Scripture John 1:38
John 1:38 Jesus saw them following and asked,
"What do you want?"
John 1:35-39 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 spent that day with him. It was
about the tenth hour.
I
find this question and response fascinating. According to John, this is Jesus'
first known question. "What
do you want?" "What are you looking for?" "For what reason are you following me?" Ironic that Jesus wants to know
why they are following him since, in the near future, he will say to them:
"Follow me".
I believe Jesus asks each of us that question when we first follow him and many times after that. When I went forward to commit myself to Jesus and let him know I believed in him was a time I will never forget. Even the ride home I remember was silent except for someone asking me, "How do you feel?" I had very little response, and now I know why. The change was not a feeling (though feelings were involved - but they were a byproduct of what happened), the change was a directional change. I no longer wanted to follow my way, but the way of Jesus. While the car ride was quiet, no doubt Jesus was asking me, "What do you want?" Had I realized in that moment what he was asking, I would have had only one answer - to know you more. When I went forward, I had just met Jesus personally for the first time in my life and the only thing I wanted to do was to get to know him more.
Andrew
and (John) left John the Baptist and were following Jesus when Jesus asked
them "What do you want?" their only response was they wanted to know
him more and it came out a little clumsy and they said, "Great
teacher" a sign of honored respect, where are you staying?
That
could have meant, we know it is late but we would like to set an appointment
for Friday. Or, we want to know if you are staying nearby so we can walk with
you. Jesus made it easy on them, he said, "Come, and you will see." They went and spent the whole day with him. They began to
get to know Jesus as Jesus began to get to know them.
My
Question: Who chose whom? Did Andrew and John choose Jesus? They followed him.
Or did Jesus choose them? He invited them to come and see. Who chose whom? My
inclination is to say both but that is not true. Jesus chose them. Jesus
is always the initiator. I don't even begin to pray that Jesus isn't already
there waiting for me. On Nov 4, 1974, I didn't choose Jesus, he chose me - he
invited me - and I accepted His invitation.
John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you!
That
changes everything. Instead of me simply believing, I recognize that the God of
all creation looked at 15-year-old Jeff Cooper and said, "I choose you
Jeff!" Who am I that God would choose me to know him? After choosing me,
and me accepting that choice (which can be, and is, often rejected) Jesus then
started asking me "What do you want? What are you looking for?" For
48 1/2 years I have answered the same way "Where are you staying? I want
to be with you. I want to know you more!" See how that changes everything.
I am not a Christian for what I can get out of it, I am a Christian because I
get to know Jesus more every day and follow Him wherever He is going.
Then
I am also more privileged to tell others that they too can know God and even in
the end to go where he is going. John 14:4-6
"You know
the way to the place where I am going." Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going,
so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through me."
After
Andrew and John spent that first day with Jesus, look at what Andrew did next.
John 1:40-42 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of
the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first
thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). And he
brought him to Jesus.
Bringing
someone to Jesus isn't always by saying, come see Jesus. Instead, it is being
so close to Jesus, getting to know him so well, responding to his question,
"What do you want?" by simply going where he goes every day of your
life. There is a true story that illustrates this well.
ILLUSTRATION
Her name is Donna. Donna is a member of
our church. She is a mentor in our Kids Hope USA program. Every week she
goes to a nearby elementary school to be a friend,
encourager, and mentor to a little boy named John. John is 6
years old. Donna and John have bonded in a beautiful way. Though there is quite
a difference in their ages, Miss Donna – as John calls her – has become John's
best friend. Once each week, she visits him at school, helps him with his
school work… and then "going the second mile" every Saturday, Donna
takes John to do exciting things that without Donna, John would
likely never get to do – things like the zoo, the museum, the parks.
A few months ago, Donna's husband died
in his sleep. Little John came to the funeral to support
his friend Miss Donna in her grief. At the reception in the Hines Baker Room
after the memorial service, John stood beside Donna and held her hand. She had
been there for him and now he was there for her. He would not leave her side.
It was a beautiful moment and people in the room had tears in their eyes, so
touched by John's intense commitment to lovingly stand by Miss Donna,
his friend and mentor.
Some of us saw John eyeing the goodies
on the reception table – punch and chocolate chip cookies in abundance… and
some of us said to him, "John, would you like to walk
over here and have some refreshments?" But no, he would not leave Donna's
side. "I want to stay here with Miss Donna.," he would say.
The love between the two of them was so radiant and powerful in that room.
Also, in the room that day was a man
from Chicago. He had flown all the way from Chicago to Houston to be
with Donna. Do you know why? Because 38 years ago when he was in
first grade, Donna had been his mentor at an elementary school in the Chicago
area. He flies from Chicago to Houston every summer to see
Donna and to thank her for what she did for him 38 years ago – and
then he made this special trip to be with Donna when her husband
suddenly died. That man from Chicago says to Donna every time he
comes, "I am what I am today because of the love and support you gave me
38 years ago." He says, "Ms. Donna, you were the first person in my
life who believed in me." And today little John says to her in
words and actions: "Miss Donna, I love you. I know you love me.
You are my best friend." Now, where did Donna learn to love like
that, to reach out to people in need like
that, to make a difference in people's lives like that?
You know, don't you? The same place the disciple Andrew learned it –
from Jesus.
PRAYER:
Where You go, I'll
go /
Where You stay, I'll stay / When You move, I'll move / I will
follow You
Who You love, I'll love / How You serve I'll serve / If
this life I lose, I will follow You
INVITATION SONG: "I will follow
you!"
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