Jesus Cuts Quick to the Core

Of the four Gospels, the Gospel of John was written last.  The others are known as the Synoptics because of their similar/common material.  As a result, John's Gospel often deals with episodes and teachings of Jesus' life that the others did not deal with.  Additionally, because John was an eye witness and one of Jesus' closest of the twelve disciples, he wrote from a different perspective than the others.

One of these episodes that John chronicles from a different perspective is the calling of the first disciples.  John's theological concern and focus of his Gospel comes through clearly when Jesus first two disciples, Andrew and most likely John, come to Jesus after Jesus' baptism.  They come looking for Jesus because of the testimony of John the Baptist.

When they finally get to Jesus, they speak simply but directly: "Behold, the Lamb of God."  Jesus' reply is, interestingly, the first thing He says in the Gospel of John perhaps is the one of the most telling as it sets the stage for the theological narrative that follows.  Jesus turns back to the two men and says, "What are you seeking." (John 1:35-38).

Perhaps this is the very same question that Christ asks us when we chase after Him.  Such a disarming question, but profound in that it places the answerer in the seat of choosing what they might desire from Jesus, to get to the core with a simple inquiry: what are you seeking?  Although it is in no way my intention to form a complete doctrine or theological status from only a couple of verses, this is enough to at least cause us to think about Christ's tactic towards people that should compel or inform our own.