The Gospel of John: John 1.35-42

Read and meditate on John 1.37, 38.
John’s witness had the effect of turning the two disciples toward Jesus. This is the most any of us can do as witnesses, to point people to Jesus, and leave the rest in His hands. And what powerful hands they are!

                                                     ³⁷The two beside
him heard him speak, and followed Jesus. ³⁸He,
on seeing them, inquired, “What do you seek?”
They answered, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where
do You live?”

- John 1.37, 38

Reflect
1.  What is implied in the word followed in our text for today (v. 37)? Are there degrees of following in following Jesus? If so, at what stage would you describe these two disciples here? How did they come to be even this far along in following Jesus? Complete this prayer: Lord, thank You for teaching me to follow You. How can I…

2.  Hear, begin to follow – then what? What must happen next if a person is to progress to the next stage of following Jesus? How does that happen? Do we as witnesses have any role in this at all? Lord, help me to pray for the people in my Personal Mission Field, that they…

3.  Jesus’ question to these two disciples reminds me of God’s question to Adam in Genesis 3.9: “Where are you?” Notice the phrasing of Jesus’ question. We might have said, “May I help you?” But that’s not what He asked. How does Jesus’ question invite the two disciples to look a little more deeply into themselves? Should we learn to ask questions like this? Explain. Lord, help me to ask the kind of questions that…

4.  The disciples’ response to Jesus’ question tells us something about the level of their “following.” What do they want? What are they seeking by asking this question? What is suggested by their addressing Him as “Rabbi”? Lord Jesus, I want to live where You live. Teach me today…

5.  Note the verbs in today’s verses: heard, followed, said (Jesus), said (disciples), seek, stay. Can you see in these verbs something of an outline of your own life of following Jesus? Is John trying to establish a framework in our minds for thinking about the life of discipleship? Explain. Bring together into one prayer the prayers you wrote from questions 1-4.

Summary
“According to the spiritual sense, it is clear what it means to follow the Lord.… You follow the Lord if you imitate him. You follow the Lord if, insofar as human weakness allows, you do not abandon those examples of humility that, as a human being, the Son of God demonstrated. You follow [the Lord] if, by showing yourself to be a companion of his sufferings, you painstakingly long to attain communion in his resurrection and ascension.” The Venerable Bede (ca. 672-735 AD)

Remember: Every word of Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3.15-17), selected by Him and “breathed” into writers such as the apostle John to convey just the meaning God intends (2 Pet. 1.19-21). Only as we read slowly through the Word of God, meditating on each word, pondering the Spirit’s reasoning in selecting that word, can we enter more deeply into His meaning for our lives. Which of the verbs mentioned in question 5 speak most pointedly to you today? Why?

Closing Prayer
Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people,
And praise Him in the company of the elders.
He turns rivers into a wilderness,
And the watersprings into dry ground;
A fruitful land into barrenness,
For the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
He turns a wilderness into pools of water,
And dry land into watersprings.
There He makes the hungry dwell,
That they may establish a city for a dwelling place,
And sow fields and plant vineyards,
That they may yield a fruitful harvest.
He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly;
And He does not let their cattle decrease.
When they are diminished and brought low
Through oppression, affliction and sorrow,
He pours contempt on princes,
And causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way;
Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction,
And makes their families like a flock.
The righteous see it and rejoice,
And all iniquity stops its mouth.
Whoever is wise will observe these things,
And they will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.

Psalm 107.31-43

Psalm 107.33-38, 1-3 (Faithfulness: Great is Thy Faithfulness )
You make the desert a river o’erflowing;
You make a wasted life fruitful and strong!
You bless the hungry with fields for the sowing;
Bless and increase us who to You belong!
 Lord, for Your wondrous works, and for Your steadfast love,
 We give You thanks, we exalt Your great Name!
 We who from east and west, north and south gather,
 Boldly redemption in Christ we proclaim!

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.