Come and See (John 1:35-51)

“Come and See” John 1:35-51 Intro: Our text this morning is a fascinating story about 5 people meeting Jesus: the Apostle John, Andrew and his brother Simon Peter, Philip and his friend Nathanael. If you noticed in the bulletin, my original title for this sermon was “Called to be Disciples”. When I originally looked at the text, I thought this was going to be a sermon about being called to be disciples of Jesus. But that’s not what the text is really about. Notice, the only person in these verses whom Jesus clearly calls to follow Him is Philip. All of the others come to Jesus because someone else invited them. This is much more a text about witnessing than it is about discipleship. Secondly, many have pointed out that if this was a story about a Jesus calling his disciples, it would contradict the calling narrative we find in the other gospels. In all the other gospels, John and Simon and Andrew are called by Jesus while they were fishing. Ma#hew 4:18–22 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casEng a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they leM their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they leM the boat and their father and followed him. The best way to understand this apparent discrepancy is that what we read here is not the official calling of the disciples, but rather the beginning of their relationship. The calling to discipleship in Matthew 4 happens only after these men had spent time with Jesus; had come to know him and trust Him. Our text is about the beginning of that journey of faith. In their own way, these are conversion stories. They are stories of men meeting Jesus and coming to believe in Him. If you remember, that’s the whole point of John’s gospel. “These things are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ.” This gospel is written to help the reader believe in Jesus and in these verses, John shows us how that happened in the lives of these men. I. The Testimony :35 The next day again John (the Baptist) was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” In verse 35 we see John the Baptist doing precisely what he was sent by God to do. He was sent to bear witness about the light. So, when John sees Jesus walking by he points and says, “Look, the Lamb of God.” It’s the same testimony we see in verse 29,

2 John’s calling was to tell people about Jesus. He testified that Jesus was sent from God, as a sacrificial lamb, to take away the sin of the world. Jesus was the grace of God for sinners in visible form, the mercy of God incarnate. John the Baptist had a very simple message – and it was purely and simply about Jesus. There is a very valuable insight here for us. When we hear the word “evangelize” we usually assume it means lengthy, complicated conversations with people about spiritual things in an effort to convert them. But it’s actually much simpler than that. Rico Tice in his book “Honest Evangelism” defines evangelism as “talking about Jesus”. Evangelism isn’t about complicated theological topics. It’s about sharing with others how wonderful Jesus is. I find that to be very helpful. I’m not really interested in lengthy debates with unbelievers about various religions and philosophies. And I don’t feel like I have a dynamic conversion story to share. But I like talking about Jesus. I like talking about why I love Him, and why I’m convinced He is who He is. I love talking about what He has done for the salvation of sinners and what He has promised to do when He returns. That’s evangelism in its purest form – just talking about Jesus. II. The Response John’s testimony about Jesus came with an implicit invitation to those who heard him, to examine Jesus for themselves. And that’s what happened. Two of John’s own disciples, Andrew and John, heard the testimony about Jesus, became curious, and decided they wanted to learn more. And so, they followed after Him. When Jesus asked them what they wanted, they made it clear that they wanted some personal time with him. And Jesus invited them to his home. John tells us it was about 4pm and they spent the rest of the day talking with Jesus. What an amazing experience that must have been. It clearly convinced them that Jesus was all that John the Baptist had said. In fact, Andrew quickly reached out to his brother, Simon Peter, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah.” In that lengthy conversation with Jesus, they had become believers. Notice what’s happened so far. John the Baptist testified about Jesus. Andrew heard it, spent time examining it, and came to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. And then the cycle :29 “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.’”

