Come and See – John 1:43-51

A number of years ago a book was published called the synopsis of the three gospels. The purpose of the book was to show where the three gospel accounts  recorded the same events and where they differed. Later there was another book which included the gospel of John. Not surprisingly, the book was much bigger as many events only appear in John’s account. Now I have told you before that each gospel was written from a different perspective.  The gospel of John is often described as a theological account as it does not just quote Scripture from the Old Testament but makes a definite point of linking the mission and ministry of Jesus to critical events in the history of the people of Israel.

One of these critical events is the Passover which commemorates the last of the plagues to afflict the Egyptians and led to the exodus of the people of Israel and their 40-year journey to the Promised Land.  In two of the passages preceding our lesson today John the Baptist makes a point of identifying Jesus as the Lamb of God. Not only does he identify Jesus as the Lamb of God but adds that he is the one who will take away the sin of the world.  John then relates what he saw at the baptism of Jesus: the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove. John’s then testifies that this is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and that he is the Son of God. Even though the birth stories of both John the Baptist and Jesus are never directly mentioned in John’s gospel, it is clear that John the Baptist is the prophet sent to prepare the way and that Jesus is the one born of Mary and the Spirit and therefore the Son of God – the chosen one.

The next day John again exclaims: “Look, here is the Lamb of God.” Two of John’s disciples follow Jesus who turns and asks them: “What are you looking for?” Their response is to ask where he is staying. Jesus simply responds with “Come and see”.

Where Jesus really was staying doesn’t seem to matter to the writer of the gospel. The important thing is that the two disciples of John the Baptist decided to spend time with Jesus in the place where he was staying. They spent time with him in a private space and came away convinced that Jesus was not only the Lamb of God but the Messiah – the Anointed One – the one spoken of by Isaiah. He was the one to redeem the people, to take away the sin of the world, the sin of the people and as the Lamb of God would open the way to overcome death and separation from God.

And so it is that Andrew brings his brother Simon to come and see. And so begins the gathering of disciples according to John. Andrew and Simon who will be better known as Peter.

The day after the events that brought Andrew and Peter to Jesus we find Jesus in the region of Galilee where he finds Philip. For the first time we have Jesus saying to a disciple “Follow me.” Now there are Andrew, Peter, and Philip as disciples of Jesus – all from the same town of Bethsaida which translates to House of the Fisherman.  While John does not speak of the occupation of these three, it is more than likely that they were all fishermen – a fact made much of by the other gospel writers. Like Andrew who went to get his brother Simon, Philip goes to find Nathanael. He doesn’t say that Jesus is the Lamb of God or identify him as the Messiah but he does say that he is the one spoken of in the law and the prophets. He is identified as the son of Joseph of Nazareth which of course was the town in which he was living but not where he was born.

No one had a good opinion of Nazareth and Nathanael is quick to make a judgment about anyone who came from Nazareth. Philip’s response echoes Andrew’s invitation to Simon “Come and see”. When Nathaniel approaches Jesus, Jesus declares, “here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” Nathanael is clearly one who spoke his mind. His honesty and forthrightness may have been off-putting to many people but Jesus saw it as a sign of good character. Nathanael is puzzled as to how Jesus would know this about him. Jesus responds by telling him that he saw him under the fig tree. Sitting under the fig tree was not just a place to seek shade from the sun. The fig tree is a place where someone would go when seeking wisdom and a place where a person could reflect upon their life. Nathanael may well have been struggling with the words and actions of John the Baptist and wondering from where would come the promised Messiah, the Lamb of God.  He then affirms Jesus as the Son of God, the King of Israel. That makes two times in the space of mere days that Jesus is declared to be the Son of God – something that in Matthew’s gospel comes much later as a revelation to Peter and about which Peter is urged to remain silent.

In John’s gospel, it is not hidden but affirmed among those who would follow Jesus that he is the Lamb of God, he is the Son of God, he is the Messiah.

“Come and See”. Those words spoken to Simon Peter by Andrew and then to Nathaneal by Philip reveal to us that the call of Jesus upon the lives of these four disciples was not couched in great theological treatises or long explanations as to why it was important.  It was a simple invitation by a brother and a friend to come and see what they had found.

Throughout the gospel accounts, this is what Jesus says over and over again – maybe not in some many words but each encounter that Jesus has is one in which someone has come and someone has seen.  “What are you looking for,” Jesus asked Andrew and his fellow disciple. They probably had no idea what they were looking for but what they found was the one who would not only take away the sin of the world but their sin. They found the one who would love them unconditionally and embrace them as brothers and remind them that they were children of God. They found the one who would bring heal many, feed many and teach with authority. They had found one who would show grace and mercy to all who would come and see.