Go and Tell

Open up your bibles to John Chapter 1. I have titled this message, “Go and Tell” This week we see the first words of Jesus in this gospel, and begin to see his ministry. In this text today we are introduced to some disciples 4 in fact. John’s gospel only introduces us to 4 of 12 in the beginning unlike other gospels. These disciples we have not yet seen in this gospel, and how they react to Christ really is quite fascinating. Let us dig into the text this morning… John 1:35-51 says this…

These men came and seen who Jesus was and were forever changed, and naturally they were going to proclaim Christ. If you are taking notes this morning or following along in our bulletin the main point it this. Changed lives tell others about Jesus. And we saw in the text a few different scenarios where this is the case. Where several men experienced Christ in different ways. But what we can’t miss is that in this text every single man was introduced another individual to Christ or by Christ himself, and through each and every person we can learn how to tell people about Christ, and this started with John the Baptist.

John the Baptist pointed his disciples to Christ.

We have spend a lot of time on John the Baptist so far in our study of John and rightfully so, but as we continue studying this book we will begin to see less and less of him, but in the text today we see that John the Baptist introduces two of his disciples to Christ.

And the first words that come out of John the Baptist mouth is Behold the Lamb of God, and last week if you remember we spent a great amount of time on this very saying, because of the implications that it brings. Remember the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world. And John the Baptist who was foretelling of this coming to all, especially his disciples.

He says hey look here he is. Jesus Christ is the one I have been telling you about. The one who is far greater than me. Its him right in front of your very own eyes… You get to see the Lamb of God. Who can take away your sins. John wanted his disciples to know Jesus.

Listen to what one man said, “John provides a genuine model of what it means to be a minister or servant of God. The human tendency is to make a name for ourselves and to attach our names to the people, institutions, and things so that people will remember us. To minimize oneself in order for Jesus to become the focus of attention is the designated function of an ideal witness.”

John in this exchange puts all the focus on Christ and not himself…

And as John’s disciples saw him, Jesus speaks his very first words in this gospel and says to them. What are you seeking…

Well being John the baptists disciples we could assume with confidence that they were seeking the Christ. The one whom John was telling them could take away there sins, could transform there lives, could reveal God to them in such a way that they have never truly experienced.

And so naturally wanting to get to know him better they asked him Rabbi where are you staying. And he tells them come and you will see. So they went they followed him, they wanted to know more about Jesus, and this was about 4 o’clock when this event occured. And they spent the rest of the day with him.

And as a result of this event Andrew followed Jesus. He went from following John who told him about the one to come, to actually following the Lamb of God. Who knows what that conversation looked like, but we know that it was so transformative to Andrew that he wanted to leave something he knew to go with Christ.

And not only did he go, but he went to tell his own brother about this very man.

Andrew told his brother about Christ.

Notice the language of the text.. It says he first found his own brother and said to him, we have found the Messiah, which means Christ.

The word found here implies that someone was diligently searching for something and joyously discovers it.

His whole time with John the Baptist was finally realized when he met Christ.

Andrew learning about Jesus from John the Baptist finds the messiah, and he can’t help but sharing it with others. especially his brother. What a joy all believers should have.

Two scriptures explain this joyous finding better.

Matthew 13:44 “44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

His old life was worth leaving because of the treasure that he found in Christ.

Another is Matthew 18:12-13 “12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.”

There is no joy like finding Christ. There is not joy like finding Christ.

As Andrew knew that Joy, and thats why he brought his brother to Christ. We dont see an interaction between Christ and Simon at the time, all we see is Jesus looking at him, and telling him his old name, and giving him a new name. Unlike Andrew who was seeking Christ, Peter wasn’t but that didn’t stop Christ from giving him a new name.

His new name had power, because Cephas means the rock. And if you know who the Rock is you know he is powerful.. Peter became a rock for the early church, even though it was not in his natural ability to do so. Peter transformed by Jesus. Even when he was not seeking him.

D.A. Carson says, When Jesus calls someone he makes them what he calls them to be. Peter was not a rock, but when Christ was done with him that was very much the case.

The Scripture doesn’t end there though Jesus finds someone this time.

Philip was told by Christ to follow him. Not some long conversation we see but just following Christ.

Again not much of a story at first. Jesus found Philip and said follow me. Philip did not argue with Jesus, but we see him follow him, and much like Andrew he found someone else to tell about Jesus Christ.

Philip went to a man named Nathanael and told him. We have found whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote Jesus of Nazareth, Son of Joseph.

Now Philip would have said this because of what was said in the Old Testament about Christ. Jesus himself would testify in the gospel of Luke that everything in the Law and prophets and Psalms must be full-filled. Luke 24:44 “44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.””

unlike Simon who would become Peter, and Philip Nathanael did not immediately follow him. He rather asked him a question like Andrew, but not asking him where he was staying, rather he asked him, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Why would Nathanael ask such a question?

Well for a few reasons I believe. One Nazareth was such an insignificant place in Israel. It was a small town without much going on, no prophet or anyone ever came out of that place. It was a town that didn’t have anything going on.

It wasn’t like one of these Oklahoma towns where you see a water tower saying home of Garth brooks or Tobey Keith on it. It was a place that did not having anything going on. But Nathanael seems to know the Scriptures, and if you were with us on Wednesday night you would have heard during our study that the Christ had been predicted to be born in Bethlehem, as it says in Micah 5:2 “2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.” and Jesus was born there.

