COME AND SEE (JOHN 1:43-51)
Christianity is many things to many people. To some, Christianity is a religion no different from Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism. The purpose is to give hope, teach morals and to do good.
Some identify Christianity with the liberation theology and the social gospel of the 60s and 70s, when liberal priests and theologians fuse political activism with church doctrine, especially in the areas of social justice, poverty and human rights. These advocates were not beyond arming the oppressed to overthrow dictators, fight injustice and even topple governments.
Some associate Christianity with “positive thinking” of the 70s and 80s, the self-help model pioneered by Norman Vincent Peale and Robert Schuller. Sin is a dirty word to them. Basically, Schuller defines sin as “a lack of self-esteem,” “a lack of faith,” “deep lack of trust,” or “anything that robs us of our “divine dignity.” (Schuller, Self-Esteem: The New Reformation, p. 14)
The 80s on were a fertile ground for prosperity gospel, otherwise known as the “Health and Wealth” or “Name It and Claim It” gospel, as preached by Jimmy Baker and Jimmy Swaggart in the 80s and Joel Osteen, the standard bearer in the 21st century. In a TIME poll, 17% of Christians surveyed said they considered themselves part of such a movement, and a full 61% believed that God wants people to be prosperous. 31% agreed that if you give your money to God, God will bless you with more money.
One of the most intriguing literary devices in Hebrew thought is to use parallelism. In English works, especially in poetry, it is pretty common to see the A, A1 rhyme or pattern in the next line. In Hebrew structure, however, it is common to see the chiastic structure of A, B, C followed by a reverse C1, B1, A1 structure. John 1:43-51 was written in the C1, B1, A1 structure to parallel to the previous story of Andrew. Andrew’s story begins with “Rabbi” (John 1:38) while Philip’s end with “Rabbi” (John 1:49). In the middle of two stories, Andrew and Philip say “Come and see” (John 1:39, 46). Andrew exclaimed at the end of the first story, “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41) and Philip early in the second story, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law” (John 1:45).
Who is Jesus? Well, He was not the guru, rabbi, teacher or even religious founder the disciples had in mind. What then draws people to Him? Did He come to start a religion, a reform or a revolution?
Make No Mistake About His Revelation to Us
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. (John 1:43-44)
The earliest telling of the popular “The Blind Men and the Elephant” was to describe what religion was like to six different people. One of the six blind men touched the elephant’s side and described the elephant as a wall. Another stroked its tusk and said the elephant was like a spear. The third squeezed its trunk and swore it was a snake. The fourth pressed its legs and countered that the animal was like a tree. The fifth, who touched its ear, argued that it was like a fan. The last grabbed the tail and was very sure it was like a rope.
There is a crucial difference between Christianity and Buddhism, Islam and folk religions. Christianity is a revelation, not a religion. Religion is men seeking God, while Christianity is God seeking and finding men (Warfield). Men’s effort to seek and find God is an impossible task, because God is holy and man is sinful. Christianity is about revelation –God with us (Matt 1:23), the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us (John 1:14). Through the centuries and generations man, to the best of his ability, made idols and images to express his understanding of God and chase after every glimmer or possible sighting of divinity in creation, but they are like blind leading the blind. Christianity is the “religion of revelation” and “the only revealed religion.” (“Christianity and Religion, Benjamin B. Warfield) It is about God making and taking the first step to disclose and declare Himself to man.
Bethsaida is a city in Galilee, on the North East coast of the Sea of Tiberias (John 1:44; 12:21) in the north. It was the home of Peter, Andrew and Philip, and a frequent resort of Jesus. On the other hand, Bethany (John 1:28), where Jesus was baptized previously, was a mile from Jerusalem in the south. One of Jesus’ objectives traveling north was to find Philip. Philip was a blessed apostle in more ways than one; he was the only apostle Jesus came to “find” (v 43). The verb “find” occurs an astonishing five times in chapter 1 (John 1:41*2, 43, 45*2). How is our finding Christ (v 41) different from Christ finding us? We can only find Christ after John the Baptist first testified to Him (vv 32, 34).
Philip was most impressed with Jesus. Jesus had traveled from Bethany in the south to Galilee in the north, more than 100 miles, just to look for him. In those days they traveled the old-fashioned way - by foot or by donkey. The speedier horse was out of the question.
