Jesus asked lots of questions of people in the Gospels. He was skillful in the way He asked them. His timing and prowess were impeccable. Through His skillful line of questioning, He was seeking to bring greater revelation to those who would pause to consider what was really being asked. Through His questions, He was leading them to understand something they hadn’t yet considered or embraced. He was bringing great clarity to them by asking questions.
Let’s look at a couple of the questions He asked folks to see what takeaways there might be for us to consider for ourselves and as we look for those who need to be introduced to Jesus. If they were good questions for Jesus to ask, perhaps they would be good for us to ask as well.
John 1:35-42 35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him (John the Baptist) say this, and they followed Jesus.
38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” It was a great question that Jesus asked…”What are you seeking?” It is important to know who you are following. It is important, also, to know why you are following them.
I suppose the answer to the question, “What are you seeking?” determines who you choose to follow. Are you seeking security? If so, you will probably try to acquire a position that is safe and steady, one with an income that can provide for your earthly needs. Not a bad thing to seek. We have needs that have to be met. The problem with that approach, with seeking security, is that there is no true security in this life. The money in your 401K could be gone tomorrow. Some of you know what I’m talking about. The job you have today, could be on the chopping block tomorrow. Some of you have just submitted prayer requests for that very reason. Your ability to make money today could be compromised by a health crisis tomorrow. Some of you are living with that reality. If your highest priority is security, you will always be chasing it and never finding it.
Some people are searching for significance, for acceptance. We all have a need to be loved, to know that our lives matter for sure. But if your highest priority is seeking significance and acceptance from the people of this world, you will do whatever it takes, or at least more than you ever expected to do, to acquire it.
Some are searching for selfish gain or glory, wanting power, prestige and position with an ever-increasing lust for more. Their competitive spirit, their desire to be number one, creates a path for them as they pursue the things they think will hand them those things and more. There are all kinds of people who will schmooze and buddy up to people in positions of power just so that they can gain access to what they perceive is the ladder of success.
You see, what you are searching for determines Who you will follow. It was a REALLY good question that Jesus asked.
They wound up spending the entire day with Jesus. One of the two men who followed Jesus that day was Andrew. He went and got his brother, Simon, who became known as Peter, and brought him to Jesus. Notice, that after a day with Jesus, Andrew exclaimed, “We have found the Messiah.” Andrew was searching for the Messiah. Andrew needed a Messiah. That’s why he chose to follow Jesus. When He met Jesus, he recognized Who He was because salvation was what He was searching for. What you are searching for determines who you follow to find it.
By the way, when you get Jesus, you get the rest of the stuff, too. Security, significance and satisfaction flow into your life when Jesus is at the head of your life. That is the Matthew 6:33 principle. I like to call it the “Alignment Principle.” When you align your life with Jesus and His desires for you, when that is what you seek, everything you need and more flows into your life.
The truth is, we are all seeking God. We just don’t all know it. We were made for a relationship with God. We were made with a longing in our hearts for Him. We were made with a void that only He can fill. It doesn’t matter what we try to fill that void with, whether sexual experimentation, video games, drugs and alcohol, money, social media, relationships, or some-kind-of worldly success…until that void is met by the Lord, we will live with a hole in our heart, an ache for something more.
The question isn’t if we are seeking, but who or what we are seeking after. 2 Chronicles 26:5 says, “He (Uzziah) sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.”
As long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper. If you want to prosper, in every way, seek the Lord.
Psalms 34:10, “The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.” (NKJV)
Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Are you missing any good thing? The Bible says if you seek the Lord, you shall not lack any good thing in your life.
Many questions Jesus asked were also questions about life and faith. Jesus asked questions that got people thinking beyond their flesh and beyond this world. Here is a good one He asked in Matthew 16:26, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?
The easy answer is, “no good.” It would do no good to gain the whole world if it means you lose your soul. This world is temporary. Our soul is eternal. It’s not a fair trade to give up your soul for the experiences the world offers. While the answer to the question is “obvious” Jesus wasn’t asking them a question to see if they could get it right. He wasn’t prepping them for a round of Jeopardy. He was asking them to consider whether they were currently forfeiting their soul by living for the things this world can offer. Is your soul in jeopardy right now for any reason?
Do you think about the life you are building, the legacy you are leaving, the faith you are demonstrating? Do you consider the condition of your soul and how the habits of your life fortify or compromise it? Daily, we can either focus on and feed our flesh or we can focus on and fuel our faith. Are you conscious that Jesus has an opinion about every decision you make, about every activity you engage in? What would your answer be to the question, What are you living for?
It’s a great question because it beckons us to examine every area of our lives. What populates our social media content? How do we spend our money? Who are the people we hang with and what do our get-togethers look like? What websites have we frequented this past month? What are we willing to sacrifice for? Where are we spending our time? How do those choices reflect if we are living for Jesus or if we are living for the world, or the moment or even if we are living for the devil? What is most important to you? Is it earthly success or spiritual success?
I suppose an additional question to consider in addition to “What are you living for” is “Is it worth it?” If it sets a bad example for others, is it worth it? If it costs you your integrity, is it worth it? If you have to hide it from your spouse, is it worth it? If it requires risking your job, is it worth it? If it means you don’t have time to serve the Lord, is it worth it? If it takes you away from your family, is it worth it? If it cost you your friendships, is it worth it? What are you living for, AND is it worth it?
The famous missionary, Jim Elliot had it right when he said, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose.”
Jim Elliot had found faith in Jesus Christ worth it. He found Jesus worth living for. He found that the things of the world which will fade, which will spoil, which lose their value when you drive them off of the lot, which won’t last beyond this life (if they last for more than a few years) he found them worth giving up in order to gain Christ. The Apostle Paul put it this way, “For me to live is Christ.”
Jim Elliot and the Apostle Paul didn’t come to those conclusions simply from hearing someone else talk about Jesus, but they came to the conclusion because they met Jesus personally and gave Him the opportunity to reveal Who He is, why He came, and how He could change their lives for the better.
As I begin a new series on the Questions of Jesus, I want to invite you to answer Jesus’ questions personally. Answer as if He was asking each of us the same questions, He asked His followers in the Bible. Be honest. Today, Jesus is asking you what are you seeking and what are you living for?
