Loading tweets...
Brian preaches a sermon from John 1:19-51.
“Come and See”
From sermon notes preached on February 5, 2012
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Still skeptical, but curious
You are a citizen of the Roman Empire in the latter part of the first century A.D. You were raised to believe in the gods of the Greco-Roman pantheon. Your goal was not to know the gods, but to appease the gods, so that they would, at best, do favors for you or, at the very least, ignore you. You never believed you could have a relationship with the gods.
But in your city, there is a fast-growing group of “Christians”. They have forsaken belief in the pantheon and are saying that there is only one true God. You’ve visited with this group and you heard the elders read from a scroll they claimed was written by one of this God’s closest followers. – John. They explained that “God became a human being and that he lived in this world so that anyone who chose to could know this God and his will for their lives.”
Still skeptical, but curious, and even a little hopeful, you meet with these Christians again. You want to hear more from John about this Jesus, the Anointed One, so that you can make up your own mind. But before we move ahead and consider the witness of John the Baptist, let’s look back and remind ourselves of what John the Apostle had to say about him:
(6) There was a man, having been sent by God; his name was John. (7) This man came for the purpose of testimony, so that he might testify concerning the light, so that all might believe through him. (8) That man was not the light, but so that he might testify concerning the light.
“ I have seen and I have testified…” (1:19-34)
In these verses (1:19-28) we read John’s witness to the Jews from Jerusalem, those sent by the leaders of the Jewish people, the members of the Sanhedrin, both Sadducees and Pharisees. John’s testimony consisted of both a negative and a positive confession.
(19) And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites so that they might ask him, “Who are you?” (20) And he confessed and did not deny; and confessed that “I am not the Christ.” (21) And they questioned him, “Then who? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” And he answered, “No”. (22) So they said to him, “Who are you? So that we might give an answer to those who sent us, say something concerning yourself.” (23) He said, “I am a voice shouting in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’, just as Isaiah the prophet said.” (24) And they were sent from the Pharisees. (25) And they questioned him and said to him, “Then why do you baptized if you are not the Christ nor Elijah nor the prophet?” (26) John answered them saying, “I baptized in water. Among you has stood one whom you do not know, (27) the one coming after me, of whom I am not worthy so that I should loosen the strap of his sandal. (28) These things happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
He stated emphatically that he was not “the Christ”, “Elijah” or “the prophet”. This was very confusing to the Jews, so they asked directly, “Who are you?” He said that he was “a voice” whose job it was, as prophesied by Isaiah (700 years before) to ensure that the way of the Lord was made straight. But if he were just a voice, then why would he baptize? Where did he have the right or authority to baptize Jews – Gentiles sure; they needed to be converted and purified. So John explained that there was one who has “stood among” them, but whom they “didn’t know”, someone of such status that John himself was not worthy to untie his sandal. The significance of that is that the job of untying sandals was given only to slaves. John is saying, in no uncertain terms, that this “one” who has “stood among them” is of such status that in comparison John wasn’t even worthy of being his slave!
In these verses (1:29-34) we read John’s witness to his own disciples. Here is provides further description of this one as he identifies him as Jesus.
(29) On the next day, he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look the lamb of God, the one who takes away the sin of the world. (30) This man is he concerning whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he was before me.’ (31) And I had not known him, but so that he might be revealed to Israel, for this reason I came baptizing in water.” (32) And John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit coming down as a dove out of the sky, and it remained on him. (33) And I had not known him, but the One who sent me to baptize in water, That One said to me, ‘Upon whomever you see the Spirit coming down and remaining upon him, this man is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ (34) And I have seen and I have testified that this man is the Chosen One of God.” (35) On the next day, again, John stood, and two of his disciples, (36) and having looked at Jesus walking, he said, “Look the lamb of God.”
These are amazing statements that cannot be diminished in terms of their meaning to the Jewish people. If not true, these statements are heretical and blasphemous. John makes very clear that Jesus is not simply a religious leader, a teacher or even a prophet, but something so much more. According to John the Baptist, Jesus is “The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” He is the one on whom the Spirit descended and remained and thus he is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit! Therefore, John concludes that Jesus is “the Chosen One of God.” John was pointing his disciples to Jesus!
“Come and you will see” (John 1:35-51)
(37) And the two disciples heard him speaking and they followed Jesus. (38) And Jesus, having turned and having seen them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” And they said to him, “Rabbi (which being translated means “Teacher”), where are you staying?” (39) He said to them, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was the tenth hour. (40) One of the two, who heard John and followed him, was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. (41) This man first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated is Christ). (42) And he led him to Jesus. And having seen him, Jesus said, “You are Simon the son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which translated is Peter). (43) On the next day he wanted to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip, and Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” (44) And Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. (45) Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law and the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, the one from Nazareth.” (46) And Nathaniel said to him, “Is it possible for anything good to be from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” (47) Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward him and he said concerning him, “Look, truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” (48) Nathaniel said to him, “From where do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip spoke to you, I saw you under the fig tree.” (49) Nathaniel answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” (50) Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree you believe? You shall see greater things than these. Truly, truly I say to you, you will see the sky having been opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Through John the Baptist’s ongoing and profound testimony, Jesus is gaining attention. Two had the courage to “follow him” but apparently not enough to speak to him. So Jesus asks them what they want and invites them to spend time with him. The effect of doing so is immediate and powerful. They were convinced that all John said about Jesus was was true and then some.
I believe that Jesus asks the same question of us today, (What are you seeking?), and that he offers us the same invitation (Come and you will see). I believe that when we spend some time with Jesus (through the bible), with a seeking heart and an open mind, we will come to the same conclusion as these Jews. I believe that because that’s exactly what happened to me thirty-five years ago when I was finally willing to take an honest, object look at the Jesus of the bible! And I haven’t turned back since.
Andrew went immediately to find his brother. Why not? Isn’t that what you’d do if you’d found the one your people had been waiting to come for hundreds of years? Family isn’t always the easiest to share our faith in Jesus with, yet, because we love them and want them to have what we have, we try (and in many cases, try again and again). Andrew then found Philip, who found Nathaniel. And in this we see the pattern that will see throughout the New Testament – the power of word of mouth testimony.
The most powerful and effective evangelism is family member to family member and friend to friend. Most strangers don’t care what you believe, because they don’t know you, and so your words are met with skepticism, if not, complete rejection. But with people we know, or get to know, as they see our lives, if consistent, our words can come to mean so much more. Even skeptics, like Nathaniel, can be convinced if we invite them to “Come and see”. Arguments convince no one. We need to invite people to “come and see” Jesus for themselves and then make up their own minds. Evangelism is about bringing people to spend time with Jesus. Then his life, words and works can convince them of his own claim to being God’s one and only Son, the Saviour of the world.
A Challenge for You
Whether you are a seeker or a skeptic today, I have a challenge for you: “Come and see”. Get into your bible and start reading the gospel of John. Agree to let your Christian friend or family member take you to Jesus in the scriptures so that you can see and hear Jesus. Don’t make a decision based on your preconceived ideas of who Jesus is and what he said or did. Check him out for yourself. Either he is who he claimed to be, or he isn’t.
If you are a disciple of Jesus, I have a challenge for you: Invite people this week to “Come and see”. Invite your loved ones who are unbelievers to “Come and see” – you can bring them to church, you can give them a bible and read one of the gospels with them. Invite your friends, neighbours and workmates to “Come and see”. Don’t try to convince them, just invite them to go with you and see Jesus and let the person and words of Jesus convince them.