But all Nathanael knew about this man is that he was from Nazareth. One man noted, “Philip responded with the only satisfactory response possible: Come and see. ‘Honest inquiry is a sovereign cure for prejudice. Nazareth might be all that Nathanael thought, but there is an exception to prove every rule; and what an exception these young men had found!”

And when Jesus saw Nathanael an interesting encounter happened. Jesus tells Nathanael behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no deceit. This must have caught him off guard for sure, Philip told me there is a man who is Christ, and this man told me about my character, but he doesn’t even know me. How can this man know me, because I dont know him. Yet he seems to know me. He knows that I am an honest guy, yet I dont know them.

Jesus answers this man. Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree I Saw you. We dont know what went on under the fig tree, we only know that Jesus and Nathanael knew. But what we do know is that Jesus showed his sovereignty here. Showed that he knew something no-one else knew, and as a result it caused Nathanael to believe.

To proclaim what Andrew, Peter, and Philip believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God. The King of Israel. The hangup that Nathanael had became obsolete.

When one truly encounters Jesus, unbelief become belief.

Listen to Jesus response here. He said Because I said to you. I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? Jesus didn’t proclaim some lofty speech to Nathanael. He only told him about where he was at. Incredible. He acknowledged that Jesus was the one the scriptures were testifying about.

But Jesus didn’t end there he told him You will see greater things than these, Jesus Christ would show Nathanael even greater things in his life, and he gives the example of heaven’s being opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Which is found all the way back in Genesis 28:12 “12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!”

One commentator described it like this… “the explicit parallel is drawn between Jacob and Jesus: the angels ascend and descend on the Son of Man, as they ascended and descended on Jacob (for clearly that is how John understands Gn. 28:12). To see heaven opened is to be accorded a vision of divine matters (cf. Acts 10:11; Rev. 4:1; 19:11). What the disciples are promised, then, is heaven-sent confirmation that the one they have acknowledged as the Messiah has been appointed by God”

Jesus was truly going to show his disciples incredible things.

He disciples came and saw Jesus for themselves. And we see in the text the sovereignty of God Saving people.And as a result we see both Christ and Man active in evangelism. I have two points of application I want you to take note of write down this morning and thats this..

Changed lives find people who dont know Christ.

This is an application for us all. Notice the examples in the text. We see John the Baptist who was the great evangelist telling people about Jesus every opportunity he got. Pointing his own disciples to Christ, teaching them about the one who was to come to save them. He did this because he was changed. He wanted people to know Jesus.

Andrew his disciple after he left John found his very own brother to tell about Jesus. You may not think you have a big mission field because of your work, or role in the home, but what we can clearly see from Andrew is that he found his own flesh and blood to tell them about Jesus.

Each and everyone of us in this room have family that dont know Christ, and because we have been changed by Christ we should find those who are closest to us and tell them about the wonderful savior we have. I know many of you in this room have loved one that have fell away from church or God, point them back to Jesus. Over and over again.

Philip was so transformed that he told his friend about Jesus, the one who was written about in the Old Testament, and he did so in the right manner.

Church family who has been on your heart to tell about Christ. To tell about his glorious grace, to tell about the one who could save. Everyone in here has somebody they can tell about Christ.

I want to challenge you church to those who you want to tell, dont let the possibilities of them denying Christ stop you from telling them about Christ.

Which is why I want you to note a second point of application this morning.

Changed lives depend on Christ when telling others about Christ.

Church this is so key… Our hope when we tell people about Christ is that Christ will in fact change them. We can’t change anyone, but Christ can change anyone.

In todays text we see that as well. When it comes to John the Baptist he just told Andrew about Christ. But it was Andrews conversation with Christ that truly changed him forever.

With Peter we see that Jesus completely changed him, not Andrew. Jesus Christ gave him a new name, once Simon, now Peter. Incredible transformation only done by God.

For Philip it was simple transformation. Follow me. For some people who come to Christ its that simple.

Finally, we see Nathanael, who we see the most interaction with. A sceptic it seems, but one who seemed to be intelligent. And Jesus in his interaction with him clearly sees into his own heart. In such a way that changed his life forever.

many people are like Nathaniel don’t come to Christ because of one question or concern.

Jesus is not like us, because he can see something you and I can’t and that is into someone else’s heart, and only he can truly change someone forever.

Each and everyone of these people despite coming to Christ in different ways were each changed by Christ.

IF you are a believer in Christ he changed you. And as someone who is changed. Changed lives tell others about Jesus. I may sound like a broken record as much as I say this, but believers in Christ need to share Jesus with others. You have connections with others that I will never have, Family members, friends, co-workers that dont know Jesus, and where Christ has put you is your own mission field so be active. Find people who dont know Christ, and depend on him to change someone.

If you don’t know Christ today like the disciples did here is your chance. See Christ life was more than just calling these few disciples he calls all his children to himself, and he calls them to believe by Faith. See what Jesus did in his life was he lived a perfect life, a life without sin, and he died on the Cross and on the third day he rose again.

For all those who repent and believe in that truth can have eternal life today, and for all eternity. and you will never be the same again.

Church family a few weeks ago, I said I wanted to give out ordainments to people at church and for them to write down initials or names of people who dont know Christ, who during this holiday season your desire is for them to see why the savior had to come, why he needed to come, and why he came for them. Everyone has someone they know who does not know Jesus or knows him but wont step food in a church building. Church family lets be serious about doing this. I said I wanted to hang it up here at church, but I believe for each and every one of us it would be more personal if we hung it up at home. So write down people you know dont know Jesus or are not in church, pray for them, and talk with them about our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray…