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Identity: What Are You Seeking? (Part 1)
- Dr Alfonse Javed
- Feb 15
- 9 min read
Updated: Feb 20
Don’t retreat into hiding, but answer Jesus’ question, “What are you seeking?” honestly because what you seek shapes who you become.
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 say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
What if one question could change everything— everything you think defines your identity, the world, and your future? In John 1:37-42, that one question is “What are you seeking?” If answered honestly, it can change everything because what you seek shapes who you become.
The Problem
Many people don’t know what they are seeking. They drift through relationships, careers, achievements, and fleeting pleasures and still feel empty. They need to know that it is like drinking salt water in the ocean; the more you drink, the thirstier you become. Therefore, the Bible teaches “seek first the Kingdom of God… and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
So far in John 1:19-51, seeking first the Kingdom of God secured John the Baptist’s identity to the point that he redirected his own disciples to Jesus. In John 1:37-42, when they began to follow Jesus, they were asked the same piercing question, “What are you seeking?” That question launched restless seekers into a journey of transformation.
The Big Idea
If you want to end restlessness in pursuit of identity and experience total transformation, then you, too, must answer the question, “What are you seeking?” because what you seek shapes who you become. So, what are you seeking this today? In our text, we will see that when we answer that question honestly, three movements: displaced identity, disclosed identity, and designated identity, restore our original identity. Today, we focus on the displaced identity.
The Displaced Identity (John 1:37-39)
John 1:37-39 says, “37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.” I use the word, “displaced,” because in the meta-narrative of the Bible, our original identity was replaced with confusion, lostness, and brokenness because of sin, Satan, and self-deception.
Genesis 1:26–27 teaches that humanity originally was created in the image of God. The doctrine of the Imago Dei says our original identity was to reflect God’s character and rule under His authority. However, in Genesis 3, the first man and woman misdirected their worship and tried to construct an identity apart from God. That displaced identity didn’t just create psychological confusion; it created a theological rupture.
Think of displacement as a picture frame knocked off center. The image is still there, but it is distorted and tilted. Humanity still bears God’s image, but sin has knocked it out of alignment, and only the Cross can correct the alignment. Only Christ can restore the original identity. This is what the disciples experienced. In John 1:37–39, we find three restorative steps that reverse that displacement: disruption, diagnostic, and dwelling.
The Disruption (John 1:37)
John 1:37 reads, “37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.” These men thought they had a stable identity as disciples of John the Baptist. Yet when John testified, “Behold, the Lamb of God,” their hearts were stirred. Their former identity was no longer sufficient.
The Gospel Principle We Learn in Disruption
To receive a new identity, they had to release the old one. In doing so, they didn’t lose anything but gained everything.
Think of a child outgrowing shoes. Shoes that once fit comfortably suddenly feel tight and restrictive. The discomfort is not a problem; it is proof of growth. In the same way, spiritual discomfort and restlessness can signal that God is stretching you toward something greater. Some of you might be feeling that you are stretched to the maximum. Perhaps you are thinking, “I don't know how much more I can take.” Perhaps you are in a situation where restlessness and discomfort are too much. What if God is stretching you so you can grow? What if He is stretching you towards something greater so that He can move you from being a disciple to a mature disciple?
Contrast the Disruption with the Eden Account, Where Our Original Identity Was Stolen
In Genesis, restlessness came from deception and self-glory. Here, restlessness comes from a truthful witness for God’s glory. That means that not all restlessness is sinful. Sometimes it is a gracious divine disruption. It is like a smoke alarm, loud and uncomfortable, but it is a gift. It disrupts peace to save life. Divine disruption functions the same way. It interrupts comfort and causes restlessness to awaken purpose. Nevertheless, it requires discernment because one kind of restlessness drives you toward self-exaltation; the other, toward Christ-exaltation. One is God-centered and the other is self-centered. One pursues God’s agenda and the other pursues one’s own agenda. One is a trap; the other is a trail toward home.
Application
Divine disruption is recognized not by feelings alone but by alignment with God’s Word for God’s glory. So, don’t silence holy restlessness; follow Jesus through it. Let dissatisfaction with lesser things deepen your satisfaction in Christ.
The Diagnostic (John 1:38a)
John 1:38a continues, “Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” These are the first recorded words of Jesus in the Gospel of John. They function as a spiritual diagnostic. It is a sort of spiritual X-ray. Just as an X-ray reveals fractures invisible to the naked eye, this diagnostic question exposes fractures in the heart— desires that we hide even from ourselves. Jesus’ question, “What are you seeking?” forced the disciples to confront their internal displacement. They realize they aren’t looking for a “what,” but a “where,” specifically, where Jesus is. That is evident in their response, in John 1:38b, “And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”
The Gospel Principle We Learn in Diagnostic
Their identity began to shift from seekers of truth to followers of the truth when they realized they were no longer seeking merely information about truth but proximity to the One who is the Truth. It is like someone endlessly researching restaurants online but never actually sitting down to eat. Information cannot satisfy hunger; only presence at the table can. Many people study Jesus without experiencing His presence.
