Come and See

Introduction

Everyone is searching for something.

True statement?

As a child of the eighties, I remember humming the catchy tune of “Sweet Dreams” by the British duo Eurythmics. Throughout the song there is a recurring theme which talks about a person’s never-ending search for contentment.

The singer says:

“Sweet dreams are made of this

Who am I to disagree?

Read more at: https://www.songmeaningsandfacts.com/meaning-of-sweet-dreams-are-made-of-this-by-eurythmics/

I travel the world

And the seven seas

Everybody’s looking for something.”

In many ways, the arts express the

According to her 2001 biography, the songwriter, Annie Lennox, explains that she wrote the song during a dark time in her life when she was feeling “desperately unhappy, and that the lyrics describe mankind’s quest to find fulfillment in life. Lennox points out how, even after “travelling the seven seas” mankind remains in “this perpetual state of seeking.”

In many respects art is the sight and sound of a society’s beliefs and desires. And in this case, “Sweet Dreams” expresses the universal fact that mankind is on a quest for meaning and fulfillment in life.

People chase many different things in their search for meaning: fame, wealth, religion, relationships. Some feel they have found it in one of those areas. But inevitably and at some point, people discover the things they thought would bring them security or satisfaction in life end up leaving them empty and they find themselves seeking something that will satisfy.

This is the situation many find themselves in today in the face of a global pandemic. The things people held onto to make them happy or give them security are gone or threatened.

So, if all of us are searching for something, what is it that we are looking for? What is it that YOU are looking for? Is there something that will satisfy the deepest longings of our heart and once and for all give meaning to this life?

This is the question John answers in the passage we are going to study today.

In Annie Lennox’s 2001 biography titled Annie Lennox: The Biography, Lennox shed more light on the meaning of “Sweet Dreams”. According to her, the lyrics focus on mankind’s quest to find fulfillment in life. And in doing so, mankind is motivated by their “sweet dreams”.

Read more at: https://www.songmeaningsandfacts.com/meaning-of-sweet-dreams-are-made-of-this-by-eurythmics/

Everyone — no matter what sort of worldly empire they’ve built, inherited, or stumbled upon — has some cross to bear. Everyone is perpetually searching for something they will never find on this side of eternity, whether or not we even realize it. Often, it’s not even possible to understand or articulate what that “something” is, but we look for it nonetheless, and we each have different ways of trying to find it.

- Peter Warski

(https://peterwarski.com/everyone-is-searching-for-something-greater-f40fa724f223)

Read (Scripture Video)

(Scripture Video)

Whether you are a fan of eighties music or not, it is clear in this passage that people are searching for something.

In this passage, we have the story of how some of Jesus’ earliest disciples found him and began to follow him.

And 19 times we see words related to seeing, searching and finding:

36- “[John] looked at Jesus. . . and said, Behold”

38 “Jesus turned and saw them following”

39 (ESV)

39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying. . .”

(ESV)

39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

41 He (Andrew) first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah”

42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him. . .

43 Jesus found Philip

45 Philip found Nathanael and told him they had found the promised One

On and on it goes through this passage - People looking, people searching, people finding, and people being found.

In fact, so important is this point for John that the very first words of Jesus he records in his Gospel form a probing question to those who are preparing to follow Jesus.

(ESV)

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!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?”

We’re told in verse 40 that one of these two disciples is Andrew, but John doesn’t give us the name of the other disciple and that is probably because HE WAS THAT DISCIPLE.

Throughout his Gospel, we see the humility of John as he will often refer to himself as an unnamed disciple or as “the one whom Jesus loved.”

But think about the impact that this question must have had on John that he would make that the first recorded words of Jesus.

ILLUST - Do you remember the first words your spouse or your significant other ever spoke to you? Maybe it was some cheesy pick up line. Maybe you don’t remember the first words, but you probably remember the first time the important words were said - “I love you,” “ I like-like you,” “Will you marry me,” “We’re pregnant!”

