JOHN 1:35-42
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 “Come,” He replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where He was staying, and they spent that day with Him. It was about four in the afternoon.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).
John 1:35-42 WHAT DO YOU WANT?
Springford Baptist Church: September 24,2023.
“What do you want”? or “What are you looking for”? is a common question. It is asked in restaurants when a server is finding out what you would like for lunch. It is asked if you are browsing in a hardware or clothing store, an appliance shop, or a vehicle showroom. It is a natural question that invites a person to think about what it is they want or need. Sometimes it is phrased, “What can I get for you today”? or “Did you need help with something”? Any form of this question gets back to the central matter of being required to make a decision in identifying what it is that we want at a particular time.
If we cannot express what we want, for what we are looking, then how will a wait staff or store employee know how to help us?
When it comes to following Jesus, it is essential for us to answer this same question. What do we want in following Jesus? What are we expecting to be the outcome of this decision to follow Jesus? However long we have been following Jesus, whether for a short or a longer time, we can learn from this encounter with Jesus that we find described in John 1:35-42.
We hear John the Baptist say, “Look the Lamb of God!”(John 1:36)
John knew Who Jesus is because, as he testifies in his own words, God had revealed it to him. We can read in John 1:32-34,
32“I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him.33 And I myself did not know Him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The Man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”
When 2 of John’s disciples hear that this is the Lamb of God, they turn to follow Jesus. It is clear that they want to know more. They want to understand more of who is this Jesus. Are we still wanting to know more of Who is Jesus by spending time with Him?
This is what these 2 men wanted to do. They wanted to linger with Jesus. This is why when Jesus turns around and asks, “What do you want”? (vs. 38) they do not hesitate in their reply. They want to know where Jesus is staying because they want more than a brief conversation. They want to linger with this Jesus and to have a chance for more questions and the chance to know Him more.
Notice that Jesus is generous in His response to the question as to where He is staying. He does not say. “I want my own personal space, so I am not going to tell you.” Jesus does not say, “I am tired and cannot make time for you today.”
Instead, Jesus says, and I can hear the warmth of His welcome, “Come, and you will see.” (vs. 39)
We can expect in our decision to follow Jesus that if we too take time to linger with Him that He will have things for us to see and know. We will have opportunity to know Jesus more and to know ourselves more.
It may be that our sense of what we want and what matters most to us will be modified in spending time with Jesus.
Over the years, (191 years as we will celebrate our Church Anniversary next Sunday) individuals have been deciding to follow Jesus and gathering for worship has been a time to linger with Jesus and to get to know Him more. This is bound to have an impact.
We are told in today’s Scripture that Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother was one of the two who had heard what John said and had followed Jesus. We can know the impact that lingering with Jesus had on Andrew. He is compelled to share this amazing good news of Who Jesus is with his brother.
We read, “41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).42 And he brought him to Jesus. (John 1:41,42)
Not only did Andrew tell his brother Simon that they had found the Messiah, the promised Son of God, Andrew brings his brother to Jesus.
Anyone can hear about Jesus and can hear convincing testimony about Who is Jesus, but as we know it is only when we come to Jesus ourselves that we can encounter Him as our Saviour.
Yes, we want to follow Jesus and linger with Him and know Him more. Are we also eager to bring others to know Jesus too and to decide for themselves if they will follow Him?
When Simon is brought to Jesus, there is a significant insight that Jesus provides. Jesus says, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas.” (which when translated is Peter). (John 1:42)
Peter means rock. But Peter as we first meet him was anything but rock solid. He was impulsive and unstable. He responded quickly and as we know in decisive moments at the time of Jesus’ arrest before Jesus went to the cross, Peter denied that
he even knew Jesus. Later on, as described in the New Testament Book of Acts, Peter becomes a reliable leader in the early church. Jesus named him not for what he was, but for what he would become as a result of God’s grace.
Each of us is in the process of becoming more of who God by His grace has designed us to be. This can only happen as we choose to follow Jesus and when He turns to ask us what we want, we respond that we want to stay with Him.
Is this our desire to linger with Jesus and to discover more of Who is He? Learning to linger with Jesus has the potential to be life changing. It will require us being willing to surrender all to Jesus and to live our lives with that clear intention that says to Jesus, “I want to give all to You and to be all You want me to be.”
Think of what God can do with that!