The word “find” is a common Greek word that became an unusual theological concept. We often hear people say, “I found religion.” Shortly after I accepted Christ at 17, my church participated in Campus Crusade’s “I Found It” campaign. In theology we understand that it was Christ who found us even though at times, limitedly and loosely speaking, it seems that we are the ones who found Him. In all other religions people look for God, but in Christianity Christ looks for us. Strictly speaking, even in the Old Testament, people could only know as much as God would reveal about Himself and His attributes through the sacrifices, the Law and the prophets, but all of God is made known in the New Testament through Jesus Christ. God is not invisible, indifferent and indiscernible, but embodied, the Word made flesh, in Christ. Further, if you notice in both instances with Andrew and now with Philip (v 44), Jesus was the one who spoke first. Previously, Jesus made contact by asking Andrew and friend a question even though they were the one who initiated following Jesus (John 1:38, “What do you want?”). Consistently, in all gospel accounts, Jesus spoke to the disciples first (Matt 4:19, Mark 1:16-20, Luke 5:4, John 1:38), never vice versa. The disciples were not passive but they were not seekers as such. The One true seeker of lost souls is Jesus. But there is a requirement to God’s find. The imperative is to follow Him (v 43). There is no bigger command from Christ than to “follow me.” In contrast to Christ’s other single instance of command to “believe me” (John 14:11) or “abide in me” (John 15:4), the imperative “follow me” occurs 11 times – thrice in Mark (Mark 2:14, 8:34, 10:21) and four times each in Matthew (Matt 8:22, 9:9, 16:24, 19:21), Luke (Luke 5:27, 9:23, 9:59, 18:22) and John (John 1:43, 12:26, 21:19, 21:22). There is only “what to do” and “who to follow” but no disclosure of when, where, why and how. There are many references to “follow” Christ or Jesus saying “Fear not,” but few to “fear Him.” It seems the Bible formula is “Fear God, but follow Christ.” My acronym for FOLLOW is Faith in Him, Obedience to Him, Learning from Him, Likeness to Him, Order/discipline in Him, and Witnessing to Him.
Make Things Right in Our Relationship with Him
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote-Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. (John 1:45-46)
One of the most professional boxers in history is Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao of the Philippines, who is the first and only eight-division world champion, winning ten world titles, and was recognized as “Fighter of the Decade” for the 2000s. Unfortunately, his life was spinning out of control. He was drinking, cheating on his wife, gambling -- he owned a casino in Manila and a large cockfighting operation -- and it was affecting his training, his fighting and even his work as a congressman in the Philippines. In a 2011 fight against Juan Manuel Marquez that Pacquiao won by the slimmest of margins, Pacquiao and his wife were engaged in a 40-minute argument before the fight. He later revealed that almost every fight they had similar family problems.
Formerly a Catholic, he turned his life to God and turned his life around. Pacquiao said he “promised God” he would change after that, and he did. He sold his casino, restaurant and cockfighting operation and he stopped womanizing and drinking and turned to the Bible.
In an interview, Pacquiao explained the changes in his life: “I learned how to obey and follow the manual of your life that is the Bible. I don't really gamble. I gamble if I'm not busy, but I'm always busy. What I did in the Philippines was drinking and girls. That was my problems. I'd gamble if I wanted to, but sometimes I didn't want to. The moment came to me that I don't like cockfighting anymore. I don't like anymore gambling, drinking, girls, stuff like that, because I was reading the word of God. I learned how to obey and follow the manual of your life that is the Bible.” (“Redemption,” USA Today, June 7, 2012)
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/SPORTS/usaedition/2012-06-07-manny-pacquiao-exclusive-_CV_U.htm
Philip wanted to reach out and witness to a friend by the name of Nathanael, who was a confident, feisty and outspoken guy. On top of that, Nathanael was fiery, prejudicial and rude. He did not hear the names of Jesus and Joseph, nor did he hear about Moses and the prophets’ testimony to Jesus, but the moment he heard the city of Nazareth, he reacted with a “Ha!” attitude, followed by a right-in-your face challenge: “Can anything good come from there?”
The wise and perceptive Philip, however, refused to get into a shouting match, break down the opposition’s argument or work himself into a fever. Relationships, not rebuttals, win people to Christ. Unlike any of the apostles, he was the most easy-going person in the group. He might have heard of Jesus’ approach with Andrew and used the same method: “Come and see.” Philip did not have smart-alecky comments like Nathanael, who was not a seeker, unlike Andrew (John 1:40).
Philip wisely did not respond with an argument, a theory, a debate or a proof text. He did not feel hurt, slighted or disrespected. The new convert felt that Nathanael needed time spent with Jesus, to know and experience first-hand His love (John 13:1, 15:9, 17:23). Arguing forcefully would only win the battle but lose the war. So he responded with a challenge, too: “Come and see,” “Check it out” and “Decide for yourself.” He recognized he did not have all the answers; it was better for Nathanael to understand and know Jesus for himself.
“Come” (John 1:39, 46) is an imperative, not an invitation. Come is a command, not a choice. The imperative is in the present tense. The relationship is in the present and progressing, ongoing and not just once. God demands from us an active, alive, applicable, abiding and advancing relationship with Him, not one that is dead, dated, decomposing, dry and defunct. “Come” means to get into a relationship with Him, to go on a journey with Jesus, to grow in your love for Him. It is to examine, encounter and experience Him for yourself. The other verb “see” is missing in many Greek texts, probably some copyists’ eagerness to borrow from Jesus’ promise in John 1:39, but Philip rightfully did not overdo it to invite another round of sarcasm, scorn and snickering from Nathanael.
