The Gospel of John | What Are You Seeking? – John 1:35-51
We all are looking for things. Jesus Christ is the only one able to provide us with what we are looking for and more.
After Jesus’ encounter with John the Baptist, people were quickly drawn to Jesus Christ. The testimony of John the Baptist preparing the hearts of the people to receive the Messiah had been received and now people came seeking out the Messiah. During this time, Jesus drew the first of who would be called His twelve disciples. John’s presentation of the Gospel gives a fast paced escalation of the events of Christ’s ministry. Once the word began to get out, things developed rather quickly as those would come to Christ would be transformed and renewed by experiencing the teachings and presence of God.
Here, in John 1:35-51, we have the first words that John records Jesus speaking; “What are you seeking?” This question could define the struggle of mankind. We all attempt to find our meaning and purpose in various aspects of life. For some they find it in wealth, for other status, and others in relationships and we pursue these things with all our heart. Yet, the fundamental question that Jesus Christ still stands to question what we all are actually trying to find. As Jesus calls the first four disciples, the answer to the question would seem to be different for each. Andrew seeks to find teaching and guidance which Jesus provides the incarnation of the word of God. Simon seeks to find identity and purpose which Jesus radically defines. Philip sought to find the teachings of the Old Covenant which Jesus provides him with the one the law and prophets spoke of. Finally, Nathanael sought the King over Israel to which Jesus gave him the King over all things physical and spiritual.
Andrew and Simon
From John the Baptist’s introduction of Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God, Andrew and an unnamed disciple (possibly John The Apostle), immediately began to follow this person John the Baptist described. Jesus asked them what they were looking for and the two disciples choose to sit under Christ as teacher, acknowledging him as “Rabbi” and sought to learn everything he could. For the remainder of that day, Andrew sat under the teaching of Jesus, soaking in every word Jesus said. He canceled his plans to hear the Rabbi teach. Then, late in the day, Andrew sought to find his brother Simon. While Andrew acknowledged the teaching of Jesus Christ, his perception of Jesus had changed. He no longer described him as merely Rabbi but as Messiah. For us, while the teachings of Jesus Christ are essential to understand, Jesus’ primary purpose is to save and rescue His people. Reducing Jesus Christ to merely a teacher or Rabbi misses the Messianic message of the Gospel. Jesus did not come to teach us to do better but to bring us from death to life by the power of His blood shed on the cross.
Andrew sought out his brother Simon to tell him the Messiah has arrived! Yet, as Jesus first calls Simon, He is quick to lay the vision before Him. The name that once defined Simon would one day not be the name he is known by. Jesus renaming Simon to Cephas (or Peter), would set the foundation for Peter’s divine purpose and plan. Throughout Peter’s tenure as he followed Jesus Christ, Peter would be gradually shaped and moulded into the person that Christ set apart for him to become. Yet, for all the discipleship, teaching, and training that Jesus would give to Peter, Jesus established Peter’s identity here. In coming to Jesus Christ, Peter received a new identity that would change and revolutionize who he was. His old self would pass away as began to keep in step with Jesus Christ.
There is a profound importance for the Christian to set at the foot of Jesus, learning from Him, and allowing Him to define us. Our culture seems to battle with the question of who gets to define us. We spend too much time in self-discovery that spirals into an existential egocentric definition when God created us and established our purpose long before time began. Like Andrew, we need to regularly sit at the foot of Jesus and allow Him to teach and disciple us by getting in scriptures to hear God’s word. What an honor and privilege to have the scriptures to teach us, rebuke us, and restore us as the infallible words of God. Yet, learning means nothing if it doesn’t change us. When we learn Christ’s identity and teaching, it transforms us to express itself through our very identity, the core of who we are, and through our actions. Jesus Christ gets to define us. As John 1:1-5 told us that Jesus is fully divine and existed at the dawn of creation, we can only find our true identity in the one who created us to begin with. When Christ defines us, we will find a trueness of person and purpose that surpasses anything we could have come up with.
