John 1:35-42 (NIV)

³⁵ The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. ³⁶ When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

³⁷ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

³⁹ “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. ⁴¹ The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). ⁴² And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

(1) followed Jesus

(2) Turning around

(3) “What do you want?”

(4) Come and you will see.

(5) The first thing

It’s the first recorded words of Jesus in John’s Gospel. And notice he doesn’t start with a lecture. He doesn’t lay out a theology. He asks a question.

What do you want? 

• Mark 10:36 — James and John Ask for Places of Honor

“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

• Mark 10:51 — Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

• Luke 18:41 — Blind Beggar Near Jericho

“What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.

If Jesus asked you “what do you want” how would you answer?

Come and See

These disciples had no clue what they were being invited into.

At last – to be identified –

At last – the Lamps upon your side –

The rest of life – to see –

Past Midnight – past the Morning Star –

Past Sunrise – Ah, what leagues there were –

Between Our feet – and Day!

-Emily Dickenson (1862) 

CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER 

Before beginning your time in the passage this week, create intentional time getting acquainted or re-acquainted with one another. Use the “small group table talk” resource or ask the following question: Share about a time when you felt really welcomed and invited.

CONNECT WITH GOD (Select the below practice or choose a different practice.)

The Cairn Prayer Practice

Named after a wayfinding tool on a hard to discern path, the Cairn Prayer and its four simple questions help us follow Jesus wholeheartedly and gain clarity of focus in our faith walk. In this practice we invite intimacy with God and pay attention to what actions God is calling forth.

In prayer or your journal, reflect on the following questions, allowing time to thoughtfully cultivate awareness of your whole self - mind, heart and body and attentively listen for the Holy Spirit’s inspiration. Let this practice be a dialogue between your true self and God.

• What are you grateful for and why? (Let this be your prayer of gratitude.)
• What do you want? Is there a deeper longing under the initial desire? (Offer your honest hopes, desires and longings to God’s care and transformative work.)
• What do you like about God? (Tell God in a prayer of adoration.)
• How can you love today? (Ask for the courage, strength and wisdom to love well.)

CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER 

• Alone: Read John 1:35-42
• Reflect/journal on the following prompt: 
• Where is your attention drawn as you read? 
• What connections, questions, or curiosities do you have about this gospel passage? 

• Together or in smaller groups: Pray and Read John 1:35-42

• Together as a whole group: Share your questions about the passage. Encourage one another to engage their curiosity and questions. For now, let the questions be without an answer. A facilitator may jot down questions and themes to return to in depth at a later time. 

CONNECT WITH SCRIPTURE 

If needed, read the passage again. Then select the best questions or customize the questions for your group.

• Review the main points from the sermon outline. 
• Share with one another what you notice about the themes of invitation in this passage.
• What is the first thing Jesus does when the disciples approach him? 
• How do you understand Jesus’ question back to the disciples in verse 37? (“What do you want?”)
• What do you notice about how Jesus replies to the disciples' questions (v. 37-39)?  
• How are you (or aren’t you) finding connection to your own life through the invitation of Jesus? 
• How did God meet you in the message this week? 
• In what ways did the message connect to your own life of faith or to the life of our church? 

ENGAGE AND EXPLORE 

Together: explore the quote below, in connection with John 1:35-42.  

“Jesus’ ministry was always an invitation: come and see, follow me, eat with me, believe me. The kingdom is offered, not imposed.” -Rutledge, F. The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ. Eerdmans, 2015.

PRAYER 

As we enter into this new session of small groups, let’s encounter one another as Jesus encounters the disciples: with deepening questions and a heart of curiosity. Let's close our time by reflecting on Jesus' question, "What do you want?" Take some time to share your desires with a partner or smaller group, then pray for one another with love.