Sermon on John 1:35 - 51
Come and See
There is nothing that beats first hand experience. It is harder to believe what someone tells us if we cannot experience it for ourselves. Surely this is the very reason John the Baptist pointed out the "Lamb of God", and why in v39 Jesus says, "Come and see". Philip then uses exactly the same words when speaking to Nathaniel about Jesus, emphasizing the need for first hand experience of the Christ.
Christians our task is surely to say to believers, "Come and see" and encourage them to meet with the risen Christ as we have, not just to hear about him. Let’s face it however, when it comes to witnessing two things tend to mark us all out. The first is that we all desire to see our friends and relatives being saved from the punishment for their sins. However the second thing about many of us is that we are at a loss about how we should speak of Christ to our friends and relatives. It’s not that we don’t want to share our faith, and it’s not that we don’t have a concern, because we do care. We’re just not sure how to translate the concern into useful action.
One thing is sure - we mustn’t try to make ourselves sound smart or smarmy and hence confuse the issue by using a lot of terms and concepts that the unsaved don’t understand. However we must have an eagerness to share the Gospel. Andrew had such a concern. He had only met Jesus himself, yet he goes straight out to tell Peter about him also. Do we have such eagerness, in prayer, and in witnessing?
1. Sought
There used to be a window sticker on cars which read, "Carpenter from Nazareth seeks joiners". The great thing is that Jesus still seeks for those to join Him by giving their lives to Him. Another sticker read, "Wise men sought Jesus, they still do!" Have you sought Jesus, because if you do you will find Him, and eternal life through Him. In verse 36 once again we find John the Baptist referring to Jesus as "the Lamb", hence underlining the atoning work He came to do.
Andrew & John Followed Jesus
Andrew & John had followed John the Baptist closely for quite some time. They were probably religious enough to know about the O.T. prophecies regarding the Messiah. Therefore when they heard John describe this person as the Lamb of God they were intrigued and began to follow Him to find out more.
In verse 38 Jesus turns and asks them, "What do you seek?" Note that He didn’t ask, "Who do you seek?", but "What ...?" Was Jesus perhaps suggesting that they were looking for the removal of sin from this Lamb of God, or were they seeking for something even more mundane, maybe even thinking in terms of politics. Jimmy Cricket, the comedian had a phrase years ago, "Come a little closer", and it is as if Jesus is saying that to Andrew & John here, "Come and see". In other words, Jesus is going to answer their questions. I once had a keyring, and on one side it said, "Christ is the answer", and on the reverse, "Now what’s the question?" - how true this is.
Andrew & John showed Jesus respect by calling him "Rabbi" which simply means, "great master/teacher". They wanted to know where Jesus was staying - why? Surely this was so they could find out more - to spend some uninterupted time with this special man. Even though Jesus was buy and undoubtedly had much work to do, yet he gave his time to these two enquirers. Jesus is still not too busy to hear your heart’s cry. Will you come to Him today? Here Jesus said to these men, "Come and See", and elsewhere He said, "Come unto me ... and I will give you rest." Do you need rest for your soul? Jesus is the only one who can supply that peace which goes beyond human understanding.
We are told in verse 39 that it was about the tenth hour. Why should John have bothered to tell us what time it was? It is hardly of relevance to us today! Scholars have argued over this verse, believing it to mean all manner of things depending on whether John was using the Jewish system or Roman system to tell the time. Surely though they have missed the point altogether. If I were to ask you where you were when you heard about the death of Kennedy or Princess Diana, you can probably remember it in every detail. Why is this? It is because it was something very significant, that changed the lives of many. John here remembers the time so well because thsi was the most important meeting of his whole life. This was the time that changed John’s life. Can you speak of a time when your life was also changed?
Andrew & John Found the Messiah
What wonderful and exciting words we find in verse 41, "We have found the Messiah". They went out following this man called Jesus, whom John referred to as the "Lamb of God", but they came back changed men for they had met with the Messiah! They and Israel had awaited His arrival for many years, and now imagine their excitement when they consider that they have actually met Him.
They were so excited they just had to tell others. They couldn’t hold the news in - it was just too wonderful. When we gather for worship, the Messiah comes to meet with us. Does this thrill your heart, that you a sinful, hell-deserving sinner should be able to meet and worship the Lord God Almighty? John & Andrew sought and found Jesus. Jesus tells us that if we ask, seek and knock then we will be satisfied.
2. Brought
How ridiculous it would look to see man fully attired for fishing with his rod and reel, and loads of bait with his line dropped into a swimming pool. We surely would ask him what he thought he was doing and which planet he was from anyway!! We would tell him that if he wanted to fish then he needed to go where the fish are. The question therefore we should be asking ourselves is not so much, "Where are all the unsaved people?", but "Where are all the unsaved people I can reach?" We are all missionaries with a mission field around us. Are we doing God’s work in this field?
Andrew Brought Peter
Andrew’s first thought was to seek out his brother, Peter, and tell him about what had just taken place. What an example Andrew set. He was so fired up about meeting Christ that he wanted to tell his nearest and dearest. Are we as eager? Do we go to others? Do we seek to bring others to church? Each person must know at least on who doesn’t come to church. Why not make that person your priority - your mission field?
John Brought James
Although it is not said directly in verse 41, yet it seems to be inferred by it that John was just as touched by meeting Jesus that he also went to find his brother and tell him of Jesus.
A game warden once wondered how a particular man caught so many fish, so he went with him one day. Out in the boat, the man lit a stick of dynamite, threw it in the water and began to scoop the stunned fish up. The warden complained telling the man this could not be permitted. As the warden ranted and raved the man calmly lit another stick of dynamite. He put it in the warden’s hands and said, "Are you going to sit there and talk, or are you going to fish?" So often this is the problem with our evangelism. It is ok for someone else to do it, but not for us. Will you go to where the fish are, and stun them by how God works through you?
3. Taught
Philip Taught of Christ
The word structure in verse 45 is very interesting and explains in some part the reaction from Nathaniel to Philip’s news. The first word in the Greek is "Messiah" and the last word is "Nazareth". Therefore what Nathaniel would’ve heard Philip say was something like, "The Messiah we have found ... from Nazareth". This sounded ridiculous to Nathaniel, and therefore he joked about it in verse 46, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Even though Nathaniel poured scorn on Philip’s words, Philip does not react, and simply says, "Come and see". Oh that we could show such wise control when people seek to turn our words around, and simply point to the Saviour instead.
Christ Taught about the Future
Jesus speaks very knowingly about Nathaniel as he approaches and amazes Nathaniel with his knowledge. Some commentators have suggested that Jesus here links Nathaniel with his forefather, Jacob, as He sounds amazed that he is an "Israelite in whom there is no guile". Jacob’s very name meant "deceiver", and therefore Jesus was looking upon his decendants, the jews, also to be deceivers. That is why Jesus came to be "The Way, the Truth and the Life". By nature we are as Jacob’s name suggests, deceived and deceivers, and therefore we need the truth, who is none other than Jesus.
Jesus ties it all together in verse 51, when He speaks of the way between God and man, just like the ladder Jacob dreamt of. Jesus tells Nathaniel that he will see this happen in his lifetime, how the broken link between God and man shall be repaired. Of course Jesus here is aluding to His own death on the cross. Jesus is the only mediator between God and man. He only could unlock the gates of Heaven and let us in. Are you going there? Jesus made a way, by being The Way. There is no other way - only through Jesus Christ. You must come through Him and Him alone.
