Sermon: "Come and See"

Date Preached: Sunday January 20th 2008

Bible Reference: John Chapter 1, Verses 35-51

Have you ever tried a product or purchased an item because someone recommended it to you? Or ever gone to a restaurant recommended by a friend? Ever rented a movie because someone else said they thought you’d enjoy it or because they said it was fantastic?

Are we more likely to try something recommended by someone we know or by a stranger (or worse, a tele-sales person!)? Normally we’re more likely to follow the recommendation from someone we know and trust, right?

Well the first thing John the Baptist does in this account is what he’s been doing all along – drawing our attention to who Jesus is. “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”  

John the Baptist was the first to call Jesus the “Lamb of God.” And you’ve got to wonder why in the world he would do that? After all aren’t lambs such helpless creatures? Could it be would that he was implying that Jesus was weak or unimpressive?

Well absolutely not, because the exact  opposite is true. Titles are symbols of prestige and this was actually a very prestigious title that John was giving Jesus, It’s just that to appreciate its amazing significance we need to understand how Jewish people would have understood John’s remarkable claim that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  

Well for start it would have got his hearers thinking about Israel’s history (lambs, sacrifices…) – what would they have been led to think about? Just as God had provided Abraham a lamb to sacrifice in the place of his only son Isaac, so Jesus is the Lamb provided by God to be sacrificed in the place of others? Is that what you’re saying John? And then they would have made the connection that just like a Lamb led to the slaughter bearing the sins of many, it’s Jesus who fulfils the role of the suffering servant talked about in Isaiah 53? Again – is that what this is all about? 

But then John’s insight penetrates still deeper into the mystery of the Atonement – they’d recall the time when the people of Israel were captives – slave labourers in Egypt – and were directed to sprinkle blood on the lintels of their doorways so the Angel of Death didn’t destroy them as they prepared for the Exodus. John states that in taking all our sin upon himself, Jesus ‘takes it away’ – he removes all its guilt and power to spoil. A new Exodus – a way out from the slavery of our own sinful condition?

We can’t witness to Jesus without drawing attention to his work as Saviour – Jesus atoning for us - making us “At-One” (if you like) with God – when we were enemies; slaves to ourselves and to this world Jesus reconciles us to the Father.

John knew that this was God’s Lamb; this was his sacrifice for us – so he gives Jesus a prestigious title no one else could dare hold.

But all this has an edge to it doesn’t it? In a culture that sacrificed lambs twice a day in the temple, John’s words were also the kiss of death. "Here is the Lamb of God" also means, "Look, everyone, here’s the one that is going to be sacrificed – who’s going to have to die."

Suddenly, the title might not seem all that great. Yet, as we understand the finished work of the Lamb of God, we see that this name is as prestigious as it is honourable, because it’s only Jesus who can takes away the sins of the world. And this is the Lamb that at the end of time is the One who gets to be on the throne.

As I was preparing this I was wondering whether any of us really understands the all-important work this Lamb accomplishes?

That’s why we need to read the gospels for ourselves, because each one paints a picture of who Jesus is.
We’ll be seeing that:

Matthew shows him in amazing ways as the new Moses; as the King of Kings…emphasizing his Royalty;

Mark shows him as God’s servant, sets out his ministry and spends a lot of time on the significance of the Passion;

& Luke? Well Luke displays Him as the Son of Man … showing his humanity –

and then John eager to show Him as the Son of God…. highlighting his deity. And so you’ll find the gospel writers treating events in different ways to bring this out.

So what do the disciples of John do after hearing him make this claim about Jesus a second time? Well they leave him and go after Jesus!

They don’t start following Jesus blindly – because they’ve heard John’s testimony. When they leave him to follow Jesus, they do so because of what John has been saying. John has led them to consider Jesus. They’d probably been with John and heard his teaching for a while, and now they were following up on this by turning to follow Jesus. Think about it. The two men who went after Jesus at the beginning of our story did so because someone they knew and trusted recommended him.

One of the two disciples of John who followed Jesus was Andrew and the passage deliberately points out that the first thing he did was to find his brother Simon. The first person he went tell about Jesus was the one closest to him - his brother. And Simon would become Peter, a major leader of the early church! You’ve got to wonder would Simon have considered getting to know Jesus without the witness of his brother?

Of course, out of all the people in the story (a little later we get Philip and Nathaniel), it’s Jesus who’s the one ultimately passing out the invitations. And he’s still doing it. Jesus is the one who invites us to consider who he is (and therefore who God is) – because this is why the “Word became flesh and dwelt among us” – to make God known! This is Epiphany.

So we’ve begun to see what the significance of the Lamb is; and we’ve seen the power of the personal recommendation – just simply pointing to Jesus – maybe asking a friend to come with you sometime – not bashing them over the head.

And just one more thing. When John’s two disciples turn to follow Jesus, Jesus intentionally turns to address them and asks, “What are you looking for?” I mean, let’s face it, he knows the answer already. He just wants the two men to say it. Their answer comes in the form of a question: “Where are you staying?”

I love Jesus’ answer here. “Come and see.” It’s like he’s saying, “Come with me and see for yourself. Learn about who I am and what I’m like by being with me.” The two disciples “remained with him that day.” This is something everyone is invited to do: remain with Jesus. This “come and see” invitation to come and see is later echoed when Philip goes and gets Nathaniel with similar words. “Come and see for yourself. Meet him for yourself and decide.”

The key thing the story draws our attention to is this: the importance of considering Jesus. This means being willing to investigate, to ask, and carefully consider who Jesus is. And each one of us is asked to do this personally. While the invitation may come from others, it’s got to be our decision to follow Jesus. The gospel of John invites us to ask: What is he all about? Who is he after all? Why would I want to follow him? Why should I?
Can you think of specific people whose personal witness played a significant role in your decision to follow Jesus? I think all of us can point to people who have played a role in our journey of faith – our spiritual walk. God often, and usually does work through people to draw us into a relationship with himself.
And notice that although John the Baptist is called the forerunner of Jesus, born six months earlier and a  cousin, he didn’t know Him as the Lamb of God till that day. Knew all about him – but didn’t know him.
Charles Spurgeon said it best over 100 years ago…
“you may study, look, and meditate, but Jesus is a greater Saviour than we can ever think Him to be. Even when our thoughts are at their highest, Jesus is more willing to love us, help us, accept us, and forgive us, than we ourselves are. It is no wonder why we call Him the Saviour of our souls.”

So come and see - taste and see that the Lord is good.