Fellowship and fruitfulness
They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?” He said to them, “Come and see” (John 1:38-39).
“Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them (Luke 24:29).
It is interesting to compare the Lord’s first disciples’ experience at the beginning of John’s Gospel with that of the two on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24, after the Lord’s resurrection. It seems the Holy Spirit is reinforcing the connection between fellowship with the Lord and the fruitfulness which emerges from it.
In John 1, Andrew and his friend follow Jesus. Following the Lord leads to fellowship with the Lord. We can follow at a distance, and hesitantly. But once we take those steps of faith, seeking to know the Saviour, He quickly draws us closer. Jesus had asked them what they wanted, and they replied, “Where are you staying?” This simple conversation begins a relationship with the Lord which would last the rest of their lives, and take them into eternity. The Lord’s invitation to “come and see” is a vital one. It is by coming into the Lord’s presence that our spiritual eyes are opened. This principle is fundamental to the Christian pathway. To deepen our knowledge of Christ, we must come and see; to become more faithful disciples, we must come and see; to know the will of God, we must come and see. Our minds and understanding are opened by the Holy Spirit’s application of God’s word to our hearts. The result is fruitfulness. In the case of Andrew, it immediately led him to bring Peter to Christ. This is an aspect of fruitfulness we should not overlook. Knowing the Saviour produces within us a desire to bring others to Christ. As a young Christian, I was impressed by a series of books by G.F. Dempster, including “Finding Men for Christ”. They record the author’s commitment to a ministry of personal evangelism and were a great encouragement to being guided by Christ, as one’s faith is shared.
In Luke 24, as the Lord “made as though He would have gone further” (AV), the two disciples invited Him into their home. (It is a very well-known passage of Scripture. But familiarity with Scripture should never rob us of the depth of learning we find in the most uncomplicated narrative, nor should we despise its repeated teaching.) It is critical to our spiritual blessing that the Lord should be the centre of our hearts and homes. It is the experience of the Lord in our personal lives that produces fruitfulness in our fellowship. The Lord’s revelation of the Scriptures to His disciples’ hearts led to a desire in them not to lose His company. In their home, they saw the risen Saviour. This immediately led them to share their experience with their fellow disciples. Their fruitfulness was ministering the living Christ to their brothers and sisters in Christ. It resulted in Him being at the centre of the hearts of His people (v. 36).
John 1 and Luke 24 teach us the Lord is central to our hearts, home, witness and fellowship. Each day we need to hear His words, “Come and see” and be encouraged to share our faith in Him, and to have hearts which appeal to the Lord to “abide with us” in every aspect of our lives.
