Come & See
Come & See: The Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction:
Introduction:
My oldest has started to take up golf. It’s been fun to watch him as he begins to learn about the game and to see some of his natural hand-eye coordination on display. During this time I’ve been able to prepare him with the basics of the game and a general framework for a golf swing. I’ve been able to teach him about the different clubs and when to use them. I’ve been able to show him how to keep score and what the various terms mean like birdie, par, bogey…double bogey…But I know he’s nearing the stage where, for him to really get better and excel, he needs someone else. I’ve prepared him, but now he needs someones better-equipped to take over from here. He needs a different voice, a better voice, to develop his game moving forward.
John the Baptist had been that initial voice in the lives of his followers, but now that JESUS had arrived, it was John’s aim to get out of the way so that JESUS could take over. John had done his job as far as he was able, but now he wanted JESUS to take the reins knowing that the voice of the Word was far better for people to listen to than his own.
Now that John had introduced JESUS, he shifts his focus to John the Baptist again, and his exhortation for his followers and anyone else in earshot, to follow Jesus.
Body:
Body:
John 1:19–34 (ESV): The Testimony of John the Baptist
This is the expansion of what John wrote about the baptist earlier in chapter 1:
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
The “Jews”
In John this phrase was used to refer to the Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus. These leaders in Jerusalem sent a delegation to find out what John was doing in causing such a stir.
John’s father was a levitical priest, which means John was also part of this line.
Yet, he had never engaged in this role.
Instead he was out of the way, in the Judean wilderness, baptizing the masses.
V.20 “I am not the Christ.”
The question appears to have been about whether or not John was the expected Messiah
V. 21 “Are you Elijah”
Malachi 4:5 (ESV)
5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
The other gospels record Jesus telling people that John was Elijah (Mt 11:14; 17:12; Mk 9:13; Lk 1:17).
John denies it here though most likely out of a humble reluctance to assume such a title or significance.
Later John sends his own delegation to Jesus to find out if he’s really the guy.
V. 21 “Are you the Prophet?”
15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— 16 just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17 And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.
John again…“No”
V. 23 “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord…”
John was aware of some significance to his ministry.
He knew that his was the voice prophesied by Isaiah
VV. 24-27
Baptism was practiced by some of the Jewish groups, but it was a self-baptism.
The Pharisees wanted to know on what authority John was doing what he was doing.
John knew his place and his purpose.
He knew his ministry wasn’t about himself.
He knew he was there to exalt and point others to Jesus.
He may be baptizing, but the real focus of attention was going to be another who was about to burst on the scene.
VV. 29-34
This is the closest thing we get to a description of the baptism of Jesus in John’s Gospel.
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
John’s encounter with Jesus had left him forever changed. He understood who Jesus was. Maybe he didn’t have all the details figured out, but he knew that Jesus was the expected One, the One to be worshiped and exalted. John provides the first example for us to consider together this morning through his humble exaltation of Jesus.
P1: Humbly Exalt Jesus (vv. 19-34)
Illustrate: Think of all the different things we can praise and exalt. A great movie, a moving musical performance by an orchestra, a wonderful meal prepared by a master chef, the accomplishments of our children or grandchildren.
Is it easier for us to praise these performances with our neighbors than it is to exalt Jesus the way John does?
V. 29 “Behold!”
Look at him! Listen!
V. 29 “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
John did not expect a suffering Messiah (Matthew 11:2-3)
Gentle lamb of Jer 11:19 (No mention of taking away sins)
Scapegoat of Lv. 16 (Lamb not goat)
Lamb of Genesis 22 w/ Isaac (Again no context for removing sin)
Guilt offering of Lv. 14 (more often bulls and goats)
Suffering Servant of Is 53 (can mean “servant” in Aramaic but why not carry that translation to Grk)
Parallel to Son of God (weak and why?)
Reference to the apocalyptic lamb
Present in Jewish texts Present in Revelation
Carson points out that John may have been thinking of apocalyptic judgment (takes away doesn’t necessarily imply atoning death)
But also acknowledge that John may have just spoken beyond his understanding under the prompting of the Spirit.
Certainly as John the Apostle chose to include this declaration by the Baptist he understood the atoning implications of the announcement, the parallels of the Isaiah 53 picture.
Whatever his understanding, from this point onward, John is trying to get out of the way so that Jesus might receive all of the honor and exaltation and glory that He is due.
30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
John knew that
his whole purpose was to exalt Jesus,
his career was about exalting Jesus,
once Jesus arrived, his voice could fade to black because the one people needed to hear had arrived.