Life altering words

This may not have been the first time John heard Jesus speak, but John records these words because they are life-altering. “What are you seeking?” - What do you really want? John and Andrew’s initial response probably reveals their lack of full understanding at the time about the question and who Jesus really was when they ask where Jesus is staying.

They call him ‘Rabbi,’ so they understand that Jesus can teach them something - They can believe he can satisfy something they are searching for by being their new teacher, but they don’t have the full understanding that JESUS is the complete answer to the question he asked.

His current teacher, John the Baptist, sees Jesus, knows who Jesus is, and points his students

This question was life-altering to John and it’s life-altering to YOU as well as we talk about Jesus and you hear him ask you, “What are you seeking?”

This question sets up the entire rest of John’s Gospel as everything he writes from here on answers that question for you. John tells us at the end of his Gospel:

(ESV)

31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

And the ‘life’ that John is talking about is the ‘life’ that Jesus talked about when he said:

(ESV)

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

That life is first and foremost the promise of eternal life that only Jesus can give. When you have the security of eternal life, than this earthly life becomes supernaturally-infused with meaning, purpose, and satisfaction.

In pointing out the importance of this question John wants us to see that

*Jesus is not just something that some people use to find meaning in their life — he IS the source of meaning and the source of life.*

Jesus is NOT some religious add-on to an already busy life that might be one more thing we can add to the mix in our search for meaning.

Unfortunately, that’s how some of us treat Jesus — as AN ingredient in our mix for meaning and purpose.

Some of us kind of think of Jesus as a once-a-week add-on or a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency kind of genie that we look to when all of the other things we are chasing for meaning fail.

How do I know this is the case?

Because when something like a global pandemic threatens or removes the other areas of our lives from which we draw meaning - our jobs, our money, our families, our health — the emotions that emerge indicate the level of importance that area had in our lives, and the degree to which we leaned on it for satisfaction.

Instead, the point John is making is that when you un

*

So, What are you seeking? How would you fill in the blank, “If I could only have,” or “As long as I never lose ________” I’ll be happy, I’ll feel fulfilled.

Notice Jesus doesn’t simply answer John and Andrew’s question about where he is staying with a simple factual response about lodging. Instead, he gives them an invitation to “Come and see” - to join in and experience how Jesus is the final source of meaning in this life.

In His response to John and Andrew,

*Jesus is not asking for [your] casual acceptance, he inviting [your] total devotion.*

Jesus doesn’t want you learn something because of him; he wants you to become something

All throughout this passage, you have this theme of searching and finding.

ILLUST - Hide and seek?

36- “[John] looked at Jesus. . . and said, Behold”

38 “Jesus turned and saw them following”

John helps us see this by giving us the account of how some of Jesus’ first disciples began to follow him.

In our passage, John is giving us two big truths:

Jesus is who we are searching for. And because of this,

Jesus is worth following.

(ESV)

These two truths are seen as each of these five men realize who Jesus is, begin to follow him, and in turn, call others to follow him as well.

43 The next day Jesu

We can definitely see that John’s

Words of people searching and statements of people finding.

They find in Jesus what they had been searching for and Someone worth giving everything to follow.

- 19 times- "look", "saw" , "find"

John wants US to see who Jesus is, and realize he is worth giving everything to follow.

This passage tells us Jesus is Who we are searching for through his titles and he is worth following 2 truth claims in the passage

John

(ESV)

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!”

36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

Lamb of God (36)

Lamb of God (36)

This is same term John the Baptist uses in a public declaration of Jesus in v29.

We understand this to be a term used to identify Jesus as God’s promised Messiah but we can’t be sure John and Andrew would have fully understood that yet.

What we DO know they would have understood is the Jewish concept of the sacrificial lamb of the Jewish Temple.

Remember, John the Baptist’s father was a priest so he would have vivid memories of a lamb being sacrificed every day — once in the morning and once in the evening and even more on festival days.

A person would bring a perfect lamb, place their hands over the animal signifying the placing of their sins on the lamb. The lamb’s throat would be slit, it would be prepared and laid on the altar dying as a substitute for the person so that symbolically having their sins removed, they could be in relationship with God.

