------------------------------------------------------
The trip to my parents house is just over 1000 miles. Facing that trip—I get in the car with one thing in mind. My goal---is to get from a to be in the least amount of time. With two meal stops, it’s about 18 hours of driving.
Occasionally there is something that catches our attention---the thought flashes through our minds that we could take a moment and get off the interstate and check it out---but those are only occasional lapses and they don’t last long. We remind each other of the mission---the goal---to get there. And if we get in a city like Atlanta—with those car pooling lanes—I’m all over that. It save me at least 40-45 seconds going through town.
Sadly---I think this is also how we go through our life. Every day we get up with the things we added to our to do list from yesterday. We gauge the success of the day by how many we got done or how many were left. And our lives become one big mission---to get those things done. The faster the better.
This “Express lane” mentality even transfers over into our relationship with God.
We develop systems we can measure to see if we are on track on the mission. We want to get to heaven----that’s the ultimate goal. No hurry ---but we like to know if we are going the right direction, so we develop systems. Mathematical measurements. Things like attendance. If we went to more Sunday services this year than last year---we are on track. If we went to less---we adjust. If we gave more money, attended more meetings, added more functions----it’s all very mathematical. We like to add 2 and 2 and get 4.
The problem is------that like a journey----if we only focus on getting from a to b. If we organize our lives around the fastest, cleanest, easiest way to accomplish the task---we will miss most of the good stuff.
I have realized that on a trip---and in life-----while it’s great to have interstates—to get us there faster----most of the good stuff happens on back roads and detours.
When I was young I remember the trips to my grandmothers house. About half of the trip was on Interstate 64, and then we hit the back roads. I don’t have many recollections of things along that interstate---but I can tell you story after story of things that happened on the back roads. There was a stretch of road with amazing hills that were as good as any amusement park ride. And if we stood in the back floor board and didn’t hold on—dad could hit those hard enough that we would leave the ground and find ourselves landing in the back seat.
There were farms and animals and sights that were amazing. There were small towns and horse farms-----and always something to see on the back roads.
But---we don’t do back roads----much any more. We take the best, which means fastest, way to get wherever we are going---and the thought of taking a road that we are not familiar with makes us very uncomfortable------and might waste time. And then we don’t even want to talk about detours.
If something happens or someone interferes with our plans, with our mission, with our mapped out trip----we respond with frustration, and anger.
For the next several weeks, in fact from now until Easter---we are going to look at a life that was spent on back roads and detours. The life of Jesus. We are going to use the gospel letter written by John as our guide.
In fact, I have a gift for everyone. It’s Eugene Petersons’ translation of John. It’s a modern day version, and a joy to read. You can write in it, take notes in it, bring it each week as we follow along this story.
Pass Out Bibles
When we begin putting this study together, we couldn’t come up with a name. Our final conclusion was “Journey of a lifetime” because it talks about Jesus journey.
But then as I continued to read, and as we talked about the events of Jesus life----the reality that Jesus was constantly taking back roads, and constantly being detoured by people’s needs-------and that is when most of the good stuff happened.
And I believe, one of the greatest messages in the entire book for us will be to open our eyes----and see what God does when we find ourselves being forced from our agenda’s, being directed a different path then we planned.
So----let’s take some time and see what we can learn from the writer, John.
John begins this story by letting us know that Jesus was with God in the beginning. He refers to Jesus as “The Word”.
The word was God---and everything was created through him.
He goes on in the middle of page 6, vs. 14,
The word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.
Another Translation says “he made his dwelling among us”.
The word picture here is the same for the Hebrew word---tabernacle. It means to pitch a tent. If you are a camper----it means to pick a place to stay. God chose to come to earth---and pitch his tent, move into our neighborhood---dwell among us.
The writer John begins his story telling of John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness outside Jerusalem. We can find the story of John’s early life in the book of Luke). John is preaching, “Prepare the way”
As people listened to him—he would make a point to say he was not the messiah. He was not Elijah. But the messiah was coming.
And then we find a great portion of the story beginning in vs 35, or at the bottom of page 8 in your new Bible.
Read
The beginning of Jesus ministry does not happen in the temple. It’s not with fanfare and trumpets. He is not introduced by the religious leaders of the day----it takes place in the wilderness---the back country, and the introduction is by a wild prophet who dresses in animal skins and eats bugs.
And as we follow Jesus life through this book, we find that most of the significant things that happened in peoples lives were on back roads----and most of the detours in Jesus life ended up with a life changing experience for someone.
Beginning with these men in this section that decided to follow Jesus.
So as we begin—let me make 4 observations---and then share 4 lessons I learn from this passage.
Observation #1.
The people who found Jesus were watching.
Notice it says that John was back at his post with two disciples—who were doing what? Watching. Watching for what? Watching for who? Well, John had been saying the Messiah was going to come---I guess they were watching for the messiah. They are standing there when Jesus walk’s nearby and they hear John say—Here he is---God’s Passover Lamb.
The rest of the people didn’t catch it. The crowd gathering---trying to figure out who John the Baptist was didn’t catch it. But the two disciples that were watching-----they saw it.
