“Come and See.” This quotation has become a bit of a cliche in the evangelical world. I currently live in Jacksonville, FL, which is nestled directly in what’s been dubbed the “Bible belt,” and it shows in many ways. I regularly pass cars with this saying “tattooed” on their bumpers or rear-view windows, in sticker form. I love this! It’s a quotation from the first chapter of John’s gospel, and I think it reveals some truths about the heart of those who follow Jesus.
Most look to John’s first chapter for its message about who Jesus is, and rightfully so: it’s one of the most theologically concentrated sections of scripture. Still, what we’re going to look at is usually overshadowed: the heart of the first disciples.
A heart that truly encounters and surrenders to Jesus will inevitably be changed. Part of that change is a passion to tell others about Him.
Those who truly accept Christ recognize that He’s the best thing that’s happened to them, and this is usually accompanied by the urge to tell others about Him. What we’ll see is that this was the attitude and the action of some of His first followers.
Let’s focus on verses 35 through to the end of the chapter, which is 51. Verses 35-42 give an account of the calling of the first disciples, Andrew and Peter.
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). (John 1:35–42, ESV. Emphasis mine)
In this section, two followers of John the Baptist encounter Jesus and begin to follow Him. One of them, verse 40 tells us, is Peter’s brother Andrew. Be sure to note what happens with Andrew, and what he feels compelled to do.
The text says Andrew “first” found his own brother and shared the news. In his recognition of who Jesus is, via the affirmation of John, they commenced to follow Christ. In his zeal and excitement, Andrew felt compelled to find his brother and share the news. We’ll see a similar response in the next section.
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.” (John 1:43–51, ESV)
I love this section, and it’s the section from which the quotation at the onset is cited. Jesus goes to Galilee and calls Philip. Philip has a life-altering encounter with Jesus, and it results in an action similar to that of Andrew; Philip goes to share the news with others. He finds Nathaniel, but what I love is the interaction between Philip and Nathaniel.
Philip must have had some encounter with Jesus; this is evident from what he tells Nathaniel. Philip is convinced that Jesus was He who “Moses in the law, and the prophets wrote” which is a messianic reference. Now, the text says Philips was called the following day, and in Galilee, so He was most likely not in the audience when John the Baptist affirmed who Jesus was. His recognition of this fact must have come from his encounter with the Savior.
What is particularly interesting is the interaction between Philip and Nathaniel. Philip speaks with what feels like the zeal of a new believer. If you’re a believer, I know you remember the early days of your walk with God; I definitely remember mine. I felt compelled to tell everyone about Jesus, and didn’t mind how I looked doing it. I remember sharing it with one of my sisters, with my friends at the time, and a great majority of them responded similarly to Nathaniel, with apparent skepticism.
Nathaniel responds to Philip with a statement oozing with sarcasm, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth? I know the feeling of sharing Christ with someone, and you have so much passion and emotion, only to be met with a flippant, skeptical reply. Still, that doesn’t deter Philip; he offers what is now referred to as a Christian cliche, but was just the invitation that Nathaniel needed: the phrase “come and see.”
This invitation is evangelism at its finest and simplest. Philip offers what he knows about Jesus, who Jesus is to him. Then, he offers Nathaniel the invitation to meet Christ for himself. We tend to make evangelism complicated; this model works.
Takeaways
- Evangelism
The heart of the disciples in both instances was to share Christ with others. This is the usual response of those who have a life changing encounter with Christ, and if this isn’t, and has never been you, you may want to honestly search your heart and ask yourself why. If you truly believe the gospel, and all of its truth, especially that of final judgement, why wouldn’t you warn those around you? Also, if you believe Christ to be the best thing to happen to your life, again, why not share Him with others?
Evangelism isn’t only a command from Christ to believers via the great commission (Matthew 28:18-19), but it’s also how every believer joins in the work of Christ to gather His sheep. (John 10:14-16)
2. Preparation
Some may feel intimidated to share the gospel with others. If I’m honest, I feel this awkward intimidation all the time. Still, preparation can help overcome these feelings. I added the model that Philip used with Nathaniel because that can be easily replicated and practiced for future interactions. You simply tell who Christ is to you, what He has done for you, and you close with an invitation. It’s simple, but this free-form presentation can take some practice, so as not to ramble on and have the person you’re witnessing lose their interest.
The Romans Road is another strategy that people have found success with. The idea behind this strategy is to follow a list of scriptures in the book of Romans that lead to a gospel presentation. This is also a simple strategy to adapt to one’s evangelism, as it provides a framework. You simply guide the conversation to highlight the scriptures included in the list. I’ll include a list of the scriptures below.
…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23, ESV)
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23, ESV)
…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8, ESV)
…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Romans 10:9–10, ESV)
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13, ESV)