“COME & SEE!” John 1:43-46
FBCF – 10/10/21
Jon Daniels
INTRO – Do y’all mind if I talk about my grandkids for a minute? I have 3 grandsons who are all under the age of 2. They love trucks, tractors, construction equipment, fire engines, & trains. Whenever one of the trains goes through the middle of Flora & they hear that horn, they immediately begin saying, “Choo choo!” & want to go see that train. They want to SEE that train. They don’t want to just hear it – they want to SEE it. We see the trains rumble through town & don’t think twice about it. We’re so accustomed to it. It’s old hat to us. Or we are aggravated b/c it causes a minor disruption to our lives. They see the train & it excites them. It makes them happy. It brings them joy.
When you read the Bible & you see Jesus, what’s your response? When you hear a sermon about Jesus, what’s your response? Do you get excited, happy, filled w/ joy & anticipation? Or do you not think twice about Him b/c you’re just so accustomed to Him? Is He just “old hat” to you like that train that will rumble through town sometime soon today?
What do others see when they see Jesus?
- Muslims see Him as an important prophet, but not God’s Son. They see Him as a being created by God, & they DON’T see Him dying on the cross.
- Jehovah’s Witnesses see Him as Michael, the archangel, the highest created being.
- Mormons see Him as the result of a physical relationship between God the Father & Mary. See Him as A god, but that any human being can become a god, too.
- Jews – Some see Him as a great moral teacher. Others a false prophet or an idol of Christianity.
- Oneness Pentecostals see Jesus as the Father & Jesus as the Spirit – modalism
It’s so important for us to know who Jesus is! Our entire belief system is built upon Him.
- Is He just an important prophet, but not God’s Son?
- Or if He is God’s Son, was His incarnation the result of a physical relationship between God the Father & Mary?
- Is He the 3rd Person of the Trinity, or is He just another manifestation of the one God?
- Martyn Lloyd-Jones: “It is not enough to say, ‘I believe in Jesus.’ The NT asks you questions when you say that. It asks, ‘What do you believe about Him? Is He man only? Is He God only? Did He really come in the flesh or did He not? What did He do? What is the meaning of His death?’” (God the Father, God the Son, p. 247)
Sermon series, “Keep Your Eyes on Jesus” – Look at Gospel of John to help us get a clear, Biblical picture of who Jesus truly is & how we need to respond to Him. Today, sermon is “Come & See” from John 1:43-46.
EXPLANATION – John 1:43-46
Questions to ask when studying Bible:
- WHO? Jesus, Philip, & Nathanael – Philip & Nathanael both in 12 disciples. Philip had been a disciple/follower of John the Bapt. Mentioned several times in the Gospels: Gentiles asked him to introduce them to Jesus (John 12:20-22) – Calculated $ to feed 5000 (John 6:7) – At Last Supper, asked Jesus to show them the Father: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:8-9) – In the Upper Room praying after Jesus’ ascension (Acts 1:13). Nathanael – also known as Bartholomew. One of 1st to express belief in Jesus. Name means “God has given.” Was skeptical at first due to Jesus being from Nazareth (talk about that in a minute).
- WHAT? What’s happening here? Jesus is calling some of His first disciples – Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, & Nathanael were the first 6 He called. Jesus is also beginning to establish who He is as He begins His earthly ministry.
- WHEN? When did this happen? Obviously, early in Jesus’ ministry, after baptism & wilderness temptation.
- WHERE? Where is this happening? Sea of Galilee
- WHY? Why is this included in John’s Gospel? John establishing who Jesus is as he helps his audience begin believing that Jesus is the Son of God, & that by believing in Him, they can be saved.
- WHEREFORE? How does this relate to my life? That’s what this sermon is about. The “So what?” question.
“Come & see” – Simple little statement made by Philip to Nathanael, but a statement that leads us to begin seeing who Jesus is:
The Lamb of God – 1:29, 36 – “who takes away the sin of the world” – Statement by John the Baptist of the great sacrifice necessary to pay for our sins & reconcile us to God, & not just great sacrifice, but the GREATEST sacrifice. Isaiah 53:7 – He was the “lamb that was led to the slaughter.” The children of Israel put the lamb’s blood on their doorposts to save them from death. 1 Corinthians 5:7 – OUR Passover Lamb. He is the sacrificial Lamb chosen by God (Romans 3:25), the One in whom God the Father is well-pleased (Matthew 3:17).
The Messiah – v. 41 – “the Christ” – the Anointed One, the Chosen One, the One about whom the OT prophesied.
The Son of God – v. 49 – The 2nd Person of the Trinity. He is, He was, & He always has been the eternal Son of God.
The King of Israel – v. 49 – Not a political ruler, but the long-awaited Messiah they’ve been looking for. “Come thou long expected Jesus” (Charles Wesley, 1744) – 2nd verse:
"Born Thy people to deliver, Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever, Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit, Raise us to Thy glorious throne."
APPLICATION – As we come & see Jesus more clearly, we will follow Him more fully.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US AS CHRIST-FOLLOWERS? 3 simple points of application:
BE OBEDIENT & FOLLOW JESUS – The more we learn about Jesus, the more we see Him in the Gospels – specifically in the Gospel of John during this series – the more the Holy Spirit will grow the desire in us to obey Jesus & follow Him.
Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, Nathanael – some of the 1st who began to see who Jesus was & obeyed Him when He called them to follow Him.
What does an obedient life of a Christ-follower look like?
- Someone who knows that the Christian life is so much more than saying & prayer & getting baptized.
- Someone who is consistently putting off sin & putting on the Lord Jesus.
- Someone who has an outward focus in their life. Not driven by their desires, their wants, their preferences, but is constantly asking, “What can I do to make much of Jesus?”
o John 3:30 – “He must increase; I must decrease.”
KNOW WHO JESUS IS SO YOU CAN TELL OTHERS – Every person here in this chapter had at least some knowledge about who Jesus was so they could tell others about Him.
- John the Baptist – “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”
- Andrew – “the Messiah” – Christ
- Philip – fulfillment of OT prophecy (v. 45)
- Nathanael – “the Son of God…the King of Israel”
Based on YOUR knowledge of who Jesus is, what will YOU tell others about Him? “Christianity…is Christ Himself. He is not only central, He is absolutely vital, & therefore we have to see that we are concerned primarily, & always about Him.” (Martyn Lloyd Jones, p. 246) It’s all about Jesus! That’s why you have know who He is so you’ll be able to respond when someone says, “You’ve got to be a good person to be saved,” or “You’ve got to believe in God,” or “You’ve got to work real hard or you’ll lose your salvation.”
INVITE OTHERS TO "COME & SEE" – We need some Philips & some Andrews in this church.
- Philip’s first recorded act as a disciple of Jesus was to go and find his friend Nathanael & tell him about Jesus. Be like Philip
- Andrew’s first response as a disciple was to bring Peter to Jesus (v. 40-42). Be like Andrew.
- GO – Or let someone else go
- FIND – That’s too much work. Takes too much time.
- TELL – Don’t know what to tell them. What if they want to talk some more?
- BRING – Might cause inconvenience
CONCLUSION/TAKEAWAYS – TCA – “goals” “conquer” “now” – Today is the NOW for all of us. We have come. We have seen. NOW it is time to go, find, tell, bring.
