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Do you know the first thing that Jesus said in the gospel of John?

If you were like me a week ago then you would probably say, “no”. It is not a hobby of mine to collect random facts about the Bible and I don’t think many of us really have the time for it. This factoid is different. I actually came across it on accident and was blown away by it. “What are you looking for?” is Jesus’ first sentence. Not really profound, you think? Read it again.

The Context

The context puts it into an entire new level. John the Baptist was doing his thing over near the Jordan river with a few of us his students when Jesus strolled across the scene. John, in conversation, told his students that God’s chosen one had just walked past. Two of the students of John, one being Andrew (soon becomes Jesus’ first disciple), leave him to speak with Jesus. They shout to him, “Teacher, Teacher” to get his attention. Jesus replied, “What are you looking for?”

It is important to remember that Andrew was a student of John the Baptist. He wasn’t just a casual listener, but one who was earnestly searching for some larger truth to life. He knew that the mainstream religious sects had missed the point, but John the baptist was close. Then John the Baptist tells him that Jesus is the answer to his question. When Andrew confronts Jesus, the teacher doesn’t give an answer. He gives a question: “What are you looking for?”

Application

I think we are all like Andrew in this regard. I shared this story as a devotion in a marriage and family class that I lead and reflected it on family. In marriage, we know there has to be some larger guide for us to make the entire thing work. If I relied on myself, I can see the family sinking. Even in everyday life of work, relationships, and purpose, we are looking for something higher to shape us. People may have answered the question differently, but we could all be asked the question.

 What are you looking For?

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