Acts 10:40-43 - God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.
3 eyewitness testimonies of the Messiah that strengthen and help us share our faith
I. The Witness of the Last Old Testament Prophet – John the Baptist (v35-36)
A. Jesus is the Son of God
John 1:34 - I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.
John 1:15 - John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’”
B. Jesus is the Lamb of God
John 1:29 - The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
John 1:35-36 - Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
Isaiah 53:5-7 - But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth.
Isaiah 53:11 - As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.
II. The Early Witness of the Disciples (v37-49)
A. The testimony of Andrew
John 1:40 - One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ).
Psalm 2:1-2 - Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed…
B. The testimony of Simon Peter
John 1:42 - He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
2 Peter 1:16 - For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
C. The testimony of Phillip
John 1:43-45 - The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael 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.”
Deuteronomy 18:15 - The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.
Deuteronomy 34:10-12 - Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, for all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.
D. The testimony of Nathanael
John 1:46-49 - Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.”
Psalm 2:6-12 - But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain. I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware. Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!
III. The Witness of the Son of Man (v50-51)
A. Angels ascending and descending on Jacob’s ladder
Genesis 28:11-17 - He came to a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head, and lay down in that place. He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
B. Angels ascending and descending on the Son of man
John 1:50-51 - Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
John 3:31-36 - He who comes from above is above all, he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. What He has seen and heard, of that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
As we continue our series on Enjoying Life in His name….I just wanted to review where we are…
Our first message in this series… Enjoying Life in His name Because God Became Flesh helped us rejoice in the deity of Christ, and rejoice in God taking on human flesh, and how we are to respond to the light of life, and marvel at the glory of God.
Our second message….Enjoying Life in His Name because the Messiah is Jesus helped us consider Who John the Baptist was and How he pointed to the Messiah and prepared the way of the Messiah…
This message today builds on those first two messages and sets the tone for a theme that is woven through the rest of the book of John.
That theme is the importance of eyewitness testimony and for you and me, this message challenges us to consider how we react, how we respond to eyewitness testimony.
People throughout history have valued and needed and sought eyewitness testimony to find out what is true, what really happened, and what they should trust and believe.
Consider how you and I might look for eyewitness testimony in our day to day lives.
If I am in a new town and I want to find a good Italian restaurant, I am going to ask the people that I know. You tend to get two types of responses. “I heard that such and such is pretty good” or “Oh my Goodness, you have to go to La Taverna De Sappori, they treat you great and the food was amazing.” Which one are you going to try first? La Taverna De Sappori, Why, not just the passion, but because the report came based on personal experience.
We look for that type of advice everyday. Just look at your social media and somebody is asking for recommendations for restaurants, plumbers, roofers, schools or churches or maybe just a new coffee maker.
The idea is you want advice and recommendation, we want eyewitness testimony from someone who has firsthand experience so that you can make a choice about how to respond.
That is exactly what the Book of John is doing….He is laying out eyewitness testimony all throughout the book….
John actually uses the phrases witness, testimony, bear witness, testify alot…
They come from the Greek word group martureomai, and marturia…
- The book of John uses this word group more than any other book in the NT…47 times…in fact if you combine all three of the other Gospels usage it adds up to 20 times….and the book of Acts…29 times….so John is big on emphasizing eyewitnesses.
Why is this so important in the gospel of John, because the purpose is to invite the reader will come and see, and investigate the testimony of Jesus the Messiah and respond ultimately putting their trust in Him, so that we can Enjoy life in His name.
So these eyewitnesses - much more important that good plumber…
it is about the good shepherd…
it is about the Testimony of the Messiah and how He offers eternal life in His name.
Eyewitnesses really helps us have confidence in the one we have put our trust in.
Eyewitnesses give us the confidence that we can respond to the truth.
So as we study this morning….please turn to John 1:35-51 as we consider this morning…
Enjoying Life in His Name because of the strength of eyewitness testimony
Read John 1:35-51
With our time remaining, let’s look at 3 eyewitness testimonies of the Messiah that strengthen our faith and help us share our faith
Last week we spent the whole week looking at John the Baptizer and his message to prepare the way for the Messiah. He is also the first of our witnesses in today’s passage.
- The witness of the last OT prophet – John the Baptist (V35-36)
John testified that….
- Jesus is the Son of God
Look back to the last verses prior to today – John said “I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me,”
So John is getting his information directly from the source, the very Word of God, “He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.” Therefore John reports -
- John 1:34 - 34 “I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
John is emphasizing the deity of Jesus…That he is the same nature as God.
Moreover, John testifies that….
- Jesus is the Lamb of God
- John 1:29 29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
- John 1:35-36 35Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
It is interesting that we don’t see this title picked up by the disciples of John…but we see John the Baptist emphasize it twice…
This directs our minds back to the Passover Lamb that was to be sacrificed each year commemorating the rescue from Egypt.
