Come and See Jesus
Sermon for the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany, year B
Bible reading: John 1:29-31
We’re coming to the end of holiday time – the time we go away to see new places, to see the family, to see new movies.
It’s Epiphany – the time when we’re called to see Jesus.
An actor was playing the part of Jesus, teaching his disciples the Sermon on the Mount.
Suddenly he turned away from the disciples on stage, to his audience, and pointed at the blank side wall of the auditorium and said: Look at the lilies in that field!
He hesitated a while as he looked at the disciples on stage, then he again looked at the audience, pointed at the side wall and repeated: Look at the lilies in that field.
He hesitated some more as he seemed to be searching for the right words. The crowd began shifting uncomfortably. Then he pointed at the wall a third time saying very deliberately: Look at the lilies in that field!
Then he turned to the disciples on stage, shrugged his shoulders, and said: I can’t get them to look!
Then the audience laughed as they realized he really mean them to look. And sure enough, when he gave one more try – Look at the lilies in that field
– every head in the audience turned toward the side wall.
Epiphany is the season when we try to get people to look at Jesus. This is what John the Baptist is doing throughout this first chapter of John. That is what John the Evangelist is trying to do throughout this Gospel. The words for seeing appear 18 times in this first chapter of John. John writes his whole Gospel to help people see Jesus so they will believe in him, even though his last word on the topic is: Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.
John tells of seven signs Jesus did to reveal himself to the people, so that they might see who he was and believe. Nevertheless, the more signs they saw the less they seemed to believe. And the less they believed, the more signs they called for.
One of the verses that each of the evangelists quotes is Isaiah 6. John 12 says:
Although Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah:
Lord who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?And so they could not believe because Isaiah said:He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, so that they might not look with their eyes, and understand with their heart and turn – and I would heal them.
John goes on to say that despite such refusal to see who Jesus was and believe in him and be saved, many did believe but they kept it secret because of their fear of the religious leaders – for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God.
(John 12.43) They wanted a foot in both camps!
John the Baptist and John the Evangelist spend all their time trying to get people to look at Jesus and believe in him. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Look at Jesus and see him as the one who loves you so much he dies for all your sins, and brings forgiveness to you, and opens up a whole new life for you. “Come and see”, says Jesus as he invited inquirers to come and spend time with him, and see what he does, and get to know him and believe in him. “Follow me”, says Jesus as he invites all people to come with him, and live like him, as his disciples.
Come and See Jesus, is the most blessed invitation. In Exodus, when Moses wanted to see God so he could build up his confidence to lead the recalcitrant Hebrews, God said to him: no one can see me and live.
The difference between the Holy God and us sinners is so great, that to see God would kill us. But God is so loving that he tells Moses to stand in a cleft in the rock and when he passes by in his glory, God will cover Moses’ face with his hand, and God will remove his hand after he has passed and allow Moses to see his backside, which scholars say is a euphemism for: where I just was. The most that people in the Old Testament, even Moses, can hope to see is the signs of God’s presence and actions.
And now in Jesus, the Son of God, who became one of us, we have this amazing invitation to Come and See … and live! As we come to see Jesus, it is not we who are killed for our sins ... but our sins which kill Jesus. It's as simple as that.
Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
Behold the man,
says Pilate, as he introduces Jesus to the crowd calling out for him to be crucified.
From his birth in a wooden cradle to his death on a wooden cross, you are asked to behold this man, to behold how much he loves you, to behold how he suffers and dies for you, and then to join with Mary as she runs from the tomb shouting to all who will hear: I have seen the Lord!
Come and See – the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
That means, come and see that Jesus is true man and true God, and when you see Jesus the Son, you are also seeing the Father. Come and See the truth of what you are meant to be like, how faithful and loving Jesus is. Come and See that although we all fall far short of the true person that Jesus is, his grace covers all our sins, and His Spirit continually renews us to grow in his image.
Come and See – heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.
Jesus is the new Bethel, the new house of God, where God meets with his people. As we saw last week, in Jesus the heavens are broken open in love for us all. In Jesus the temple curtains are torn apart to welcome us all. Do you want to see God?
Then come and see Jesus. There is no other way to see God. There is no other way to eternal life with God.
We need to keep coming to see Jesus – in his Word, in worship, in Holy Communion. A quick glimpse of Jesus does little good. Jesus seeks continual communion with us. Abide in me as I abide in you.
Teacher, where are you staying? Come and see.
The invitation is to keep seeing Jesus, and keep growing in understanding and being like him.
Come and See! That’s our invitation to others too. Have you seen a little child excited by a new kitten, tugging us by the arm and saying: Come and see! Come and See!
That’s enthusiastic Philip speaking to skeptical Nathaniel. That’s the simplest way for us to speak to others. We’ve found Jesus, the meaning of life … come and see! No preaching. No arguing. No pressure. Come and See. Come to our small group …come to our church. Come to Introducing God … come and read The Greatest Story Ever Told. Come and See!
Jesus is so wonderful. Life is all about seeing Jesus and inviting others to see him. Amen.