So what John learns (and what we learn) from John the Baptist’s statement about Jesus is:

Jesus saves you.

When John and Andrew hear John the Baptist say this, they begin to follow Jesus. This is the entranceway into following Jesus - understanding that Jesus was God’s sacrificial lamb for you — God placed on Jesus, not symbolically, but literally placed the consequence of your sin on Jesus at the cross in order to save you from a meaningless life apart from him. Jesus is the fulfillment of all religion. I didn’t say that all religion can lead you to God — Jesus is the Only Way — but Jesus is the fulfillment of religion because all religion is man’s way to attempt to reach God — to have a relationship with God — We all have that searching deep within our hearts.

This is the beginning of finding the source of meaning in life — to understand that your need a Savior — and it’s Jesus.

Rabbi/Teacher (38)

Andrew

After John and Andrew start to follow Jesus is when Jesus asks the two men why they are following him, and we are not sure who, but one of them responds by addressing Jesus as

Rabbi/Teacher (38)

(ESV)

38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”

They were looking to Jesus to give them answers. They were following him as their Rabbi. In their day, a Rabbi was, as John defined, a teacher. And you would follow your teacher — in fact, it was said that “a disciple would be covered in the dust of his teacher,” meaning he would literally follow the teacher into every area of the teacher’s life so that he could learn to live just like the Rabbi.

So, in inviting John and Andrew to “come and see” — to follow him, we see that

Jesus satisfies your deepest longings and biggest questions.

As Creator, as Lord, as God Himself, there is NO part of your life that as you walk with Jesus that he does not satisfy you in and guide you through.

Andrew, (unlike many of us as brothers) wants to tell his brother, Peter about the wonderful thing he has found.

Peter

(ESV)

41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus.

Messiah/Christ (41)

For John’s Jewish audience he tells them Andrew calls Jesus the Messiah but to help his non-Jewish audience John explains it as ‘the Christ.’

Not Jesus’ last name but a title that meant, “Anointed One.” To be anointed meant to be given authority.

In OT, the anointed:

Prophets

Priests

Kings

All positions that were uniquely given by God, with specific authority to accomplish God’s purpose. And that’s exactly what the Messiah was expected to do and that is exactly what Jesus did. Jesus perfectly fills all three roles:

When speaking in the Temple in Nazareth:

Prophet

(ESV)

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

The role of a Priest is to serve as a mediator between God and the people:

(ESV)

and recovering of sight to the blind,

5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

Jesus is also claimed to be king not only later in this passage but also right before his death when he stood before Pilate and Pilate asked Jesus if he was King of the Jews:

(ESV)

36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world.

With this God-given authority as the Messiah - Anointed One, Jesus looks at Peter and renames him.

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

Names throughout the Bible names were given for special reasons. Your parents gave you a name usually based on a character trait you possessed or hoped to one day possess.

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

ILLUST - Quarantine Name - last emotion you felt + the last thing you ate. For a while my quarantine name was “Stressed-Out Chicken Nugget”

It wasn’t uncommon in that day to be renamed by someone in authority or for Rabbis to give new names to their disciples.

So Jesus renames Simon “Peter” which means Rock. Even at the beginning of Peter’s faith journey with Jesus, by giving him a new name, was calling Peter into what he would become as the eventual leader of the Twelve disciples - a rock of faith.

Jesus sees you and who he is making you to be.

No matter the names you a known by now, Jesus knows you and who he is making you to be as you follow him.

Philip

Shortly after this Jesus is in Galilee and he finds Philip and he calls Philip to follow him.

Jesus of Nazareth (45)

Philip recognizes the humanity of Jesus, that Jesus was from a real place and a real family. Because of this Jesus is not just a spiritual idea that is good for me and may not be the truth for you. Because Jesus is a real person from a real place at a real time He is the TRUTH not just for me but for you and the whole world.

Philip recognizes that this Truth found him and so he goes and finds Nathanael to give him the same truth.

Jesus finds you and gives you a new purpose in finding others.

This is discipleship - being found by Jesus and leading others to be found be Jesus.

