Come and See for Yourself
Month 3: Come, Follow Me · Heart Matters
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 1:38-39
38 Jesus turned and saw them following. “What do you want?” He asked. They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are You staying?” 39 “Come and see,” He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour.
Memory Verse
“The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.””— John 1:43 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Joshua 19-22
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Day 64 of 365 — cities of refuge and a tense moment over a misunderstood altar.)The Heart of It
The first words Jesus speaks in John's Gospel are a question. "What do you seek?" (). He doesn't begin with a lecture or a list of rules. He begins by asking what's really going on inside their hearts. That's the kind of Savior He is. He cares about what you actually want. He cares what you're chasing and what your heart is reaching for. When they ask where He's staying, He doesn't hand them an address. He says, "Come and see." It's as if He's saying, come spend time with Me and find out for yourself.
That gentle invitation tells us so much about following Jesus. He's not afraid of our questions. And He doesn't want a faith we just borrowed from someone else. He invites us close enough to see who He really is. Christianity has never been "just take our word for it." It's "come and see." But notice what that asks of our hearts. You have to be willing to come. The two disciples could have stayed at a polite distance, but instead they went and stayed with Him. The honest question Jesus puts to your heart tonight is the same one He asked them. What are you really seeking? And the warm invitation is the same too. Come and see.
Around the Table
Jesus asked the men, "What are you looking for?" Then He said, "Come and see!" Jesus loves it when we come close.
Let's do it: Take turns finishing this sentence: "Jesus, I want to come close to You because…"
Jesus' first words were a question about their hearts. He still asks us today, "What do you really want?"
Let's talk: If Jesus asked you, "What do you seek?" what would you honestly say?
Jesus doesn't want a faith we only borrowed from others. "Come and see" means we're invited to know Him for ourselves, not just hear about Him.
Let's go deeper: Is your faith mostly borrowed from your family right now? Or have you started to "come and see" for yourself?
💬 Conversation Starter
If you could ask Jesus one question and get a real answer, what would you ask?— He's not afraid of our questions. He says, "Come and see."
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Jesus never feared honest questions. His very first words in John's Gospel are a question right back. A faith that says "come and see" isn't hiding anything. It welcomes a closer look, because the truth holds up.
For Dad · Go Deeper
"What do you seek?" is a searching question for fathers, not just children. We can be busy for Jesus while our own hearts are quietly seeking something else. Maybe it's approval, or control, or comfort, or just a quiet house. Let Him ask you tonight: what am I really after? Then receive the same invitation you're offering your kids. "Come and see." Following Jesus isn't fueled by willpower. It's fueled by nearness. The disciples "remained with Him that day," and everything changed. The most important discipleship in your home is not the program you run. It's the time you spend with Jesus. Your children will catch a faith that's real to you long before they obey a faith that's only required of them.
Draws on: John Piper, When I Don't Desire God; J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on John.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, search our hearts. Show us what we're really seeking. Draw us close to Jesus, so we can come and see how good He is. In Jesus' name, amen."
Jesus asks what my heart wants. Then He invites me to come and see.