“Come and See”
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the
light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that
through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives
light to every man was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which
was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right
to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came
from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, ’He who comes after me has surpassed me
because he was before me.’ " From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was
given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who
is at the Father’s side, has made him known. John 1:1-18
Very important words – defining the foundational elements of our theology and faith. These are words you could spend years
wrestling with and struggle through. They are foundational to our understanding of who we are. They define the very identity of
Christianity.
And what does it really mean to be a Christian? We wrestle with that term ‘Christian’ all the time. The word itself seems to
have lost some definition. It includes such religiously diverse collections of people ranging from the Mormon church to the
Catholic Church. It stretches to include people who practice their faith in the heritage of the Puritans as well as the stances and
advocations of the Metropolitan church. The word ‘Christian’ tells very little about who we are. People assume much and trust
little anyone who says they are a ‘serious’ Christian. Somehow the word has somehow taken on a slant of an angry political
orgnization that boycotts and pickets abortion clinics and major corporations. And Christians has really turned into some kind
of adjective… Christian radio, Christian clothing, Christian web page, Christian resources, Christian home, Christian music,
Christian restaurants… Christian pizza?
Even the church and church people are confused about who we are what we’re to be about. I remember hearing a speaker
who was talking about moving into a new church. He made appointments to meet with various members of his leadership. He
set an appointment with one of the people he didn’t know well. The gentleman walked in. The new pastor asked his guest to
share his story of faith.
This older leader began to share the different roles of leadership in which he had served. He related various committees and
programs which he headed. He described some wonderful events and services.
After about 20 minutes the new pastor interrupted him. “Excuse me Ted. This all sounds good… but you’ve been talking for 20
minutes and you’ve yet to even say the name of Jesus.”
How often are our lives and our faith centered around something we do – not around the person and deity we are called to
worship. After all, Christianity isn’t something you do, something you study… Church isn’t somewhere you go, or something
you build…
This is not a religion as the world knows religion. Christianity is about a relationship! A relationship between you and the
firstborn of creation!
Our problem is the human tendency toward reduction. We reduce what it means to be Christian to a pamphlet/map. We think
that when someone comes to faith, we’ll just hand them a manual of rules and rites to make them ‘one of the team.’ So we
spend hours, days, years, even lives defining the exact details of a map – a map of our own creation. We reduce God’s
principles and high ideals to simple to state and easy to read rules for “dummies.”
We assume that simple, easy answers which require little thinking or training must be more trustworthy than anything you have
to work to get. And yet you can’t reduce God’s way of working with any Biblical figure to an easy formula or a cute diagram.
Think of dynamically God worked in the life of Abraham or Joseph or David or Peter or Paul. It took Biblical authors pages
and books to describe the little we know. And you think you reduce it to three rules and two good sayings?
Satan knows if he can get the church off-track he’s gained a powerful advantage. And the church has been easy to derail…
Look at our history: inquisitions, holy wars, divisiveness, illiteracy, self-preservation.
Today, I don’t know that we’re any better off. We’ve spend years and decades turn Ecclesiology into our Theology. Reducing
the Bible to a rule book and enslaving and dividing ourselves based on legalism and closed-minded, half-religious idolatry.
Listen, today we start anew. Think of this as training camp. And harken back to legendary coach Vince Lombardi and his now
infamous introductory speech each year at camp. “This is a football” he would say. Professionals and rookies alike, he would
start over. And he would say, “This is a football.”
Would you let me, as a spiritual coach of sorts, give you five minutes of “This is a football?” This is Christianity. This is where it
begins. Look with me in John chapter 1. Lets read, beginning in verse 29:
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” John 1:
29-30
“The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of
God!’ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked,
‘What do you want?’
They said, ‘Rabbi’ (which means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’
‘Come,’ he replied, ‘and you will see.’
So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing
Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). And he brought him
to Jesus.
John 1: 35-42
Listen to the voice of John, calling out to any who would hear - “Look, The Lamb of God” He’s not interested in anyone
following him anymore – he wants them to follow Jesus. No self-serving, self-preserving religion here. Nothing other than
“Look at Him! Listen to Him!”