Contrast the Diagnostic with the Eden Account, Where Our Original Identity Was Stolen
Like God’s question to Adam in Genesis 3:9, “Where are you?” Jesus’ question in John 1:38 is not divine ignorance but divine invitation to experience His presence. God asks questions to awaken us to truths we avoid. These questions expose the orientation of our desires. God doesn't ask questions because He is ignorant; He asks so that we will stop being ignorant of our own hearts. The question is, do you hear Him asking you, “Where are you?” Where are you in your private, personal, and public life? Where are you in your faith journey, your walk with Jesus, and your commitment to Him? Jesus’ question confronts us in the same was it confronted the disciples. It asks not about surface behavior but about ultimate desire. Identity is shaped by what we love most.
Application
Stop seeking merely the gifts of Christ and start seeking the presence of Christ, the gift-giver. Examine what actually governs your decisions, ambitions, and affections.
The Dwelling (John 1:38b-39)
Our focus verses, John 1:37-39, concludes, “He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.” What begins with following ends with staying. Many follow Jesus casually, but few intend to dwell with Him.
The Gospel Principle We Learn in Dwelling
Transformation requires abiding in Jesus, that is, the idea of dwelling, staying with Him and Him in us. Think of a tea bag in hot water. A quick dip produces faint color, but sustained immersion releases flavor. Occasional contact with Christ produces shallow change; abiding produces deep transformation.
Contrast the Dwelling with the Eden Account, Where Our Original Identity Was Stolen
Genesis 3:8 indicates God’s dwelling with Adam and Eve, yet they mistook God’s dwelling for only a visitation. Staying with Jesus is not occasional visitation; it is relational union. Where you dwell shapes who you become. If you dwell in the world’s narratives, you mirror its confusion. If you dwell with Christ, you reflect His character.
The last time, when I was in Pakistan with my wife and children, my sister told me not to go out by ourselves and it's not safe for us. I asked why not; I speak Punjabi, I wear a shalwar kameez, and I am clearly Pakistani. Yet my sister said, “Everyone knows you're American. You walk like them, you smile like them, you behave like them.”
The idea is that you eventually carry the scent of the place where you dwell. You see, you carry the imprint of the place you inhabit. Spiritually, the same is true: abiding with Christ leaves a visible imprint on your life.
Application
Restoration of identity requires sustained communion with Christ. Release former identities and intentionally cultivate habits of abiding— prayer, Scripture, obedience, and fellowship. The path to restoration starts there and reverses the process that displaced our identity in the first place, which, interestingly, follows the same order: disruption, diagnostic, and dwelling.
Closing Thought
Picture an iron in a forge. When placed in fire long enough, it begins to glow like the fire itself. It never becomes fire in essence, but it reflects the fire’s heat and light. Abiding in Christ, that is, dwelling in Him, does the same to the believer. Identity is not stabilized by introspection but by abiding in Christ. When Christ becomes what you seek, He reshapes who you are.
Action Step
Rather than more teachings, see how seeing Christ, speaking of Christ, surrendering to Christ, and seeking Christ leads to staying with Christ in a believer’s testimony.
Appeal
Think about how a GPS works. If you enter the wrong destination, it does not matter how safe, fast, careful, or skillful you drive— you will end up in the wrong place. The problem is that many people are spiritually exhausted, not because they are lazy, but because they are pursuing the wrong destination and are going in the wrong direction. Today, let the Spirit disrupt your heart. Don’t retreat into hiding, but answer Jesus’ question, “What are you seeking?” honestly because, in the end, what you seek shapes who you become.
Inductive Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation, Application
Observation: What Does the Text Say?
In John 1:37–39, what actions do the two disciples take after hearing John the Baptist’s testimony?
What is the first question that Jesus asks in this passage and how do the disciples respond?
What invitation does Jesus extend in John 1:39 and how do the disciples respond to it?
How much time do the disciples spend with Jesus according to the text?
What repeated themes or words stand out in these verses (e.g., seeking, following, staying)?
Interpretation: What Does the Text Mean?
Why is Jesus’ question, “What are you seeking?” significant in the context of identity?
How does the disciples’ shift from following John to following Jesus illustrate displaced identity?
What does Jesus’ invitation, “Come and you will see,” reveal about how transformation begins?
How does the Genesis parallel (God asking questions of Adam and Eve) help us understand Jesus’ method?
What does “dwelling” or “staying” with Jesus suggest about the nature of discipleship?
Application: How Should This Change Us?
What are you currently seeking that might be shaping your identity more than Christ?
Have you experienced seasons of restlessness that led you closer to God? How did you discern their source?
In what practical ways can you “stay” or abide with Jesus daily?
Are there old identities or attachments you need to relinquish to follow Christ more fully?
How can your small group help one another seek Christ rather than merely His gifts?
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