"Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”"

Introduction

We spend our lives asking and being asked questions? Indeed they are so much part of lives that it is difficult to imagine a day going by without some questions figuring in it. What time is it? What shall I have for lunch? How are you? Did you have a nice afternoon?

Because the Bible is God's Word and therefore wholly relevant to life as it is not surprising that we find it too contains plenty of questions – ranging from the banal to the profound. In the Gospel of John alone I've found 171 question marks! Well in the weeks to come I plan to look at a selection of these focusing in particular upon questions that Jesus Himself asked.

The first words that John in his gospel records Jesus as speaking form in fact a question and they are found in our text this evening.

The Context

It is early in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ and John the Baptist is still on the scene and creating quite a stir. John's ministry was and it involved him in preaching as he sought to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah.

As John fulfilled this calling he drew a number of spiritually hungry followers to himself, men who were known as his disciples. They accompanied him, heard his messages and heard too his declarations that he was not the long-expected Messiah. They appreciated John and realised that his concern was not to put himself forward but rather to prepare the way as a forerunner for the One who was all-important.

John seized the opportunities he had to point away from himself to the Lord Jesus Christ. One day when he saw Jesus coming toward him he made it abundantly clear that Jesus was exceedingly special:

1. the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world

2. of greater rank than John

3. He is Spirit anointed and will baptize with the Spirit

4. He is the Son of God

This was what the followers of John were being accustomed to hear but on that day the teaching was so clear and the identification so precise – Jesus was there as John pointed Him out. And yet the surprising thing is that there wasn't any immediate reaction on their part!

The next day John had another opportunity – standing with two of his disciples Jesus once again walked past. John identified Him clearly: "Behold, the Lamb of God."

This time there is a reaction – perhaps they had been carefully mulling over all that John had been teaching them and come to the conclusion that the next time they would do something about it all.

That is so human isn't it? How easy it is to hear things about Jesus without responding. We hear of Him as the One that God has sent and the identification has been so clearly made at times but still we can hesitate long before doing anything with the news we have received!

Now the two disciples of John leave their former teacher and go after the One John has pointed them to. They are not ignorant – they have heard John extol this One and now they are going after Him in order to find out for themselves the truthfulness of those claims. As they walk after Jesus they have their minds full of spiritual thoughts – is this really the One who can meet all their needs and the One who will fulfil all God's purposes? How their minds were working overtime as they set out after Jesus.

The Encounter and the QUestion

We're not told just for how long they had walked after Jesus, we have no idea how many yards they had covered before He turned round to speak to them. The impression we have is that it was hardly any time at all before Jesus stopped and engaged them!

How encouraging this is – Jesus is so very soon aware of any spiritual interest being shown in Him and how quickly He encourages those who show it! He stops and speaks in a kindly way to them. He it is that initiates the contact between them making that first contact easy. I don't know about you but if I have to have contact with someone I don't know then I mentally prepare by mentally rehearsing what I'll do and say, how I will comport myself. If the wait is long and the person important nervousness may increase rather than decrease! But these men needn't worry about how they will proceed – Jesus takes the initiative and breaks the silence.

This is always the way it is because none of us ever naturally seeks after God. Sin has cut us off from Him and filled us with all kinds of wrong ideas and beliefs. Left to ourselves we are quite happy to remain that way foolishly preferring to keep God out of lives altogether. But God comes in mercy and breaks through – He begins to make us aware of things that hadn't bothered us before, spiritual matters begin to interest us in a way they never used to, we hear some word and it penetrates…

How glad we should be that this is what God is like! If He were to wait inactive on the side-lines until men and women began to look for Him then the church would be finished within a generation because there is none that naturally seeks after God. But our God is a seeking God, a God who compares Himself to a Good Shepherd who goes out onto the hills to find the lost sheep, He compares Himself to a widow who seeks diligently for a lost coin, He compares Himself as a Father who scans the horizon then runs to meet the wayward son and then goes out to plead with the self-righteous son.

And Jesus begins the encounter with these two followers of John with a question and a very simple question at that:

"What are you seeking?". v.38

The question is simple but it is also profound. Jesus confronts them as they begin to show signs of wanting to follow Him – He wants them to articulate what it is that they really want in life.

This was not the only time we find Jesus proceeding in this manner:

Eg. When He met blind Bartimaeus at Jericho He asked a very similar question:

Mk.10:51 "And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?”"

I wonder how focussed we really are in knowing what we want in life. We have so many different things that compete for attention in our lives don't we? But do we know how to prioritize them properly or do we just bumble along hoping all will somehow turn out for the best?

Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount the importance of getting our priorities right:

Mt.6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

This need to get our priorities right is further emphasised as Jesus spoke of the manner in which the gospel provoked strong emotions and reactions amongst some causing them to press earnestly into the Kingdom while others remained unmoved:

Mt.11:12"From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force."

Again and again there is a strong emphasis in the Bible upon being wholehearted in our spiritual concerns. We are exhorted to do many things with a whole heart:

i. To search after Him

ii. To love Him

iii. To serve Him

iv. To obey Him

v. To turn to Him

vi. To cling to Him

vii. To return to Him

viii. To trust in Him

ix. To rejoice and exult in Him

x. To sing and make melody to Him

Well, Jesus asks those two old disciples of John "What are you seeking?"

Their answer

At first sight their reply seems rather mundane:

"Rabbi" they say "where are you staying?" v.38

What are we to make of such an answer? Were they flannelling and desperately trying to get out of an embarrassing situation?

I think not.

Nor were they simply asking a question for information as though they planned to send the equivalent of a first century postcard to the Lord.

No they have something much more serious in mind.

First they address Jesus respectfully "Rabbi". Interestingly John gives his readers a translation of the meaning of this term – it means "Teacher" and the fact that John bothers to translate it shows that it is significant. The two men are not flattering Jesus with some honorific title rather they are expressing their conviction that He is a teacher and what's more a teacher from whom they want to learn!

They may well have felt that it was somewhat presumptuous to launch there and then on the street into their theological and spiritual concerns so they ask a question that if answered will enable them to seek Jesus out in greater privacy and at leisure.

By their question then the two former disciples of John were expressing their desire of meet with Jesus in a situation more conducive to serious discussion. They really were looking for something substantially more important than a brief, momentary encounter on the streets. In an indirect way they were really asking for an invitation to so that they might have the opportunity of uninterrupted conversation with the One that John the Baptist had identified so crucially for them.

Were Jesus to put His question to us would our reply be in any way similar to that of these two men?

What do we really want in life? What is most important to me? Do I really want something more than a passing acquaintance with Jesus?

Now many of you are Christians and that would demonstrate pretty clearly that you want much more than that. But having come to Christ in the past in faith and trust, to sit at His feet and learn – are you, am I, still seeking to grow in that relationship? Or have you settled down into a comfortable pattern of life in which communion with Jesus doesn't any longer figure as priority N°1?

Encouraging Words

The reply that the two men gave to Jesus was far from being displeasing to Him and He in turn responded with words that must have thrilled them:

"Come and you will see!" v.39

No description of how they might find Him at a later stage but "Come and see" and come now!"

How instructive this is! Don't put the really important things off. What does the Bible say?

2Cor.6:2 "Behold, now is the favourable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

The Lord Jesus does not try to keep Himself hidden away from those who want to know Him – God has revealed Himself so that we might know who He is and that we might come to know Him in an intimate, personal way. To this end there are several verses in the Psalms that contain similar encouragements to close with God:

Ps.34:8 "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"

Ps.46:8 "Come, behold the works of the LORD,"

Ps.66:5 "Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man."

Ps.66:16 "Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul."

And in inviting those who will to come to Him, the LORD God has no intention of sending them away empty or unfulfilled:

Jer.31:14 "I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the LORD."

There is indeed a goodness about the Word of God that is to be tasted and enjoyed there is a heavenly gift to be appreciated and a Holy Spirit in whom to share! (See Heb.6:4-5).

If indeed you have drawn near and tasted that the LORD is good then go on longing for the pure milk of the Word that you might grow mature in the enjoyment of your salvation. (See 1Pet.2:3)

The woman of Samaria who had met with Jesus at the Well and had her thinking so radically transformed went back to her fellow citizens and invited them too to come and meet with the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember what she said don't you?

Jn.4:29 "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?"

She wasn't really in any doubt as to who Jesus was but was careful not to hinder others coming to Him so she just urged them to go to Him and make up their own mind.

My friends these two former disciples of John the Baptist made good use of the opportunity they had. Having heard about Him they sought to meet Him. They did seek the LORD while he was there to be found and they did call upon him while he was near. (See Isaiah 55:6)

May the Lord grant us the grace we need to truly seek Him in this way and may the words of the Psalmist become true of us:

Ps.27:4

One thing have I asked of the LORD,

that will I seek after:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD

and to inquire in his temple.

To God be the Glory!

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