John-Come and See
Orient
Today’s reading is a transition section between the witness of John and the start of Jesus’s public ministry. We will read two calling stories (a narrative where a prophet or disciple is called by God to begin a task, enter a vocation, or follow Jesus).[1] In this section, Jesus begins to gather men around Him to become his disciples, who will eventually be his apostles, who receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and serve as the foundation of the universal church by giving eyewitness testimony to His life.
Introduction
Why do people follow Jesus? Why did you follow Jesus? In today’s reading we get a glimpse into a myriad of ways that we “leave our nets,” as these rough-necked fisherman did, and make learning from Jesus the new focus of our lives. How did Jesus interact? What did He ask of them and what does He ask of us today?
Opening Prayer
Jesus, as I read the testimony of how these men came to follow you, let it remind me of the time when You touched my heart, opened my eyes to my need for You, and came to live in me through your Holy Spirit. May it stir my desire to continue to follow You as I spend time with You today in Your word. May it be light and life for me and strengthen me to walk more closely with You. Show me what I am seeking, show me that You are the Ladder between heaven and earth. Amen
Meditation
Read and reread the following passage, taking God’s word in deeply. As you do, be sensitive to a phrase or verse the Holy Spirit emphasizes to you personally.
John 1:35-51 (ESV)
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas”(which means Peter).
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man
Paraphrase
Rewrite the phrase or verse that the Holy Spirit highlighted during meditation. What is your take away?
Reflect
1. Reread this section looking for the ways people are introduced to Christ*. Consider you own calling to Christ. Recall where you were at and how you were invited into a relationship with Jesus. Is there anyone in your life you can introduce Jesus to?
2. Shortly after interacting with Jesus, many of the disciples call Jesus Rabbi, meaning teacher. From the beginning, these men saw Jesus as one to learn from and answers in part, why they followed Jesus-- to learn from Him. The life of discipleship can be described as the ability to “submit increasingly…to the empowering presence…of Jesus Christ.[2]” Like Andrew and John, do you seek to spend time with Jesus, to learn from Him? What shifts do you need to make in your schedule to free up consistent, regular time with your Teacher?
3. Christians often avoid evangelism because they don’t feel like they have the answers in the face of skepticism. In v 46, Philip responds to Nathanael’s sarcasm by inviting him to come and see. In what ways do you trust in your own abilities instead of letting Jesus show who He is to non-believers?
4. Ultimately, Nathanael recognizes Jesus as the Son of God and King of Israel because He demonstrates His intimate knowledge of Nathanael by sharing that previous to their encounter, he was under a fig tree. It’s easy to forget that Jesus knows every detail of our lives, down to seeing the motives of our heart[3]. It is amazing that Christ knows us fully yet still loves us, despite our need of His sanctifying presence. Think about what it means that God in His holiness has made a way to dwell with us, without marring His perfection or leaving our sin unpaid for. This is grace. Praise God for it.
5. Jesus’s final words in v. 50 are: “…do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” As we spend time with God, we can live in anticipation of the great works He intends to bring about. Are you living in that sort of anticipation? If not, consider listing the things you have already seen God do to revive that spirit.
Closing Prayer
Jesus, thank you for calling me to Yourself personally. As I follow You, my Rabbi, teach me how to be like You and show me who You are inviting me to share You with. I want to spend more time in your presence, to hear your quiet voice in a world that is constantly trying to distract me from being with You. I trust that You will make Yourself known to those I tell about You; I don’t have to have all the answers. Thank You for your intimate knowledge of me, that You love me despite the sin that still tempts me to find fulfillment in anything apart from You. I want others to know this freedom and joy. As I follow You, who is faithful to complete what You have started, grow my sense of excitement about what You are doing and that You include me in this work.
Continue praying personally to the Lord with what He showed you during mediation and reflection.
*a mentor, a family member, a friend, Jesus himself, the divine insight of Christ
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