Sermons for the Month
Come and See
DATE: January 16th, 2005
SERVICE: Second Sunday after the Epiphany
TEXT: John 1:35-42“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN
Let's say that _______________ (pick someone in the congregation) and I were going to go and see ___________________ (pick another individual). So, we walk down the aisle; we stop; we look; we notice that _____________________ (name some things that are seen while looking at this person). While this is interesting, is there anything else we might be doing as we come and see _____________? (Pause for responses.) Well, it seems entirely appropriate that we would not only see ________________, but that we would greet him/her. No doubt we would want to chat a bit, sharing what is going on in our lives, and perhaps we would even have a snack together. In other words, to come and see someone implies relationship.
Keeping that in mind, let me note that in today's Gospel lesson we read the first words attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of John, which makes them important. You may recall that last week we read the first words attributed to Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. In them, Jesus spoke of his relationship with God, and his intention to do God's will. Today the first words of Jesus in John's Gospel invite two of John's disciples into relationship with him.
Twice in this first chapter John the Baptist has identified Jesus as the Lamb of God; his witness about Jesus causes Andrew, and another follower of John, to be curious about Jesus. They ask a socially acceptable question about where he is staying, but may have really wanted to know who Jesus was. Why would their leader John call him the Lamb of God? Their question brings results; Jesus invites them to, "Come and See."
We can be fairly sure that Jesus was not just inviting them to stand in the door and look over his lodgings, just as we do not go to see someone and then stand and stare. He wants them to come in, to talk, to experience and to learn who Jesus is and how he wants them to live. Jesus wants to be in relationship with them.
Evidently something significant happened that afternoon, the spark of relationship must have been lit, because Andrew soon locates his brother Simon and tells him to, "Come and See." Well, he did not use those exact words; his exact proclamation was, "We have found the Messiah!"
The reality, though, is that Jesus found them. It was Jesus who turned and first spoke to the two disciples who were following him. And it was Jesus who broke into their minds and touched their hearts that day in an unexpected way. It was something about Jesus that caused Andrew to identify him as the Messiah and it was Jesus who planted in them the desire to invite others to come and see.
This, after all, was no ordinary relationship. It's important for us to remember that it was a significant thing for the first century Jews to call someone the Lamb of God. The title brought so many Old Testament images to mind, like the Passover Lamb whose blood - smeared on the door frame - saved the Israelites from the Plague of Death and paved the way for their deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 12). Or, there was the lamb provided by God to Abraham for sacrifice in place of his son Isaac. (Genesis 22). What about the lamb from the Suffering Servant songs of the prophet Isaiah, who by his sacrifice redeemed the people (Isaiah 53) or the prophet Jeremiah's gentle lamb that was led to the slaughter (Jeremiah 11)?
Each of these images of the Lamb spoke of freedom and redemption and sacrifice. So, to call Jesus the Lamb of God was to attribute to him freedom and redemption and sacrifice. It's important to keep in mind, though, that it was freedom from Rome and redemption (deliverance) from their own suffering and being led by sacrificial political leader that they were expecting as the "Lamb", not someone who through his own suffering would redeem people from the consequences of sin and bring the freedom of forgiveness. That's who Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, is for us.
But remember, it was not John's designation of Jesus as the "Lamb of God" alone that caused Andrew to seek out Simon. It was what happened during the hours that they spent with him that I'm convinced made a difference. In was a relationship with Jesus that changed Andrew so much that when he found his brother Simon I'm guessing it was not his words as his demeanor that caused Simon to follow him to Jesus.
It's the relationship that makes a difference. Like Andrew, our willingness to invite others to "come and see" is born out of our relationship with Jesus. It's a relationship that Jesus initiates and encourages, and which we nurture. During the coming months you will be hearing a great deal about the importance of tending to our relationship with our Lord, and growing in Faith, throughout our lives. That's so, regardless of the circumstances of our lives or of our church, we can invite people to "come and see" because our invitation is not based on external things.
You see, and this may sound odd to us, but contrary to popular belief we are not inviting people to come and see an awesome church building, or to be impressed by a flashy preacher, or to enjoy beautiful or upbeat music. We are not saying "come and see" so that you may participate in enlightening Christian education or rewarding fellowship. Those things are nice, it's true, and are helpful in maintaining a vibrant ministry. BUT, they can easily fade or become in accessible to us.
Instead, we are inviting people to "come and see" the Lord who is in relationship with us … with me. What people who are searching want to know is how Jesus impacts our lives, how he changes who we are and how our faith makes a difference to us in the midst of challenge. Last week there was a funeral at St. Hilary for a young man who was murdered in a robbery in Michigan. His family was from Akron, so the funeral was held here. The father was interviewed on the local news one night and this is what he said about how the family was dealing with the loss, "If you think we look strong, what you are seeing is our faith". That's what people want to come and see.
It is our experience with the Lord that should so change us - as was true for Andrew that day - that we automatically share it with others not only in word, but simply by being who we are, children of God, disciples of Jesus.
Do you know people who, simply by being who they are, say, "Come and see Jesus"? At Christmas time I was shopping in Wadsworth when I ran by a woman who was ringing bells for the Salvation Army. I have to say that not all bell ringers capture my attention in a positive way, but she did. There she stood in the cold, a smile on her face, white hair cascading out of a thread-bare stocking cap, and her bright blue eyes absolutely twinkled. She greeted me warmly as I entered the store, causing me to actually pause, pull a ten dollar bill out of my wallet, and return to put it in her bucket before I did my shopping. As I did so I commented on her cheerfulness and her beautiful eyes. She said as quick as can be, "Well, you know what makes my eyes shine; it's the Lord Jesus inside!"
Now, I can't imagine expressing myself in quite that way, but she was being true to herself, and in the process saying, "Come and See". She wasn't saying, "Come and see what I have to offer", or what a new exercise program or outfit or job has done for me. In her whole being she was saying, "Come and See Jesus", and I'm sure that demeanor grew out of her relationship with him.
It is people like her who cause others to want to come and see, not longing for the "stuff" of church, but for Jesus Christ and his transforming grace. "Come and see," Jesus says to us. "Come and be in relationship. Come and be transformed." Then, you too will say - perhaps even without words - "Come and see." AMEN