- What question does Jesus ask Andrew? How does Andrew respond?
Philip and Nathanael
Of the four that follow Jesus in this first chapter of John’s Gospel, Philip sees to follow Jesus immediately. Even so, his first instinct, other than following Jesus, is to go find Nathanael. Once he found him, he told him that they found the one who fulfills the scriptures of the law and prophets. The one that they had waiting generations for had finally arrived. They had remained faithful awaiting the coming of the Savior, their hope fading. Now was different. The mundane and the day to day gave way to the coming Messiah who would save the people in their darkest need. Yet, as we will see throughout scripture, the understanding of the scope of Jesus could not be understood. The followers tended to paint a picture of Jesus Christ coming to free the Israelites from the rule of the Romans. While they knew the scriptures, they did not yet fully understand them. Jesus didn’t come to free Israel from the Romans but mankind from the grasps of sin and death. The greatness and love of God would extend far beyond anything Philip knew.
Thus, Philip extended the invitation to Nathanael to “come and see.” Initially, being from Bethsaida, Nathanael did not think too highly of the lowly city of Nazareth. Although Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He is considered to be from the lowly and poor Nazareth. It had not produced anything spectacular or remarkable. Thus, Natahanael turn his nose up at the idea that the Messiah could come from Nazareth. Yet, at Philip extended the offer to come to see, Nathanael gave it a shot. Jesus defied the expectations of Nathanael with a display of his omniscience. As Jesus mentions that Nathanael had been at the fig tree, John gives the idea that this information could only have come through the divine nature of Jesus Christ. While there is some debate as to the significance of the fig tree, what is clear is that Jesu spoke of things he could have earthly known but only knew through his position of being fully divine. Immediately, Nathanael’s life changed at the display of knowledge. But Jesus’ divinity went beyond simple tasks and Jesus invited Nathanael to experience even more. Heaven had come down, in a manner reminiscent of Jacob’s ladder (Genesis 28:10-19), now, the presence of heaven stood before them. Jesus would stand as the high priest and intermediary of heaven and earth, with the angels ascending and descending from His presence.
Within each of these four disciples, as they all sought some sort of fulfillment or understanding of purpose, each one came to know Christ as the result of an invitation of another. The recurring answer to the wants desires, and expectations of the Messiah is “Come and see.” Jesus, being fully divine yet fully man incarnate is able to meet our expectations beyond what we could imagine or produce ourselves. Where our minds desire the immediate needs, the Savior gives the endless provision to care for our soul and usher us into eternity. If anything, our expectations of the Savior are too low. The disciples, throughout their journey with Jesus Christ, understood the Gospel more and more every day, needing constant reminders of why Jesus came. They experienced the great miracles performed by Christ and the persecution that comes from following Him in the world. Yet, they kept following God understanding that they could see more and more if they would follow Jesus Christ. Similar, our call is to come and see what the Lord is doing. When we leave behind our preconceived notions and ideas to follow Jesus, we will find what we are looking for in our fulfillment and much more. Christ came to rescue mankind from our sins and reign down mercy and grace upon us beyond what we can know. We are called to come to God and see all the good He can do. Whatever Nathanael might have been seeking, Jesus, being God incarnate, would show him much more.
Discussion Questions
- What are some of the deep needs people feel? What are the type of things that people are looking for?
- When we look at our actions, we can easily determine our motivations for things. What motivation do your actions show for what you are looking for? How might Jesus provide for what you are looking for?
- Which of the four desires of the disciples most resonates with you? How does Jesus answer the particular concerns you are facing?
- Do you have any preconceived notions or ideas that would be difficult to put down to follow Jesus Christ?
- How does Jesus extend the offer to come and see to us? How does he deliver on what we are seeking?
- Where do you have a need for Jesus to transform your life? How can we posture ourselves to be renewed by the presence of God?
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