And then, when the disciples approach Jesus and make inquiries... I love Jesus’ response.
“Come and See”
Come and See. Come with me – see for yourself. Aren’t those wonderful words? Aren’t they the invitation Jesus has been
offering to seekers throughout the centuries? Want to know what life is really about? Come and See. Want to find life eternal?
Come and See. Hope? Love? Joy? Peace? Come and See. This is the Jesus who isn’t afraid of your questions; who isn’t
intimidated by your doubts; who isn’t reluctant to hear your struggles; who doesn’t wince at your pain. This is Jesus – This is
the Word who is God. And He invites you to come and see.
And isn’t that the invitation of the church? Come and See! “Come and See” is about Jesus – not us. Come and See our Savior
who makes his home among us. Come and See this Jesus whose love is based on who He is – not who we’ve been. Come and
See this Jesus whose words sometimes defy definition, whose actions go beyond our logic and whose life is beyond our wildest
imagination. Come and See this God who dwells within us!
Come and See assumes people come from different places, different pasts. Come and See opens the door for the business man
who has compromised his pride and his integrity just to keep his job. Come and See prepares the way for the wayward woman
whose dignity has long since been trampled by life. Come and See speaks to the almost unlistening ears of the student who is
confused about life she’ll look anywhere for love and validation. Come and See welcomes in the homeless, the oppressed, the
confused, the confident, the selfish, the sinners and the saints. Because Come and See is a call to discover Jesus – who He
really is.
This is about knowing Jesus. Not just knowing details about Jesus – but coming to a personal, passionate, intimate relationships
with Him. Knowing him personally as savior and Lord. And I’d rather be known for chasing after Jesus than cornering the
market on every doctrinal debate or for presenting myself as some saint who has overcome the impurity of the world.
How well do you know him? Could you talk about him? If I took away all your religious posturing and superficial piety, could
you describe Him. After you remind that he died for your sins, what else would you say Jesus has done in your life?
Who is He to you? Do you know him? I love these words - Listen to them and see if they don’t provoke you in your life
descriptions of the God who became flesh in Jesus:
To the imprisoned, Jesus is the Key to Freedom
To the sick and infirmed, Jesus is the Great Physician.
To the naked, he is the Lily of the Valley – more adorned than all of Soloman’s rainments.
To the attacked, Jesus is the Advocate and Redeemer.
To the addicted, He’s the Supplier of Every Need
To the trapped, He’s the Doorway of Salvation
To the debtor – he’s payment in full.
To the hungry, Jesus is the Bread of Life.
To the thirsty, He’s the Everlasting water.
To the lonely, He’s the comforter who has come
To the drowning, He’s the rescuer.
To the homeless, he’s the cornerstone of that Mansion, just over the hilltop.
To the depressed, Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness.
To the Blind, he’s the most beautiful of all creation.
To the Abandoned, He’s an everlasting Father.
To the exhausted, He’s the prince of Peace
To the lost Jesus is the Bright and Morning Star.
To the wanderer, he’s the Way
To the dead, He’s the Life
To the confused, He’s the truth.
And to anyone willing, He’s the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.[i]
Can you describe him? Can you talk about Jesus? If someone walked up to you at the office tomorrow and said, ‘what has
Jesus done in your life?’ would you have an answer?
The first and foremost mark of who we are must be a life-long relationship with Jesus Christ. As Leonard Sweet writes, we
exist to pour Jesus, the Divine Elixir of life into containers from which the world will drink.[ii]
We are Christ-ians. Followers of this Jesus. May that be who we are – Men and women who have heard his invitation to
Come and See. And who, like Andrew, run to the people planted in our families and lives and share, “We have found the
Messiah!”
[i] Adapted from original work by Leonard Sweet in Aquachurch. You can learn more about this dynamic book by visiting the web page:
www.aquachurch.com.
[ii] Again, an ‘adapted’ quotation from Sweet’s Aquachurch.
