John 1:35–42 ‘Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”’ (v38)
The disciples who had been following John the Baptist were now encouraged by the Baptist himself to follow the ‘Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’ (John 1:29).
Fascinatingly, as Andrew, Peter’s brother, and the other disciple begin to follow the Lord, He turns to them and asks a question. What do they want?
For these two, the answer was simple. They just wanted to know where He was staying.
They wanted to spend time with Him! After they have ‘spent that day with him’ (v39), Andrew tells his brother about the encounter, and introduces Peter to the Lord.
Spending time with Jesus leads to inviting others to spend time with Him too. I wonder, how would we reply if Jesus asked us what we wanted from Him?
Would we ask for healing, deliverance, provision? All of these are valid requests. But there is something beautiful about just asking Jesus if we can be with Him; just spend time with Him.
Spending time with a person is the only way to get to truly know them. That the first disciples just wanted to get to know their Lord is a great example for us.
They spent three years with Him; eating, sharing their joys, triumphs and failures, watching how He prayed and interacted with people – how He lived His life.
But it all starts here. Jesus doesn’t compel us to follow Him, He invites us. He can provide all we need, but first and foremost, Christianity is a relationship with Someone who knows us intimately and wants our love in return. What do we want?
A Prayer To Make:
‘Father, the greatest thing I could ask for is to be in Your presence. You know all my deep desires and anxious longings. Help me to desire You and You alone. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Imagine the Lord asking you what you want. Consider your reply before answering. What do you really want from Him?
Scripture To Consider:
Ps. 37:1–40 & 38:1–22; Matt. 7:7–12; Luke 10:38–42