30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
How can you make this selfless exaltation of Jesus your aim this week?
At home? At work? At the block party?
Soli Deo Gloria was one of the 5 cries of the Reformation.
For John, this was his life.
He had devoted everything about his purpose and identity to exalting Jesus.
Every time someone came to him wanting to give him accolades, he pointed them back to Jesus.
Y’all, this mindset should be ours as well. He must increase, but I must decrease.
END P1
John’s selflessness continues in the next few verses as he encounters Jesus again the next day.
35 The next day again John 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.
John knew that it was better for these two to go after Jesus than to stay and sit at his feet. He wasn’t interested in building his kingdom but the kingdom of Christ.
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?” 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. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
Jesus notices these two literally following him, and so he stops to engage them in conversation: “What are you seeking?”
There’s a couple of layers to this question.
On the surface, Jesus is responding to the actual situation; he’s inviting them to express their desire to follow him.
But on another level this is Jesus inviting the reader to consider that there is a gravitas to the decision to follow Jesus.
One of these men who came to follow Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
Jesus left quite the impact on Andrew, one that he wouldn’t soon forget, and one he wanted others to experience as well.
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. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
Put yourself back in the shoes of Andrew and Peter.
Brought up in a Jewish home.
Raised on the stories of OT Israel from the time they were old enough to listen.
Taught the Messianic prophesies which ingrained in them a hope for the Messiah’s arrival.
V. 41 “We have found the Messiah.”
We read that without much emotion or passion, but imagine the tone and the excitement of Andrew at this moment.
Imagine him running to find Peter hardly able to contain his adrenaline and joy along the way.
It probably seemed too good to be true.
But if there was any chance that this could be him, Andrew had to spread the news.
Do you have the same excitement about JESUS that Andrew had? Who is your Peter? Who needs to hear about the Messiah from you this week? This eager excitement about Jesus from Andrew is our second example this morning.
P2: Eagerly Tell Others about Jesus (vv. 35-42)
Illustrate: Lifeboats on the Titanic;
Perhaps we need to feel more urgency so we will proclaim more eagerly.
Why should we be any less excited about Jesus than John the Baptist or Andrew?
In fact we should be more excited because we know the rest of the story.
Andrew heard John’s statement about Jesus taking away the sins of the world
But we know that came through the cross.
Andrew had grown up hearing about a Messiah who would deliver God’s people.
But we know that deliverance is far more than simply political or national
Andrew had grown up looking for a Messiah to follow
But we know Jesus and what it means to follow him
Imagine if Andrew had never told Peter because he thought he would reject him.
Imagine if Andrew had never told Peter because he thought someone else would tell him.
Imagine if Andrew had never told Peter because if Peter is predestined why bother?
Imagine if Andrew had never told Peter because he didn’t have the gift of evangelism.
Imagine if Andrew had never told Peter because no one ever trained him.
Imagine if Andrew had never told Peter because they just don’t talk religion at family gatherings.
We are all under the great commission, and we would do well to try and capture some of Andrew’s excitement.
Remember that eternity is at stake.
Remember that he is the Savior for everyone.
Remember that everyone needs Him.
Remember that you are Christ’s ambassador.
Illustrate: There are times a neighbor will call you over to their garage to show you something new they added to the car they’re restoring, or a new tool they got, or a new piece of lawn equipment that has been absolutely life-changing.
How about JESUS?
Have we told others about JESUS with that same Billy Mays attitude of persuasion?
Have we all been Andrew to the Peters in our lives?
END P2
After meeting and renaming Peter Jesus left the next day for the region of Galilee.
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
Sidebar: You may be wondering about the calling of the disciples as it was presented in the Synoptic Gospels with Jesus beckoning them to leave their boats and their careers behind to follow Him.
John’s account does not conflict with the synoptic callings upon closer inspection because outside of Philip, Jesus doesn’t necessarily call any of these other men.
They begin to follow Jesus at the prompting of John the Baptist or because one of them told another, “Come and see.”
Carson makes a helpful point in noting that the radical response of the disciples to Jesus’ formal call in the synoptics makes far more sense if they had already been following him informally as John presents here in John 1.
So, is this an evidence of an error or a discrepancy between John and the others?
No, John, in keeping with the focus of this chapter, is simply presenting examples of those who were bearing witness about the Light of the World that had arrived.
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.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 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.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “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.”
Philip follows Andrew’s example here and goes to find Nathanael. These are disciple-making-disciples at work!
