This is the first post in a series where I’m sharing questions Jesus asked. In each post, you’ll find: a question, the reference, the story, and a kind reminder.
Here’s the post that started it all.
Before we get to Jesus’ question, I want to start in Genesis.
The very first question in the Bible is recorded in Genesis 3:9.
After Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God didn’t leave them. He didn’t get angry. Instead, He drew near and started a conversation. What always gets me is that He asked a question.1
“Where are you?”
He wasn’t saying, I can’t find you like in a game of hide and seek.
This is the God who had just spoken the world into being. He made man from dust, woman from a rib, and placed them in a garden of abundance. Perfect paradise.
He knew exactly where they were and what they’d done.
He knows where you are, too. He knows everything you’ve done, and He still wants you. Maybe you feel unseen, or you’re carrying doubts or feeling unworthy. Maybe you’re questioning your place. His grace is bigger than any doubt, and He promises you are still wanted and loved.
He is the God who never changes. He is slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. He is still reaching out to us. He wants us to walk and talk with Him.
Back to today’s question…
The first question we see Jesus ask in his adult ministry is found in John 1:38.2
When Jesus turned and noticed them following him, he asked them,
“What are you looking for?”
What are you looking for?
I’m using the Christian Standard Bible, but here’s a look at a few other translations.
“What are you seeking?” (ESV)3
“What do you want?” (NIV)
The day before, John the Baptizer had made an announcement. He declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” The next day, he sees Jesus again.
Two of his disciples hear him repeat the phrase and decide to follow Jesus.
When Jesus saw them following, He stopped. He turned to them and asked what they were looking for.
Why were they following? What were they hoping to find?
They respond with, Rabbi… where are you staying?
It sounds like a simple question, but it meant much more.
I can’t help but think, these were people who had been waiting a long time. Like so many generations before them, they longed for the Messiah to come. Could this finally be Him?! If it was, there’s no way they were going to miss the moment. They wanted to be with Him. To stay close.
Jesus replied, Come, and you will see.
Did he smile gently? Were His arms open as if inviting them to share in His world?
They spent the day with Him.
This question still matters today. We all have quick answers for what we want—a job, a relationship, a way out of a hard season. Maybe you’re looking for a friend, or for peace, rest, or joy. But underneath, there’s a deeper longing we sometimes miss. Ask yourself, what is your heart really searching for? When we think about this, we begin to see how our daily desires are connected to our deeper longing for Him.
But under all of those longings, whether we realize it or not, we’re looking for Him.
Picture Him there. He’s turning toward you.
What do you seek?
Why do you care?
Do you really want to know Me?
Have you counted the cost?
Are you willing to follow?
If He asked you today, could you answer honestly?
My answer… I’ve been looking for You.
I’ve tried to find You in the middle of this life, because I want to be with You.
I know You’re close, but life is hard. I’m still searching and still longing for You.
A Kind Reminder: God has been coming after your heart from the very start, and He still is. He comes after us, not because we deserve it, but because He loves us.
No matter where you are or what you’ve been searching for, the answer is the same: Come, and you will see.
When Jesus asks a question, it’s never just about words. It’s about your heart. Your trust. Your willingness to come closer. From the garden (Where are you?) to the road (What are you looking for?), He’s been drawing His people in with questions that change everything.
He’s inviting you to walk with Him.
The answer is still the same: Come, and you will see.
No matter how far you’ve wandered or what you’ve been chasing, His invitation still stands.
Where you are and what you’re seeking matter to God.
If you want to sit a little longer with Jesus' question, "What are you looking for?", I've created a simple printable for you to use this week. Paid subscribers can easily find and download it by scrolling to the bottom of this post. It includes:
Scriptures to return to + few journal questions for reflection and prayer
Space to remember where you are and what you’re genuinely seeking
You’ll also get access to the full archive of past reflection guides and Honest Questions resources.
Genesis 3:8-9 says, “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
It’s so interesting! The very first words we hear from even young Jesus (at age 12) in the New Testament are also a question. After being found in the temple courts, He asked His parents:
“Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49)
Even then, He was pointing us toward a deeper reality.
In Greek, the word for “seeking” means to crave. To long for. To search with intent!
OKAY, HERE’S WHERE THE REAL WORK BEGINS.
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