What does John 1:39 mean?
John and Andrew (John 1:37, 40) approached Jesus cautiously. They referred to Him with respect, and asked where they might be able to find Him later (John 1:38). Instead of being too busy for John and Andrew, Jesus has time for them right now. And not merely a small amount of time; Jesus stayed with them "that day." This is another important aspect of seeking Christ: He will always have the time, and the interest, to speak to those who really want to be with Him.Jesus' personality will constantly surprise people during His earthly ministry. He was hailed as the Promised One by John the Baptist. The Baptist claimed he wasn't worthy to untie Jesus' sandals (John 1:27). And yet, Jesus offers a great deal of personal time and attention for two total strangers. John indicates that they met Jesus at "about the tenth hour." Many commentators and translators believe this refers to "four in the afternoon" (CSB, NIV, CEV, ISV, NET). Others indicate it is "10 in the morning" (HCSB). The discrepancy has to do with which time system John uses—Jewish or Roman—and whether he does so consistently throughout his gospel, specifically due to some difficulties in reconciling John 19:14 with times given in the Synoptic gospels. The Jewish time system, used in most other New Testament text, starts at sunset. The Roman time system is roughly the same as the one commonly used today: starting and ending in the middle of the night. In either case, Jesus had time for the two men.