John 1 _ Come and See

John 1:1-5

Jesus is the WORD.

illumination

truth

revelation

light

Jesus came as light, so the world might see the way to relationship with God.

John, the author, believes that Jesus is alive and real, and that His message can change individual lives and the entire cosmos forever.

John 1:18

Jesus helps us see God.

John wrote so that we might believe in Him.

John 20:30–31 CSB

30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Belief begins when our eyes are opened to see Jesus.

πιστεύω (pisteuō) — to believe, trust; entrust. Describes the act of believing or trusting something on the basis of its truthfulness and reliability.

The verb πιστεύω (pisteuō) occurs 241 times in the nt. Most of these indicate belief in the truth of a reality or a person. The word occurs most frequently in theological contexts where it indicates belief in the truth of the gospel (Mark 1:15; Acts 4:4; 8:12; 15:7), belief in God (John 14:1; Acts 16:34; Rom 4:24; Titus 3:8), or, most frequently, belief in Christ

“to entrust”

assign the responsibility for doing something to (someone)

put (something) into someone's care or protection:

John 1:29-36

Jesus is the Lamb of God.

Isaiah 53:7 “7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not open his mouth.”

1 Peter 1:19 “19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb.”

Revelation 5:6–8 “6 Then I saw one like a slaughtered lamb standing in the midst of the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll out of the right hand of the one seated on the throne. 8 When he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and golden bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”

How you see Jesus, matters.

if he’s just your savior, you use him like a get out of jail free card

if he’s just a good teacher, you like his teaching

if he’s just a miracle work, he becomes your prayer as a last resort

If he is Messiah and King, you entrust your life to Him.

…not just future, but currently. you live His way because He is LORD and LIFE itself.

…He gets your allegiance.

…you leave everything, to follow Him.

John 1:35 -51

When we believe and entrust our life to Jesus, the radiance of the Spirit floods our life, and we can shine the light so others can see Jesus too.

One by one as people encounter Jesus, they say out loud who they think he is. In this one chapter, Jesus is given seven titles: the Lamb of God, Son of God, Rabbi, Messiah, King of Israel, Jesus of Nazareth, and the Son of Man. These prepare us for John’s love of sevens in designing the story, which altogether make a claim that this fully human Jesus from Nazareth is the messianic King and teacher of Israel and that he’s the Son of God who will die for the sins of the world. As we consider these mind-bending claims, we next read the stories about how John the Baptist meets Jesus and then leads others to meet him and become his disciples.

Ephesians 1:17–18 “17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints,”

This often occurs because someone invites others to come and see what they have seen…

…see your faith (we bring faith to life)

…see your life and change

It’s normative (expected really) that anyone who meets the real Jesus, brings others back to meet Him too.

Discipleship involves us to believing, obeying, and leading others to do the same.

illus: Sharena & Joe

One Invitation from you to “come and see” may change their life forever.

Can people see Jesus in your attitude, habits, and priorities?

Who are you bringing along?

Take cards on your way out. Pray, asking God to show you people who need to “come and see” in your life.

______________________________________________________________________________

Talk it Over (being honest & open with friends, a spouse, or your Group)

The message was about the power of personal invitation. What is one idea from Sunday’s message that impacted you?

Read John 1:29-51. What is the Holy Spirit saying through these verses?

In what ways can we embody the light of Jesus in our daily lives?

How does the term 'Lamb of God' as described in John 1 relate to Jesus' mission?

Read Revelation 5. What is the Holy Spirit revealing about Jesus?

How does the verb πιστεύω (pisteuō) enhance our understanding of belief in Jesus?

Have you ever invited someone to “come and see”? How did it go?