples spent the rest of the day with Jesus (the tenth hour is 4:00 in the afternoon). Oh, what a life changing day that must have been!

Jesus has been standing on the road calling our name for much longer than we realize. Since the beginning of time His desire has been to call us to His side. Let's spend time in His house and learn from the One who is calling. Let's introduce others to the true Savior, and never hold them back or cause them to stumble, so they too can hear the blessed words, "Come and see!"