John 1:38 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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?"

NIV: Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?"

NASB: And Jesus turned and saw them following, and *said to them, 'What are you seeking?' They said to Him, 'Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?'

CSB: When Jesus turned and noticed them following him, he asked them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?"

NLT: Jesus looked around and saw them following. 'What do you want?' he asked them. They replied, 'Rabbi' (which means 'Teacher'), 'where are you staying?'

KJV: Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?

NKJV: 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?”

Jesus has a habit of cutting right to the most important questions. In this case, His question is the same one God asks everyone who claims to seek Him: "what is it you are really, truly looking for?" The reasons a person seeks Jesus are just as important as what they find. What a person wants affects what they're willing to believe. It's often more important to find out why a person is asking a question than to answer it right away. What the other person seeks is critical to how they will interpret the answer.

John and Andrew (John 1:37) are cautious towards Jesus. Referring to Him as "Rabbi" was a gesture of respect. This verse defines the term "Rabbi" for the reader; these helpful asides are used often in this gospel (John 1:41–42; 9:7; 20:16). Their question suggests that John and Andrew didn't expect to talk much with Him, at once. They expected Him to be busy, or on His way somewhere else. So, they skipped right to asking where they might be able to meet Him later. Jesus' willingness to spend time with them (John 1:39) is not only gracious, but also surprising.

John 1:29–42 describes more conversations, these between John the Baptist, his disciples, and Jesus. It includes the moment Jesus recruits His first two disciples. Jesus is identified as "the Lamb of God," and "the Son of God." The Baptist describes his vision of the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, landing on Jesus. This confirms that He is the Messiah. The Baptist seems to tell John and Andrew to go and follow Jesus. They, in turn, introduce Jesus to Peter.

The first chapter of John introduces Jesus as "the Word," from the Greek logos. This chapter clearly describes Jesus as God. After this prologue, the chapter describes Jesus recruiting the first of His disciples, as well as a conversation between John the Baptist and the Pharisees. There are seven names or titles for Christ in this chapter, including "the Son of God," "the Word," and "the King of Israel."

The first chapter of the gospel of John equates Christ with God and introduces John the Baptist. The Baptist specifically points to Jesus as the Promised One. Jesus collects the first five of His disciples. In this chapter, Jesus is given seven descriptive names, including "the Word," "the Son of God," and "the King of Israel." This chapter sets the stage for the rest of the gospel, by giving the reader a sense of who Jesus truly is, and why He has come. The rest of the gospel is an exploration of the claims made in this initial passage.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.