Disciples of Jesus lead others to Jesus.

43-45-Jesus found Philip, Philip found Nathanael, claims to have found Jesus-who found who?

Nathanael

Then we come to Nathanael who seems to be the most skeptical of five men in the story — at first.

Philip tells Nathanael that Jesus was

him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

the Messiah. And Nathanael is not so sure. This doesn’t fit his concept of what God would do.

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.”

In that day, many believed the Messiah would be a great warrior who would get rid of the occupying force of Rome. They expected God to use the best and the most obvious avenues to accomplish his work. Instead, Philip is telling Nathanael that God has chosen to work in a different way. Sometimes it is hard for us to believe that God is at work when we don’t see him working the way we expected he would.

What does Philip say to Nathanael? Come and See. Same as Jesus’ call to John and Andrew. An invitation to test - to bring the little faith you have and see how God is at work.

Jesus sees Nathanael from a distance and talks as if he already knows Nathanael by saying hi is an “Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Something someone could only know at a heart level.

Nathanael asks how Jesus could truly know him and Jesus reveals a bit of his omniscience by telling him he already knew of Nathanael and Philip’s conversation under the fig tree.

Nathanael’s faith grows and he understands Jesus to be:

Son of God (49)

Jesus can take your little faith and use it for his glory.

Jesus remarks how interesting it is that simply knowing Nathanael as he spoke with Philip was the thing that caused his faith to grow and how, as Nathanael follows Jesus, his faith will grow even more when he says:

- Can I trust Him?

* Have you found in Jesus what you have been searching for or are you still searching?

Son of God (49)

Jesus is worth following.

- for each of these men, they found in Jesus what they had been searching for and their encounters with Jesus caused them to leave everything and follow him.

(ESV)

what they had been looking for and their encounters with Jesus They found in Jesus what they had been searching for and Someone worth giving everything to follow.

Jesus saves you.

Jesus satisfies your deepest longings and biggest questions.

50 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 sees you and who he is making you to be.

Renaming Simon “Peter” was

Jesus finds you and gives you a new purpose in finding others.

- 43-45-Jesus found Philip, Philip found Nathanael, claims to have found Jesus-who found who?

Jesus can take your little faith and use it for his glory.

Jesus can take your little faith and use it for his glory.

- Can I trust Him?

Because as each of these men found out,

Jesus is who we are searching for. And because of this,

Jesus can take your little faith and use it for his glory.

Jesus is worth following.

* Have you found in Jesus what you have been searching for or are you still searching?

been searching for or are you still searching?

Come and See

So, how do you do this tomorrow?

Come and See.

You’ve answered the question. Maybe being stuck at home, the fears around you or in you have given you the answer and you realize you’re not satisfied with your life the way it is. What do you do?

Come and see

Jesus is who you are searching for.

Jesus is worth following.

Come and bring to Jesus all the things in your life that you’ve tried and maybe are trying to bring you happiness and fulfillment. Maybe because of the affects of our global pandemic things have been revealed in your life that you have been looking to give you happiness, peace, satisfaction — and you didn’t even realize it until it is gone or threatened.

Bring it to him in prayer.

Then SEE — see that Jesus is all that you need. Take time with him. Commit to getting in the Word. John wrote his story about Jesus for YOU to find your satisfaction in Jesus. Because Jesus is worth following.

*Joy is the expression of a heart that is satisfied in Jesus.*

Maybe today, to find that joy, you need to commit your life to Jesus. You need to begin following him. Maybe it’s time to recommit your life to Jesus.

In writing about Anthony Bourdain:

Everyone — no matter what sort of worldly empire they’ve built, inherited, or stumbled upon — has some cross to bear. Everyone is perpetually searching for something they will never find on this side of eternity, whether or not we even realize it. Often, it’s not even possible to understand or articulate what that “something” is, but we look for it nonetheless, and we each have different ways of trying to find it.

- Peter Warski

(https://peterwarski.com/everyone-is-searching-for-something-greater-f40fa724f223)A

* Do I really find everything in Jesus or am I looking for more? I want Jesus and-