Following Jesus
The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?”… One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. John 1:37-38a,40 (ESV)
Our theme this week is following Jesus, and including accounts of some who left things behind to follow Jesus.
Today we learn about two disciples who were students of John the Baptist. As they stood with their teacher near the Jordan River, they saw John pointing out a man walking by. He said, “Look! The Lamb of God!” It was the same thing that their teacher had said the day before. This man was the Lamb chosen by God to bear the sins of the world. They left John behind and followed Jesus.
Jesus didn’t need anyone to tell him that there were two men following Him. He turned and asked them what they were seeking. He then invited them to come with Him to the place He was staying. They left John the Baptist and went to follow Jesus for the next 3 years. They came to know that Jesus was the Son of God.
Andrew and John believed that they were following the Messiah, even though they didn’t fully understand what the Messiah had come to do. We wouldn’t know either, except that we have the words that He spoke in the Gospels. It is in the Scriptures we learn that Jesus is indeed the Christ of God and the Savior of Humankind.
Jesus stops and turns to us in His Word, and asks, “Can I help you?” Then He does.
Then cleansed be ev’ry Christian breast And furnished for so great a Guest.
Yea, let us each our hearts prepare For Christ to come and enter there
The Lutheran Hymnal 63:1