John 1:38 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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John 1:38

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‘What seek ye?’ What do you want? It is a searching question actually. What are you following me for? What do you wish to speak to me about? The question almost seems to say, Are you seeking forgiveness? Are you seeking the Messiah? Are you just interested? What is it you want? The question actually is of tremendous importance and it is searching for those disciples-to-be. ‘What seek ye?’ What is actually in your mind, because you can only come to him with a sense of need. You can only come to him humbly. You can only come to him unworthily as one who knows you need his salvation given to you freely, and new life, and to be put on the road to heaven.What they want is to follow him, and to be his disciples, and to learn. And their way of saying this, is to say to him, Where are you staying? It is a way of asking for an invitation, and of course he says to them, ‘Come and see.’ Come and see where I live, but more, come and see what I am about and what my purpose is. This is typical of Christ who never turned any serious enquirer away. They address him as Rabbi, a Hebrew term which has to be translated because John writes for the Gentiles as well as Jews. It was the last time in the record of Scripture they would ever call him, Master. For ever afterwards, in all four gospels, they call him, Lord. That is much better. Master is only respectful, but once they had had this encounter he was to be their Lord, the one who would govern their lives.

Application

People may come to Christians with any motive they like. ‘I would like to talk to these Christians. I would like to have a good intellectual wrangle about God and about faith.’ Well, that is alright. We will try and answer all your questions. But if you actually want to approach God, approach Christ, you must have the right motive. If you want God to hear your prayer or your cry, you have got to have the right motive.

Be careful of your motive. ‘I do not want saving. I do not want a new life. I do not want total forgiveness. I do not want grace. I just want some help. I will come to Christ if he will help me be a bit of a better person. I am not too bad. I have got my good points. I am alright really. I just need twenty percent help.’ Do not bother, do not go to him. He is only available if you have come to see that you need one hundred percent help, that you need a new life, you need his forgiveness, that you are lost, that you are under his condemnation, but that he is a Saviour and he can forgive you.

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John 1:38 Commentary and Bible Study