Posted on by Margarita & Stace Crews

THE TENTH HOUR /JOHN 1:39

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAYILY DEVOTION

(KJV) John 1:39

 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

The Tenth Hour: The Moment Everything Changes

We live in a world obsessed with big moments—the grand stage, the dramatic announcement, the loud and flashy breakthroughs. But if you look closely at the Gospels, you will find that God’s kingdom often arrives in the quietest, most unexpected ways.

In John 1:39, we find a seemingly minor detail that carries an ocean of theological weight. Two disciples of John the Baptist hear their teacher point at Jesus and say, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”. Curious, they begin to follow Jesus down the road. Jesus turns, looks them in the eye, and asks a foundational question: “What are you looking for?”

They respond by asking where He is staying. Jesus doesn’t hand them an address or a map. Instead, He gives a personal, open-ended invitation: “Come, and you will see.”

The Gospel writer then notes:

“So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour.“ — John 1:39

Why Mention the Tenth Hour?

In the ancient Jewish method of keeping time, the day was divided into twelve hours starting at dawn (around 6:00 AM). This means the tenth hour was roughly 4:00 PM—late afternoon, with the sun beginning its slow descent and evening fast approaching.

Why did the author bother to write down the exact time?

  1. It Was an Eyewitness Memory: John, the author of the Gospel, was likely one of those two disciples alongside Andrew. Decades later, as an old man writing this book, he still remembered the exact hour his life flipped upside down. It was 4:00 PM. That was the moment he walked into the presence of the Messiah and never looked back.
  2. The Hour of Settling In: Coming to someone at the tenth hour meant the day was winding down. You didn’t just stop by for a quick, polite chat at 4:00 PM; you stayed for dinner. You stayed the night. Jesus wasn’t offering them a rushed transactional meeting. He was inviting them into abiding presence.
  3. A Symbolic Shift: The number ten in biblical numerology often signifies completeness or the fulfillment of a cycle. The tenth hour marks the end of their old life under the law and the dawn of a new era of divine revelation and grace.

The Invitation to Abide

When Jesus invites us to “come and see,” He is inviting us into intimacy. He doesn’t meet us in a sterile boardroom; He invites us to where He is staying. He wants our late afternoons, our unhurried evenings, and our everyday spaces.

The disciples built sandcastles of their own expectations, but the moment they stepped into the presence of Christ, those little kingdoms crumbled. They went from being casual seekers to lifelong disciples whose identities were changed forever.

What time is it in your life? Are you walking through a late afternoon, wondering where God is staying? Listen closely. The invitation remains the same today: Come, and you will see.

A Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,

We thank You for the beauty of Your invitation. You do not hide from us, nor do You turn us away when we come seeking. Forgive us for the times we treat You like a quick stop on our daily schedule rather than the place where we live and move and have our being.

Lord Jesus, just as You turned to those two disciples at the tenth hour, turn Your gaze toward us today. When we ask where You are, whisper to our hearts: “Come and see.” Give us the courage to leave behind our own small kingdoms, to pull up a chair, and to truly abide in Your presence. Let this be the hour where our lives are forever changed by Your grace.

In Your holy and precious name, we pray, Amen.

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Bible Study Tools I Use

Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

  1. WILL BAPTIZE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / JOHN 1:33
  2. LAMB OF GOD / JOHN 1:29
  3. PHARISEES / JOHN 1:24
  4. GRACE AND TRUTH / JOHN 1:17
  5. THE WORD BECAME FLESH / JOHN 1:14
  6. BORN NOT OF … HUMAN DECISION / JOHN 1:13
  7. RECEIVED … BELIEVED / JOHN 1:12
  8. THE WORLD DID NOT RECOGNIZE HIM / JOHN 1:10
  9. GIVES LIGHT TO EVERY MAN / JOHN 1:9
  10. HIS NAME WAS JOHN / JOHN 1:6
  11. LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS / JOHN 1:5
  12. LIFE WAS THE LIGHT OF MEN / JOHN 1:4
  13. WITH GOD IN THE BEGINNING / JOHN 1:2
  14. THE WORD / JOHN 1:1
  15. CREWS N AWAY: ANCHORED IN GRACE

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Blessings, Margarita & Stace

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