The brief messaging back and forth predated Twitter by a couple of millennia, yet one can imagine the ancient exchange as a modern-day Tweet. Jesus is walking along and notices that he has a couple of followers. He asks them what they’re looking for. They respond with a short question, in essence: Where are you staying? Jesus’ response, an invitation, is equally brief and direct: “Come and see” (see John 1:35–42).
No preaching. No teaching. Just a few simple words, and yet, according to the Gospel of John, the two new followers of Jesus decided to follow along and learn more, and ended up spending a day with him.
The scene is a no-brainer for people of faith today. Of course they followed him, as did thousands of others throughout his ministry. Nothing phenomenal there. Jesus’ reputation for restoring health, even in such an unconventional way, spiritually, naturally attracted huge crowds of the curious as well as the sick and suffering. The stakes were high: People needed a healthier, better life.
