John 1:29-42 (NRSV)
Read John 1:29-42 on biblegateway.com
Verse 29The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Verse 30This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' Verse 31I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." Verse 32And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. Verse 33I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' Verse 34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God." Verse 35The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, Verse 36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!"
Verse 37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Verse 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" Verse 39He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon. Verse 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. Verse 41He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed). Verse 42He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).
Devotion
In the months leading up to the merger of Lutheran churches that became the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), I remember hearing the discussions about what to name this new Lutheran denomination. Some stressed that to be an "evangelical" Lutheran church was to be centered in the Good News of Jesus and to be bold in speech as well as in service.
"What are you looking for?" Jesus asked John's disciples as they began to follow him. "Where are you staying?" they asked in return. "Come and see," replied Jesus. He invited them to come along and find out for themselves, to be part of the experience, the religious movement that was forming all around him.
How is Jesus continuing to call you into discipleship at this point in your life? Are there any new experiences of worship, service, giving, or witness where you may have felt the nudge of the Spirit to "come and see" what the Lord might be doing? Can you imagine how bringing a more curious and open mind to the spiritual gifts you have been given might inspire you to do new things for God?
Prayer
You call us into the world, Jesus, to follow after you, to places we have yet to discover. Give us confidence that our faith journey can be full of the comforting familiar as well as the unknown adventure, for it’s you who calls us to both. Amen.