Observation #2
The people who saw him went after him.
Read on---“The two disciples heard him and went after Jesus. They didn’t stand in shock—they didn’t say—“O well, that’s great, but we’re helping John here. Maybe later”----When they caught a glimpse of Jesus, of the Messiah, the one they were watching for----they went after him. They followed him. They were not going to let him get away.
Observation #3
The people that met him were changed.
We find that these two disciples spent the day with Jesus. A day that would change their lives forever. These men were fishermen-----and yet meeting Jesus would change their focus on life. It would help them see a purpose in their lives. They knew that they had found the Messiah.
How different their lives were because they had been watching, and went after Jesus. Everything changed.
If they had not gone after Him, if they had not spent time with him, they would not have seen sick people healed, dead people raised. They would not have been privilege to witness the resurrection of Jesus. They would have been simply fishermen we never heard of. But these two, and thousands who came after them------when they met Jesus—they were different.
Observation #4.
The changed people TOLD OTHERS>
It says that the first things Andrew did after finding where Jesus lived was find his own brother, Simon, telling him. “We’ve found the Messiah (that is the Christ). He immediately led him to Jesus.
It was a natural thing to want to tell others about Jesus. When people met God’s son—the Word become flesh, God dwelling with us-------they naturally told others. In fact---to not tell other people about Jesus---once we have met him---is not natural. Good news is always shared. And the world was changed, because people who had met Jesus—told others.
So---what are the lessons for us? What do we take with us from this section of Scripture? What application to our lives do we find in these verses?
I see at least 4.
Lesson #1----The OPPORTUNITY is still the same.
Those disciples found Jesus because they were watching for him. There lives were changed because they pursued Him. They followed, wanting to know more about him.
We begin a new year with that same opportunity. We will pursue a lot of things this year. Our list of things to go after will be long.
We will pursue career opportunities. We will pursue relationships. We will pursue education. We will watch for and go after a variety of things-----but will Jesus be one of those? Will we watch for those daily opportunities to see God? Will we watch for those daily lessons---those daily appointments that God brings our way? We have the same opportunity and can have the same out come. Whether we have known Jesus a long time, or if this is a new relationship----If we leave this place---watching---going after---pursuing Jesus------our lives will be changed.
Lesson #2—The INVITATION is still the same.
When the two disciples (which just means followers) went after Jesus and asked where he was staying----Jesus extended this invitation---“Come along and see for yourself.”
That is still the invitation.
Notice Jesus didn’t put a list out of conditions. He didn’t say—if your going to follow me you have to come to church so many times a week, read this much of your bible, dress this way, like this style music, stay away from this and that. He just said come and see for yourself.
That’s the invitation we need to extend to our friends. So often we try to sell it. We tell about programs, and benefits, and we want to make impressions---when all people need to do is---check him out. Jesus is sufficient to stand on His own. If people will just see what he is about----they will be changed.
Come and see---it’s not an invitation to become some fanatic. It’s not an invitation to a list of do’s and don’ts.
It’s an invitation to check out the creator of the world, the God who loves us---and see what impact it has on our lives.
Lesson #3----The question is still the same.
These two disciples are following Jesus—I believe, not sure what to expect, or what to do. Maybe even trying to be a little inconspicuous, and Jesus turns---catches them and says—“What are you after?”
That’s a question they were not expecting. What are you after? And they stammer out a lame excuse for an answer with---uh---where are you staying?”
Jesus knew what they were after---thus the answer---come and see. But the question is still the same for everyone of us.
God still ask----and we need to answer---What are we after?
At age 15-20-35-55-75-85- what are we after?
Is it personal comfort? Name”? Recognition? Is it a level of success by the world’s standards? We are entering another year----we have 365 days to accomplish something and the question lies before us. What are we after?
What do you want? Because Jesus is the direction giver----the life pointer, the path finder----but only if we are after the right things.
Will God be part of what we are after this year? This could be the most important question we can ask and answer as we start this year.
Lesson #4—The promise is still the same.
I love the last part of this chapter. Jesus invited Philip who is a friend of Andrews to come and follow. And Philip does the changed life thing and tells others. He finds his friend Nathaniel and tells him----We have found the Messiah. The one Moses wrote about. It’s Jesus. Joseph’s son from Nazareth!!
And Nathaniel’s response---there at the bottom of page 9----
Nazareth---You’ve got to be kidding.
And notice the invitation by Philip---he learned it----Come and see for yourself.
Jesus talks to Nathaniel-------Nathaniel realizes who Jesus is and says “You are the Son of God, the King of Israel.” And Jesus says—
You haven’t seen anything yet!!!!
And that promise is still for us. We haven’t seen anything yet. The more we watch for opportunities, the more we pursue God appointments, the more we check out Jesus-------when we get the right answers to “what are we after”?------The promise starts happening and we haven’t seen anything yet.
Jesus traveled for over 3 years---the back roads of Israel, Judea, Galilee, touching people’s lives.
That same Jesus, the God who became flesh and pitched his tent---the one who moved into our neighborhood----offers that same invitation to you he offered to those two men who followed him---checking him out.
Come and see.
