Scripture: John 1:35-42

Come and See

At the baptism of Christ, John the Baptist, a relative of Jesus, understood that Jesus was the Messiah, the Lamb of God (Matthew 3:17), the sacrificial Lamb, destined to die for the forgiveness of our sins. John the Baptist was not called to have his own followers, but to point people to Jesus.
As two of John’s disciples follow Jesus from a distance, he turns around to them, asking, “What do you want?” Jesus wants to know what we want from him; he wants to know our reason for following him. Is it just because he is an interesting person? Is it for his teaching? Is it for some kind of blessing or insight we expect? Or is it because we want to follow him as our Lord and Savior? What are our motives? Possibly John’s two disciples are skeptical as well as curious, so Jesus invites them to come and see where he is staying. It turns out not to be just a quick visit to his quarters; the two spend the whole day with him – and by the end they are convinced that this is the Christ. Immediately one of them goes to find Simon to tell him about their insight and to bring him to meet Christ also.
Jesus looks intently at Simon and gives him a new name, Cephas (Peter), which means “rock.” And with the new name Peter also receives a new destiny; from that moment on his life is changed.

Let us consider what we can see in this passage and learn from it:
• John the Baptist knows his place and his role, he knows his job and he knows no jealousy. He recognizes Jesus as the Lamb of God and he turns people away from himself pointing them towards Christ.
• Do we point any people to Christ? Do we recognize our calling in the world − in our family, neighborhood, congregation, or workplace?
• Andrew does not keep this new knowledge, this new treasure, to himself. He passes it on right away to the one nearest to him, his brother, Simon, so that he also can come and see.
• Jesus turns to those who follow him and seek him. He invites us to “come and see.” When we follow Jesus – in the beginning as seekers and later as believers, he turns to us as well, inviting and engaging us.
• Jesus looks intently at Peter and gives him a new name and with it also a new destiny, a new life.
• Notice all the names for the Lord in these verses: Jesus, Lamb of God, Rabbi, Messiah, Son of God and King of Israel. (v 49)