Introduction

Good morning, dear church family. It's a beautiful day to gather in God's presence and I am thrilled to be here with all of you. We're going to spend some time today contemplating a powerful passage from the Gospel of John. It's a passage that has the potential to reshape our understanding of who Jesus was, and more importantly, who He is for us today.

Before we do that though, I want to share a quote with you from a man who has greatly influenced my understanding of the Christian faith, the great preacher Charles Spurgeon. He once said, "The Lord Jesus is a deep sea of joy: my soul shall dive therein, shall be swallowed up in the delights of His society." Isn't that a beautiful image? To be swallowed up in the delights of Jesus' society. To know Him is to be filled with joy, and to be filled with joy is to be filled with Him.

Jesus's Journey

As we consider the passage from John, we see Jesus making a decision to go to Galilee. He's not just going to Galilee for a visit; He's going there to call His disciples, to start His public ministry, to set in motion the events that will lead to the cross and the resurrection. This is the beginning of a new phase in Jesus's life, and it's a phase that's marked by movement, by action, by a clear sense of direction.

In this decision to go to Galilee, we see a reflection of Jesus's divine purpose. He's going to Galilee because that's where He will find Philip and Nathanael, two men who will become His disciples and follow Him all the way to the cross. He's going to Galilee because that's where His journey must start. He embarks on a journey that will take Him from the obscurity of a small town in Galilee to the fame and notoriety of Jerusalem. It's a journey that will take Him from the simplicity of a carpenter's son to the complexity of the Son of God, the Savior of the world.

And it's a journey that's marked by encounters, by relationships, by moments of revelation. Jesus doesn't just go to Galilee; He finds Philip there. He doesn't just pass through Bethsaida; He calls Nathanael from there. He doesn't just visit these places; He transforms them, He leaves His mark on them, He changes the lives of the people He meets there. This is the nature of Jesus's journey.

But let's not forget that this journey is also about us. It's about our journey, our walk with Him. It's about our decision to follow Him, to leave our comfort zones, to step out in faith, to embrace the unknown, to trust in His divine plan. It's about our willingness to be transformed, to be changed, to be made new in Him.

We see Jesus inviting Philip to join Him on this journey. "Follow me," He says. It's a simple invitation, but it's also a profound challenge. It's an invitation to leave the familiar, to step into the unknown, to trust in Jesus and follow Him wherever He leads. It's a challenge to let go of our own plans, our own desires, our own understanding, and to embrace His plan, His desire, His understanding.

This invitation is extended to us today. Jesus is still calling us to follow Him, to join Him on this journey of faith and obedience, of transformation and revelation. He's still inviting us to leave our comfort zones, to step out in faith, to trust in Him. He's still challenging us to let go of our own plans and desires, and to embrace His.

Jesus's Judicious Knowledge

We now find ourselves drawn to the remarkable understanding of Jesus ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO