38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
1:38
Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”
This is the first public utterance by Jesus in the gospel of John. His first words were probing and challenging to Andrew and to the author, John. Jesus did not ask them who they were seeking but “what” they sought. The first statement that Jesus made publicly was a question that searched the hearts of man: “What is your supreme purpose in life?”
They said to Him, Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher),
The term “Rabbi” is Hebrew, which means master. “Rabbi” was a title of respect. Rabbi is an authoritative teacher.
“where are You staying [lodging]?”
The reason why the disciples asked Jesus where He was staying was that they intended to physically follow Jesus wherever He went (Lu 9:58). The place where one stays for security is not the issue, but one’s relationship to Christ is.
1:39
He said to them [Andrew and John the author], “Come and see.”
Jesus gave an invitation to the two disciples to investigate His claims. They needed time to investigate Jesus. Andrew and John saw first hand who and what Jesus was; they observed His life and ministry.
They came and saw where He was staying
They came and saw where He was staying. We “come” before we “see.”
and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
The “tenth hour” in biblical time is 4 p.m. They calculated time from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Four o’clock was the time when people started preparing for lodging in the evening. Andrew and John stayed with Jesus most of the day, and it was now time to shut things down for the evening. This “day” became the most important day of their lives.
PRINCIPLE:
We come before we see.
APPLICATION:
John the author did “see” what Jesus had to offer. He later wrote First John to explain some of the things that he saw (1 Jn 1:1, 3). The apostles were eyewitnesses of what Christ did (Ac 10:39).
Jesus asks each of us a searching question about our lives. There is a point where people who dabble in religion should finally come to the realization that Jesus is reality Himself. Coming to know Him has great implications for our lives.
