John 1

What are you looking for?

It’s good to know what you’re looking for in life. Can you answer the question? Maybe you’re looking to just be normal, to fit in. Are you looking for direction on what you should do next in life? Are you looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend? Are you looking for money and a successful future? Are you looking for popularity and attention, to be noticed?

Or…

Are you looking for hope? Are you looking for peace? Love? Joy? Are you looking for answers? Are you looking for purpose and meaning in life? Are you looking for eternal life? For a Savior?

There are so many things in life we can look for. You see how even in this list looking for some things are better than others. Are you looking for the right things? In John 1, Jesus asks, “what are you looking for?”

Disciples were looking for the right thing… The Messiah…

Jesus says, “Come and you’ll see.” “Follow me.”

The Disciples Were Looking for a Savior

We all have serious questions about life and we all are looking for help, direction and answers. Just like these disciples. But more than that, they were looking for a savior. Jesus new this and gave them a chance to find answers.

Jesus offers a life of following him, how are you going to respond?

John 1:29–51 CSB

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ I didn’t know him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and he rested on him. I didn’t know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The one you see the Spirit descending and resting on—he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” The next day, John was standing with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus. 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?” “Come and you’ll see,” he replied. So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed him. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated “the Christ”), and he brought Simon to Jesus. When Jesus saw him, he said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated “Peter”). The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and told him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law (and so did the prophets): Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael asked him. “Come and see,” Philip answered. Then Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you,” Jesus answered. “Rabbi,” Nathanael replied, “You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel!” Jesus responded to him, “Do you believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” Then he said, “Truly I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Following Jesus is the greatest adventure you can have. You will begin to have answers to the right/important answers in life. You will have meaning and purpose in your life. Live without fear and anxiety.

Following Jesus gives us hope and peace in life.

Our life is complete and we can stop striving when we say yes to following Jesus.

John 1:10–13 CSB

He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

Imagine if you were on a treasure hunt, but instead of following the map, you got distracted by every shiny object along the way, like candy wrappers or keychains. You’d never find the real treasure! Sometimes in life, we chase after things that are shiny but worthless instead of focusing on what truly matters. The Bible calls us to seek wisdom and understanding – those are treasures that last!

What are you looking for? Are you looking for the light? How are you going to respond? By following or staying still?

What does following Jesus look like?

Remove Distractions

You may struggle with the concept of following Jesus in a context filled with distractions—video games, streaming, or excessive phone use. This week, commit to a 'digital detox' for a set amount of time, allowing yourself to focus on prayer, devotionals, or reading scripture instead. Share this decision with your family or friends to gain their support. Not only will this help you quiet your mind and connect with God, but it may also inspire others in your circle to reflect on their own media habits.

Listen to God in His Leading.

You may often feel overwhelmed by the pressures of school and social media, leading you to question what it means to follow Jesus in your daily life. Take a moment each evening to sit in silence and pray, asking God to help you see how to live out your faith in small, tangible ways. After your prayer, choose one action for the next day that reflects your commitment to Christ—this could be sharing kindness with a friend, giving your full effort in something instead of just scraping by or simply being honest in your homework. This intentional act will help you embody your faith.

Why Does it Matter?

Having made Jesus his all, he shall find all in Jesus. Morning And Evening, Page 705

Charles Spurgeon

I want everyone to find what matters. If you don’t, you will spend your whole life searching for the wrong things, and every time you find something the feeling of satisfaction fades. I don’t want you to get sucked into that life. Find the thing that will not fade. Jesus.

Once, I lost my wallet, and I searched everywhere! Under the couch, in my car, even in the fridge – which is ridiculous, right? But isn’t that how we search for happiness sometimes? We look for it in places that can’t possibly hold it, like our phones or social media. In Matthew 6:33, we learn that when we seek first the Kingdom of God, everything we truly need will be added to us. Let’s make sure we’re searching in the right places!