Come and See

Every time I re-read John 1, I come across something new.

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi, where are You staying?" He said to them, "Come and see."

Philip found Nathaniel 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." And Nathaniel said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."

What a surprising and powerful response to the questions of the curious -- "Come and see." I've spent so much time puzzling over how a Christian is supposed to present the gospel of Jesus, and everything it entails, to someone who wants to hear. It's for this reason that we memorize handy formulas like the Four Laws, or keep fresh on Apologetics, or mull over ways to make conversations more natural. It's because we so often tend to think of the gospel as a fundamental set of ideas that, logically presented, have to be agreed with. When my friends have approached me and asked, "What is a Christian?" or "Why do you believe what you believe?" or "Who is Jesus?" I've always been clumsier, more tongue-tied, less ready with a compact summary of absolutely everything than I thought would've reflected someone who was supposed to be "ready in season and out" to "preach the Word." (2 Tim) I basically always feel like I've lost ground for the Kingdom of God if I don't provide a satisfactory answer on the spot.

But here someone asks a question to Jesus. And yes, it's a simple question of where He's spending the night. But Jesus could've said, I'm staying at My mom's, or an inn, or with John the Baptist. He could've simply answered the question. That's probably what I would've done. Instead, he gave an invitation. And I feel that if we're to truly understand what it is to share our faith, we need to be giving out more invitations and fewer answers.

What if Jesus had simply answered questions? What if He had never invited the disciples along for the ride and the chance to get to know Him? The gospels show, time and time again, instances where the disciples just didn't get it. Having spent years with Jesus, watching Him preach and minister and teach and heal and love, they still asked stupid questions like "Who will be the greatest among us?" If the disciples couldn't get it right after years of spending every moment with Jesus, how can we expect any of us to get it right with instant responses to singular questions? But walk a while with me. Let me show you a Christian community with individual lives redeemed by God, redeemed to God. Let me introduce you to worship and prayer and the joy we can take in fellowship with God. Let me tell you about my Friend and Savior and King. I don't think I can explain it sufficiently at all in five minutes, and I'm sorry to the people with whom I thought I could.

The catch is that we can't say "Come and see" if we don't believe that the power and grace of God have transformed our lives, if we don't believe that the Holy Spirit bears real fruit and real holiness, if we're too afraid to show our junk and our brokenness to others, or if we don't really buy that through Jesus, our sins are forgiven and ourselves reconciled with God. It's much safer for us to give an answer and not an invitation.

Where would Nathaniel have been if someone had not said, "Come and see"? Probably still under the fig tree, wondering what he missed.