begins all over. Andrew testifies about Jesus to his brother, Simon Peter. And he brought him to meet Jesus. D. A. Carson, “This has been the foundational principle of truly Christian expansion ever since: new followers of Jesus bear witness of him to others, who in turn become disciples and repeat the process.” 1 This is exactly what we see in verses 43ff. In vs 43 we are told that Jesus decided to go to Galilee, where he finds Philip, and calls Philip to follow him. And what is the first thing Philip does? He testifies about Jesus to his friend, Nathanael. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Now Nathanael was a bit of a sceptic. 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” It doesn’t seem the least plausible to Nathanael that God would have the great Messiah, the Mighty Redeemer of Israel, come from Nazareth. He’s not buying it. But Philip doesn’t argue with him. He simply says, “Come and see.” Come and see for yourself. That’s another wonderful insight into evangelism. Evangelism doesn’t have to be an argument or debate. It can be that. Paul often debated with the Jewish leaders, seeking to prove to them, from the OT, that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Paul had unique gifts for that. Not everyone does. But you don’t need to argue with people. You can just invite them to “come and see”. Philip doesn’t argue with Nathanael’s critique. He just invites his friend to examine Jesus for himself. Come and see. It’s a great way to evangelize. Dominick Santore, “I’ve seen people come to our bible studies, and show up to church on Sunday nights...because some of the people here simply asked them to come and see. Come and see is not “getting with the program”, or being “sold out.” Come and see is inviting people to hear the words of God.....The best thing you can do, for anyone, is simply invite them to come and see.”2 Come and see could look like inviting someone to lunch once a week so you can read the gospel of Mark together. Come and see could be inviting an unconverted friend to your small group, or inviting a co-worker to join you in worship on a Sunday morning. You aren’t trying to argue with them or debate with them. You are just inviting them to investigate the truth about Jesus. Come and see. 1 Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 155). Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans. 2 h#ps://www.1517.org/ar1cles/come-and-see 3

When people accept that invitation, God often works the miracle of faith. That’s what happened to Nathanael. As he made his way to Jesus, he was clearly a sceptic, highly doubtful. Imagine his shock as the following conversation unfolds. 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Isn’t that wonderful?? Jesus knows all about Nathanael’s skepticism. And so, He hits him with a very personal display of divine omniscience. Imagine how stunned Nathanael must have been. Jesus knew him and saw where he was sitting, from miles away, and before Nathanael had ever met him. And, in a moment, his skepticism was replaced with faith. 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” What happened to Nathanael?? He came and he saw. And that’s precisely what John desires for all of his readers. He wants his readers to see the truth about Jesus, and seeing, come to faith. What does John want us to see about Jesus in these verses? They are packed with truth about Jesus. III. The Truth Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That was John’s testimony – and it is at the very heart of the gospel message. This is why Jesus came. This is why He was sent. Jesus came to deal with the devastation of Adam’s fall by atoning for man’s sin. Jesus came as the light of life to wipe away the shadow of death. Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Christ of God. Christ means “anointed”. Jesus of Galilee is the Savior anointed by God the Father to redeem His people and usher in the kingdom of God. Jesus was chosen and anointed to remove the curse of death that the wolf could dwell with the lamb and the leopard lie down with the young goat and the calf and the lion together – and a little child shall lead them. (Isaiah 11:6) Jesus is the Lord who determines our destiny. Notice what Jesus says to Simon. :42 Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You shall be called Cephas (which means Peter).” This was the very first time Peter ever met Jesus. And as he walked through the door, Jesus looked at him and named him! Naming, in the Bible, is an act of authority. When Jesus renames Simon, He is declaring His sovereign Lordship over Him. But it’s a reign of grace. 4

5 For when Jesus renames Simon, He enlists Simon into His own service and reveals Simon new calling in the gospel cause. Peter’s destiny in Christ’s kingdom is to become a leader of Christ’s church – purely by God’s grace. 4. Jesus, as the Son of God, is the Mediator between God and Man. Notice what Jesus says to Nathanael. In verse 49, Nathanael exclaims, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” Jesus is alluding to Genesis 28 where Jacob had a vision in which a ladder reached to heaven and angels were ascending and descending on it. Jacob named that place “Bethel”, the house of God, for God was in that place. That man Jacob was renamed by God as Israel – the forefather of the nation. Jesus here claims that He is the true Israel, and that the place God meets with men is not Bethel, but in His own body and blood. He the presence of God on earth. He is the mediator between God and man. And there is no other. This is who Jesus is. This is what John wants us to see. This is what we are called to believe, and this is what we are to confess before the world. We are like Andrew and John and Peter and Nathanael. If we have faith, it is because someone told us about Jesus. Someone testified to us. Maybe it was our parents. Maybe a friend. Maybe a pastor or teacher or a combination of all the above. But no one here came to faith in another way. If you believe it is because someone took the time to tell you about Jesus. And God used that testimony to stir your heart, and open your eyes, and bring you to repentance and faith. And now we are called to be the witnesses to those who are still lost. That’s how it works. That’s how it’s always worked. I don’t know how the Reformed community lost sight of this – but it is essential that we regain it. As those who have come to know Christ, we have a divine responsibility to testify to him. The world around us is more ready to listen than we might think. In 2022, the Evangelical Alliance in Great Britain did a survey of 4,000 non-Christians in the UK to examine how open people were to having a conversation about Jesus. The results were shocking. 66% of those surveyed said that they would be willing to have a conversation about the faith with a Christian friend. Unfortunately, in the same

