John 1:35-39 Meaning: What Are You Looking For?
35Again, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples,
36and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
37The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), “where are you staying?”
39He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour.
35Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
36And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
37And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
39He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
35Again on the morrow John was standing, and two of his disciples;
36and he looked upon Jesus as he walked, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God!
37And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38And Jesus turned, and beheld them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? And they said unto him, Rabbi (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), where abidest thou?
39He saith unto them, Come, and ye shall see. They came therefore and saw where he abode; and they abode with him that day: it was about the tenth hour.
35On the morrow, again, John was standing, and two of his disciples,
36and having looked on Jesus walking, he saith, `Lo, the Lamb of God;'
37and the two disciples heard him speaking, and they followed Jesus.
38And Jesus having turned, and having beheld them following, saith to them, `What seek ye?' and they said to them, `Rabbi, (which is, being interpreted, Teacher,) where remainest thou?'
39He saith to them, `Come and see;' they came, and saw where he doth remain, and with him they remained that day and the hour was about the tenth.
35Again, on the morrow, there stood John and two of his disciples.
36And, looking at Jesus as he walked, he says, Behold the Lamb of God.
37And the two disciples heard him speaking, and followed Jesus.
38But Jesus having turned, and seeing them following, says to them, What seek ye? And they said to him, Rabbi (which, being interpreted, signifies Teacher), where abidest thou?
39He says to them, Come and see. They went therefore, and saw where he abode; and they abode with him that day. It was about the tenth hour.
Meaning in one sentence
John the Baptist points to Jesus as the Lamb of God. Two disciples follow Jesus; He asks them what they seek and invites them to come and see.
Context
This scene takes place in the opening days of Jesus’ public ministry. John the Baptist has already identified Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the world’s sin. Now, the next day, John is standing with two of his own disciples. When he sees Jesus walking by, he repeats that proclamation. The moment is significant: John is not building a following for himself. His whole purpose is to turn attention toward the One who is coming after him. The two disciples hear what John says, and they leave their teacher to follow Jesus. They are not rebuked for it; John’s work is done when they attach themselves to Christ. Jesus notices them following and turns to speak. His first recorded words to these new disciples are a question that goes to the heart: what are you looking for? The rest of the Gospel unfolds as the answer to that question.
Key Words
Three Greek words hold special weight here. First, the word John uses to get their attention: ide, “behold.” It is not a casual look. It is a sharp, intentional command to fix your eyes on something. John does not simply say “there he is.” He says, “Look! Really look.” The whole Christian life begins with that kind of attention directed at Jesus.
Second, Jesus’ question uses the verb zēteō, “to seek, to search for, to aim at.” It is not a surface question. Jesus is asking what these two men are after in the deepest sense. What do they want from Him? That question still waits for every person who begins to follow.
Third, the disciples ask where Jesus menō, meaning “stays, abides, remains.” And Jesus says, “Come and see,” and they go and meno with Him that day. The same verb appears fourteen more times in John’s Gospel. Following Jesus is not a quick visit. It is staying with Him.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have seen this passage as a model of authentic discipleship. Many note John the Baptist’s selflessness: he does not cling to his followers but points them to Jesus without hesitation. Commentators from Methodist, Baptist, and Reformed backgrounds all agree that John shows us what a faithful witness looks like: he decreases so Christ may increase.
The question Jesus asks, “What are you looking for?”, has been understood by most as a gentle, inviting question, not a rebuke. It opens a door for the disciples to name their desire. And the invitation “Come and see” is read as an offer of firsthand experience rather than abstract teaching. The Catholic tradition, as reflected in the Douay-Rheims translation, notes the same warmth. Across the spectrum, this passage is treasured as the moment when seeking becomes finding, and when hearing about Jesus becomes being with Him.
A common misunderstanding
Some read Jesus’ question, “What are you looking for?” as a cool distance or even a challenge, as if He was testing their motives before allowing them near. In fact, every commentator who addresses this point says Jesus asked it to put them at ease, not to put them off. He saw them following hesitantly, so He turned and opened the conversation. It was a kind invitation to speak their hearts, not a barrier to keep them out.
Living This Out
This week, you might ask yourself the same question Jesus posed to those two disciples: What am I really looking for? Not the polite Sunday answer, but the honest one. Are you after peace, answers, a solution to a problem, or something deeper, the presence of Christ Himself? The passage does not shame you for wanting any of those things. But it invites you to bring that desire to Jesus and see where He leads. Practically, that might mean setting aside twenty minutes one afternoon to simply sit with Him, not with a list of requests but with an open heart, saying, “Show me where You stay.”
Main takeaway: Following Jesus begins with asking what we truly seek and accepting His invitation to come and see where He abides.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus asked the two men what they wanted. They wanted to be with Him. He said, “Come and see.” So they went with Him and stayed all day. You can come to Jesus too. He is always glad to see you.
For ages 9, 12
When the disciples followed Jesus, He did not tell them to go away. He asked a simple question: “What are you looking for?” Then He invited them to spend time with Him. That is still how it works. You do not need to have everything figured out before you come to Jesus. You just need to want to be with Him. He will take it from there. You can talk to Him right now about what you are looking for.
Questions People Ask
Why did John the Baptist call Jesus the Lamb of God?
In the Old Testament, lambs were sacrificed for the sins of the people, especially at Passover. John used that picture to show that Jesus would be the ultimate sacrifice to take away sin, not just cover it for a year. He was pointing to Jesus as the One who would fully deal with the problem of sin.
Was John the Baptist upset that his disciples left him?
No. John's whole mission was to prepare people for the Messiah. When his disciples followed Jesus, John would have seen that as his work being completed. The commentaries note that John was humble and sincere, happily stepping aside so that Christ could take center stage.
What does Jesus mean when He asks, “What are you looking for?”
He is not scolding them. It is a gentle, open-ended question that invites them to think about what they truly want. Do they want a teacher, a miracle worker, or the Savior? By asking this, Jesus helps them clarify their own hearts before He leads them further.
Why does John mention that it was about the tenth hour?
The tenth hour was around 4:00 PM in Jewish reckoning. It was late in the day, close to evening. John probably remembered the exact hour because it was a turning point in his own life. It shows that the disciples were so eager to be with Jesus that they stayed with Him the rest of the day and into the evening.
Who were the two disciples that followed Jesus?
One of them was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. The other is not named, but many scholars believe it was John, the writer of this Gospel. He often refers to himself indirectly. If so, this passage records the moment John himself first met Jesus.
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