Make the Room for His Residence in Us
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:47-51)
An older couple had a son, who was still living with them. The parents were a little worried, as the son was still unable to decide about his future career. So they decided to do a small test. They put a ten-dollar bill, a Bible, and a bottle of whiskey. Then they hid, pretending they were not at home. The father told his wife, “If our son takes the money, he will be a businessman, if he takes the Bible, he will be a pastor, but if he takes the bottle of whiskey, I'm afraid our son will be a no-good drunkard.” So the parents hid in the nearby closet and waited nervously. Peeping through the keyhole they saw their son arrive.
The son read the note that they had left. Then he took the ten-dollar bill, looked at it against the light, and slid it in his pocket. After that, he took the Bible, flipped through it, and put it under his arm. Finally, he grabbed the bottle, opened it, and took an appreciative whiff to be assured of the quality. Then he left for his room, carrying all three items.
The father slapped his forehead and said: “This is worse than I could ever have imagined!” “What?” asked the wife. “Our son is going to be a politician!”
Nathanael was among one of Jesus’ most skeptical, sarcastic, sophisticated and stubborn apostles. None of the apostles Jesus first met introduced was as offensive, outspoken and opinionated as Nathanael. There is no fear of offending other people or saying wrong things in him. He loved nothing more than expressing his viewpoint for its shock value; also, the kind that has a personal perspective and the last word on everything. Jesus, however, was just as upfront as Nathanael, and he appreciated Nathanael for who he was and what he stood for.
Jesus called him an Israelite without “guile” or “nothing false” in NIV. This traditional word for “guile” or “nothing false” occurs 12 times in Greek in the Bible. NIV translates it six times as “deceit” (Mark 7:22, Acts 13:10, Rom 1:29, 1 Peter 2:1, 2:22, 3:10), twice as “sly” (Matt 26:4, Mark 14:1) and “trick/trickery” (2 Cor 12:16, 1 Thess 2:3), and once for “nothing false” (John 1:47) and “lie” (Rev 14:5). This is the same word characterizing Jesus: “He committed no sin, and no ‘deceit’ was found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). In fact, Jesus commended Nathanael for being like Him – simple, not sophisticated; one who cared less about pleasing others, acting classy, or being politically correct.
The words from verse 47 (Israelite, false/guile) and verse 51 (heaven, angels of God ascending and descending) remind us of none other but Jacob (Gen 28:12). Jesus did not have a condescending or critical view of Jacob. Most readers unfairly are not aware that Jacob actually had a change of heart when he was on the run from his brother. He was called a “deceiver” by his brother (Gen 27:12), but that label did not apply to him after he met the Lord in a vision (Gen 28:12) Jesus referred to here (v 51). Later the label was applied to Laban (Gen 31:7), never to Jacob. Instead the verb most strongly identified with Jacob from then on was “serve,” as many as 11 times (Gen 29:15, 18, 20, 25, 27, 30, 30:26*2, 29, 31:6, 41), qualifying him as the person most identified with serving in the Old Testament.
Nathanael saw in Jesus someone who was like him: straight inside, straight to a fault, straight with no U-turn. Jesus was direct, frank and sincere. In fact, so open and honest he was even blunt. Nathanael, however, was impressed for the wrong reason. He thought, “Finally, there is someone who totally understands me.” Jesus, however, caught him by surprise. It is not about him, it is about God: “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (v 51). Christianity is not about respect; it is about the redemption and the regeneration of a soul. It is not about God understanding and appreciating you, but changing you and using you for His glory, changing you and using you for His service, just as He transformed Jacob for service. Jesus did not come to be a great philosopher, your personal coach or your spiritual director.
The God of the Old Testament known to the Jews was a transcendent, distant, and angry God. In contrast, Jesus is immanent, loving and compassionate. Jesus always made the first move. Transcendent means he is above and beyond us, but immanence means God is with us. Transcendence means God is indiscernible, immanence means He is identifiable. Transcendence means He is impersonal and indifferent, but immanence means He is involved and incarnated. Transcendence means He is a mystery, immanence means he is a man. Transcendence means otherness, but immanence means one of us. Transcendence means God is private and preoccupied, but immanence means he is personal and present. John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” In Jesus is majesty and meekness, awe and affection, God and man, holy and human. We bow at his feet (Rev 19:10), but He washes our feet. He was crucified but He will be crowned.
Conclusion: Christianity is not about righteous living; it is about reconciliation with God. Christianity is not about rules, regulations and regimen, but about relationship with the loving and dying Savior.
Have you made peace with God? Is He knocking at the door of your heart, waiting to come in? Have you accepted the Seeker and Savior of lost souls into your heart and life? Is He living in You and are you living for Him?
Victor Yap
Bible.ryl.hk (Grammar Bible)
Preachchrist.com (sermons)
