Seeking and Seeing and Staying

The gospel of John is different than Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It was the last gospel written and is known as the gospel of rest. The first red lettered words in John are found in John 1:38 – 39 and are a question, “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?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day…”

These verses describe two of the followers of John the Baptists, Andrew and John, and their first conversation with Jesus. They started following Jesus because John the Baptist had pointed Him out as “…the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29. But when Jesus turned to them with the question above, it stopped them in their tracks. It is the question you must answer at some point in your walk with the Lord. What is it you are looking for in Jesus?

Some have wanted Jesus to just help them out with their life. Jesus did not come to help you out with your life; He came to be your life! Others have just wanted some good teaching so that they might have a better life. But Jesus came to give eternal life! And still others just needed healing so that they could have a more comfortable and affordable life. But Jesus did not come to patch up broken lives, but to give new life. This question is one that everyone who begins to follow Christ must answer. What are you seeking?

Those first disciples did not know what to answer and may have been taken back by His question. They answered His question with a question, which became the right answer, one that must have pleased the Lord. They asked, “…where are you staying?” The word “staying” is the Greek word, meno, and means to remain, to stay, to stand, to abide, to live in one place.

This word is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to describe one of the characteristics of God’s word, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”  Isaiah 40:8, and of the righteousness of God, “…and his righteousness endures forever.” Psalm 111:3, and of God’s steadfast love, “…for his steadfast love endures forever.”

The disciples would hear Jesus use this word in the upper room on the night He was betrayed when He taught them saying, “Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me…whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4 – 5.

As Andrew and John responded to the invitation of Jesus to come see and stay, meno, with Him, it pleased the Father for this was the very purpose for which the Son of God was sent. Seeking and seeing and staying with Jesus pleases the Father. This is what it means to worship the Father in spirit and truth.

Today, meditate on the words of Jesus, “What are you seeking?”