survey, only 55% of the non-Christians who knew a Christian said that a Christian had ever talked to them about Jesus. Jesus said the field are white unto harvest – but the laborers are few. The primary problem isn’t that people are rejecting our witness – but that believers aren’t witnessing. We aren’t talking about Jesus. We aren’t even saying, “Come and see”. I saw the following statistic which was telling. 6 73% of people who don’t attend church were never invited. Only 2% of church members invite an unchurched person to church. “Who are you going to invite to church this year? Write their name down, ...pray for them and when the moment is right, actually invite them to church. Tell them you’ll meet them at the door, sit with them and maybe even grab coffee to discuss what they thought about it. You never know what God can do through the power of a simple invitation, but you can rest assured that they most likely will never come unless you ask them.” 3 Harvest, my prayer is that God would help us to grow in this – beginning with me. I want to be a better witness, to find opportunities to talk about Jesus and invite people to “come and see”. God can do amazing things when we do. I’d like to close with a story about a college girl named Maite. Maite grew up in a Christian home but was very reluctant to evangelize. She had a hard time publicly confessing she was a Christian much less initiate a conversation about Jesus. But God was at work. In her freshman year, she ended up as a roommate to Sarah, an unconverted science major who was interested in New Age spirituality. As Sarah and Maite became friends, Maite began slowly acknowledging her faith in Jesus. Sarah didn’t seem to mind. In fact, when Sarah was experiencing great anxiety about her classes, she asked Maite to pray for her. One night, Sarah was sharing about what she was learning in her New Age books – how everything in your life is connected and there are signs everywhere. Maite sensed that the Lord was calling her to speak up. She writes, “It was pitch-black dark in the room, and everything seemed calm, but I felt like my heart was going to pop out of my body, it was pounding so hard. I had this unnerving feeling that God was not going to let me fall asleep until I took this next step. So, I took a deep breath and asked if she'd be interested in taking a look at what Jesus had to say about some of those things. She answered easily, sure, when can we start? 3 hAps://www.rivervalley.org/post/the-1-reason-why-your-friends-wont-come-to-church#

7 As they began reading Scripture together Sarah soaked in the stories of Jesus and was open to hearing how His words connected with her life. So, when April rolled around Sarah was more than willing to go with Maite to a weekend retreat called Up Close. The retreat was held on Catalina island, an hour-long ferry ride from Los Angeles. The first night they were on the island, Sarah prayed for a sign. She told Maite that she couldn't trust Jesus unless she had some proof. She said bluntly, “I am a science major, so I just need some evidence”. The following morning one of the staff, John, taught out of John 6 where Jesus proclaims “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” Maite remembers that moment very well. She writes, “The whole talk was about bread. Bread stories, bread symbolism, bread scriptures, bread, bread, bread. Halfway through it hit me. My mind flashed back to our boat ride over to Catalina. Sarah and I had played a word game on the boat period of all the words in the dictionary, the one that she had picked was bread. So as I'm sitting listening to John preach, this connection dawns on me, and I look over at Sarah. Tears are streaming down her cheeks, and she looks at me, smiles and mouths bread.” Sarah was amazed that God had given her this sign. That night at the evening session john called for those who wanted to come alive like Lazarus to stand, and Sarah went up strong. Unashamed and boldly she stood up for Jesus. And Maite concludes the story with this. “I could not contain myself as I sat next to her, trembling with joy. I had never seen such a beautiful thing, and I knew that moment that I’d never be the same. This was even better than when I became a Christian!”4 4 Don Everts and Doug Schaupp, I Once was Lost pg 104-5.