2 The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
16 He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); 18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
No Nathanael, but Barholomew (Bar = son of; Tholomaeus) is paired or listed right after Philip in each of those lists. It is possible, if not probable, that Bartholomew and Nathanael are the same person.
V. 45 “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote.”
Different way of saying what Andrew had told Peter
This is the One! The awaited One!
V. 46 “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Blythe; El Centro; Quartzite (humility of Jesus)
Some of you resonate with Nathanael because you also first responded to the notion that Jesus was Savior with skepticism and doubt.
The gospel seemed like a crutch; it seemed a little out there to believe in a Savior who had been killed.
To believe that somehow one man died for the sins of all?
To believe that God killed His Son in your place?
And to go further than that and actually believe that someone had been resurrected from the dead after 3 days?!
But if you’re in Christ tonight/this morning it’s because you had a persistent Philip in your life who pushed through your skepticism.
V. 46b “Come and see.”
FF Bruce: “Honest inquiry is a sovereign cure for prejudice.”
V. 47 “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”
He would not sugarcoat anything but call it like it is.
He was going to see for himself about this Nazarene before making any life-changing decisions.
V. 48 “How do you know me?”
V. 48 “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."
V. 49 “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
Jesus’ supernatural knowledge of him coupled with the message he had heard from Phillip produced in Nathanael this amazing profession of faith.
14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,
7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
He was the King of Israel, but His kingdom wasn’t what Nathanael was expecting He was the Son of God, but in a greater way than Nathanael could ever fathom.
V. 50 “You will see greater things than these.”
V. 51 “Y’ALL will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Reference to Jacob’s vision in Genesis 28
The angels were the messengers of God
Now that JESUS is here, there is no ladder anymore, for He is the direct link between heaven and earth
What Phillip had told Nathanael was true, Jesus was the One to fulfill the OT prophecies, but he would also be the One to bring a new and greater revelation (Hebrews 1)
Nathanael didn’t understand all of this, indeed he couldn’t understand all of this, and yet he confessed what he knew to be true based on the little information he had. Consider how much more you and I know about Jesus; His identity, His message, His work, His ongoing work. Have you confessed what you know to be true about Jesus? Have you acknowledged that He is the Son of God, the Messiah? Have you acknowledged that He is your Messiah?
P3: Joyfully Believe the Truth about Jesus (vv. 43-51)
For some of you in the room this morning, you have confessed a need for church, a need for other Christians to be in your life, a need for community, a need for moral stability in a morally chaotic world, a need for Republican values, a need to curry some favor with God, a need to appease your husband or wife, a need to soothe a guilty conscience, a need to do something, but you have yet to really confess your greatest need when it comes to JESUS.
Andrew, Peter, Phillip, and Nathanael, at this point, all believed their greatest need from JESUS was still political, still military.
Even though John had spoken of the lamb who would take away the sins of the world, they had no frame of reference to understand the cross at this time.
They were thinking he would reestablish the greatness of Israel, the glory of the Temple and that a new age of Temple worship a new age of a pure people of Israel was on the horizon.
But JESUS was there to do so much more, so much better.
You may be here expecting JESUS to fix a broken marriage, or to be the mascot for your political cause, or to be a lucky-rabbit’s foot for you to get that promotion you’ve been angling for at work.
But JESUS is here to do far more than that for you, far better than that for you.
He is here to be your Messiah, to save you from your sins.
He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, who takes away your sins, and He’s done that at the cross.
So, if you haven’t already, follow Nathanael’s example tonight of confessing JESUS as your Messiah knowing even more than he did at the time.
You don’t need any more information.
This isn’t a matter of discovering more, this is a matter of the will.
The reality is here: God is holy and has a standard of absolute moral perfection; you are a sinner who has fallen short of that standard and deserves eternal damnation as a result; but God sent Jesus to die on the cross for your sins so that you can be forgiven, to raise from the dead so that you can live with him forever.
Unlike Nathanael, you won’t see anything greater than that. This is the greatest message and reality you will ever encounter.
Have you acknowledged Jesus?
END P3
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
There’s no one better than JESUS coming, no one greater than JESUS coming. The greatest Messiah, the only Messiah you and this world could ever need has come already, and He’s the One we should all be following.
We should be exalting him, proclaiming him, and believing him everywhere we have the opportunity.
John had taken his followers as far as he could, and now he wanted to get out of the way to see JESUS magnified. He wanted to be sure that we follow Jesus.