“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, for it was about the tenth hour.” (John 1:38-39)
Have you ever waited a long time in a long line for something? For example, you go to the grocery store for that one item you really need. You quickly scan, assess and determine which aisle is the shortest. The only problem is that as soon as you get into that shorter line, it seems as if all the other lines begin moving faster. So what do you do? You jump to a faster line, only to watch the line you were in pick up speed.
How long we are willing to wait for something depends on the value of that thing.
THE CHOICE
In the Old Testament, students (disciples) chose their teacher (Rabbi). I would imagine the student feeling excited with their choice and the teacher feeling honored to be chosen. Maybe one teacher’s line was longer than another’s. Maybe one was exclusive. Maybe the quality of Teacher A’s students was a step above that of the students belonging to Teacher B; maybe not. But Jesus was different: Jesus chose His disciples. They were common men, men of little or no reputation. They were not the cream of the crop, nor the top of their class, nor voted “most likely to succeed”. For Jesus, no previous experience was required to become His disciple.
Jesus still chooses and makes His own disciples today.
THE CALL
Jesus’ call to His first disciples was in the form of an invitation: “Come, and you will see” (John 1:39). The call to follow Jesus is first an invitation to come and see Him. More than a place, the call is to know a person: “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (vs. 36). It wasn’t a complicated call either, to “come and see”. The two disciples have left “the school of John the Baptist” to join Jesus. They’re now committing to become life-long learners of Jesus. But committed, exactly, to what? Yes, to learn about; yes, to learn from; but more importantly, to learn Him. The call is to get close enough to touch, to stay long enough to know Jesus. While no previous experience is required to become a disciple of Jesus, personal surrender is absolutely required. On both counts, we’re all on common ground.
Jesus still chooses and makes His own disciples today.
THE CHALLENGE
Have you heard the voice of Jesus, “Come, and you will see”? Have you heard your name being spoken? When Andrew first brought his brother Simon to Jesus, Jesus looked at him and changed his name to Peter - his disciple name (vs. 40-42). Jesus didn’t look into Peter and see hidden potential or the essential skills that the kingdom of God needed and couldn’t succeed without. Jesus saw a lost sinner by spiritual standards, and a common man by earthly standards. As Paul reminds us, whether it’s Peter and John or you and I, when Jesus called us, “not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).
When Jesus came to me and awakened me to Him, He didn’t literally change my name. But in that moment I did receive the name and heart of “disciple”. You see, many of us are Christian in name, but are we disciples at heart? Are we committed to knowing Jesus and allowing that relationship to lead us and to transform us? The changing of a name, the giving of a new name, is synonymous with the changing of a heart - the creation and giving of a new heart and life!
When Jesus turned around and asked the two disciples “What do you seek?” (vs. 38), He was really asking, “Whom do you seek?” The call to be a disciple is a call to relationship first, not rules. Our first and greatest calling is to know Jesus Christ.
Jesus still chooses and makes His own disciples, calling us out of the lines of this world where we’re waiting for things that will not last, into a new and living relationship with Him that will last forever!
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