John 1:29-42 (Epiphany 2A)

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.” 35The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”

37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

So, last week, the Scripture led us through Jesus’ Baptism and the notion of God’s claim on his life. But you know what?  Jesus didn’t become who God called him to be when he was born.  He didn’t become who God called him to be when people began to flock into his presence.  He didn’t even become who God called him to be in that moment of his baptism. Jesus became who God called him to be when he stood, wet with the waters of baptism, and claimed it for himself.  Because in that moment, as he responded, his ministry began.

It is the same for us. It is the moment when, for each of us, God calls us and God reminds us that we are a son or daughter of God with whom God is well pleased.  So, what now?  What happens next?  What happens after we are baptized, after the Spirit descends into our lives.  I mean, we can’t go back to the way it was before.  So we have to go forward.  We have to do something.   So, what is it?  What is next?   

Come and see…

So, John the Baptizer comes with two of his disciples, points them toward Jesus, and then he sort of drops out of sight.  He’s still part of the story but we know that he had no doubt where the story was to go next.  So, the two that were with him wanted to know more.  They began looking for Jesus.  And Jesus’ response?  It wasn’t an interview or a test of who they were.  It was an invitation.  “Come and see”, come and experience what God has for you.  It says that they remained with him all day, no longer just hearing about Jesus, but getting to know who he was, and, in essence, becoming a part of the story themselves.  In those hours as they spent time experiencing the Christ, they became disciples.

The passage tells us that it became 4:00 in the afternoon of the next day and they wanted to know where Jesus was staying.  Many scholars think that that time of day and the fact that Jesus was apparently leaving to go stay somewhere implies that it was probably the Sabbath.   And that’s important.  Because, as you know, Sabbath was a practice that they did every week—not when the weather was good, not when they didn’t have something else to do, not when there was not a sports event.  It was their way of practicing to be an artist in their spiritual walk.

So, they ask Jesus where he was staying.  It’s a way of getting to know who he was, because Jesus would have stayed with his relatives or possibly some close friends for the Sabbath.  It’s sort of like asking someone who their people are.  And Jesus tells them to “come and see”.  In other words, come go with me, come experience what I experience, come enter my life, come encounter who I encounter.  Come be a part of my story.  But the clincher is that BECAUSE it was the Sabbath, wherever they went, they would have to stay there.  They couldn’t travel on the Sabbath so from sundown Friday evening to sundown Saturday evening, they would be, essentially, locked up with Jesus.  There was no going back. Once you’re locked up with Jesus, I’m pretty sure your life will dramatically change.

Come and see…

You know, years ago, the evangelism and church growth “gurus” came up with something called an “elevator talk”.  Their claim was that, as Christians, as those called to lead people to Christ, we should have in our metaphorical back pocket a 20 second “sound bite” that would lead people to Christ.  Really?  Are you kidding?  I also thought that was bizarre.  I mean, I’m not sure trapping strangers in an elevator and giving them your 20-min treatise of what you think it all means is the best method.  Jesus never told anyone to do that.  I mean, tell me what sound bite you’re going to use to capture the essence of all the Scriptures, all of Jesus’ life, and everything that God is.  Jesus didn’t do sound bites; Jesus did relationships.  Come my friend, come and see…

Come and see…

And then we are told their names.  So, why does that matter?  Because God doesn’t just throw a blanket over humanity to see who will pick it up.  Think about it.  Nowhere in the Bible does God really ask and wait for volunteers.  Nowhere do we read of God pointing at someone and yelling, “hey, you”.  Because we know that “hey, you” does not create relationship.  No, God is much more intimate with us than that.  God gives us a name, a holy act of creation, and we are called to live into that name.  Jesus called each of these people one by one.  And has done the same with us.  Each of us has a unique part of the story to tell. It’s all there.  Just come and see—all of you.

Come and see…

The Lord plays and diverts [the Godself] in the garden of Creation, and if we could let go of our own obsession with what we think is the meaning of it all, we might be able to hear God’s call and follow…When we are alone on a starlit night…when we see children in a moment when they are really children; when we know love in our own hearts…such times…provide a glimpse of the cosmic dance. (Thomas Merton)

[Verse 1]
Come and see
Come follow me
Back to the place where He’s staying
And He’ll not mind
For there you will find
All that your faith has been waiting

[Verse 2]
Come and see
Come follow me
To a road where believing is seeing
There’s work to do
And words of Truth
To find in your heart for the speaking

[Chorus]
Come and see
Come and see (ooo ooo ooo-oo oo oo ooo)
Come and see
Come and see (ooo ooo ooo-oo oo oo ooo)

[Verse 3]
Come see the Way
The Truth, and the Life
Come see the Light that is living
Come now and see
How the truth sets you free
Come live the life He is giving

Grace and Peace,

Shelli