He is pointing us to Jesus’s real purpose in coming, but to others this just does not become evident or real to them until 3 years later.
John’s declaration of Jesus as the Lamb of God recognizes the coming fulfillment of 700 year old prophesies.
- Isaiah 53:5–7 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. 7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.
- Isaiah 53:11 11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.
John the Baptist is testifying about Jesus and the truth of who he is and directing his disciples to Him…
He is also calling out to you and I today
Behold the Lamb of God. John wants us to Behold – to see the truth about Jesus and Who He is.
How will we do that?
- Today is a great start – stay with us as we continue to our walk through the Gospel of John this year. But don’t just come to listen – I want to encourage you to take notes, write out your questions and investigate the answers. You can use the Faith App each week to help you record your questions and e-mail them to yourselves.
- During the week – Spend time in God’s Word – How is your devotional time – are you reading and behold in the truth directly from God’s Word?
I want you to Behold the Lamb of God, because when we truly behold, it will change our response in many other ways.
But John the Baptist is not the only eyewitness to listen here
John the Gospel writer is setting up the eyewitness testimony of the Apostles…the one’s who were with Jesus, the ones who ate with him, and saw Him taken, and crucified, and also were eye witness to His resurrection….
Our passage today shows the very beginning of their eyewitness testimony and how they responded to what they saw from the start.
As we pointed out, the disciples have a growing Faith…they do not fully understand everything yet…but this is the beginning of their eyewitness account.
- The early witness of the disciples (v37-49)
We read that after 2 of John’s disciples hear him talking about Jesus being the Lamb of God…they began to “follow” him…
At this point, that means pretty much what it sounds like – they followed walking behind him…and Jesus asks them what do you seek….I just love this question…What are you looking for…what do you want…They Respond Rabbi…which is a term of honor...it means great one, it emphasize teaching and learning… but their first request - They want to know where Jesus is staying… …and Jesus says, come and see….I don’t think this is because Jesus got a great deal on a hotel and he wants to show them his great accommodations…but rather he is going to teach them about Himself. He is going to bear witness about Himself so that they can become eyewitnesses.
For you and I, we cannot go back in time to “follow” Jesus as John’s disciples did, but we can choose to follow him through the testimonies of others. Just another encouragement that we all need to be reading God’s Word so that we might come and see that He might teach us about himself through His Word – recall “In the beginning was the Word” He is testifying about himself in the Word.
Back to John’s disciples - we have eye witnesses and invitations
first we see….
- The testimony of Andrew
- John 1:40 - 40One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ).
These two men are with Jesus and it is about 4:00pm…so they spend the evening with him.
And here we see Andrew, after spending the night with Jesus…the first thing he does is bring his brother to see Jesus…that is a good brother.
But what was he so excited about…he said we have found the Messiah…meaning the anointed one.
in the OT…someone was anointed by God for a specific task….prophets were anointed to bring God’s Word, a King was anointed to rule…. It is very likely that these disciples of John, knew their OT scriptures, and knew of a passage like Psalm 2 which says…
- Psalm 2:1-2 1 Why are the nations in an uproar And the peoples devising a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand And the rulers take counsel together Against the Lord and against His Anointed, …
If you read Psalm 2…you see the Lord opposing the rulers of the world, and the Messiah, the anointed in opposition to the earthy rulers as well…
Remember, at this point, the disciples do not have a complete knowledge of Jesus. They believe He is the Messiah…the anointed one sent by God…but to do what….They do not yet fully know what the Messiah is going to do….but based on spending time with Jesus…they are convinced He is the messiah. And it is understandable that they would look forward to the Lord opposing the earthly rulers and kings like Rome who are oppressing Israel.
This is why the rest of their eyewitness testimony is so important. They witnessed Jesus’s life and teaching so that when they saw his death, burial and resurrection, they would be witness to the truth that Messiah came to do something far greater than just to oppose Rome…
So Andrew went to find his brother
- The testimony of Simon Peter
- 42He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
Now we do not get a lot of info at this point about how Peter responds…so this is a bit less of Peter’s testimony and it is more about Jesus testimony about who Peter is going to be and what Peter is going to do…
- You see Jesus changes Simon’s name….to Cephas which means “Rock”…in Matthew we see this play out in more detail…but the Lord is going to use Peter…
- you see the Lord knows Who these men are and more than that…He knows What they will become…they are going to be His eyewitnesses.
In Peter’s second letter he states…
- 2 Peter 1:16 - 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
When we look at Andrew and Peter - One of the coolest things in this text…
- first when one person learns of the Messiah…they go and tell someone else that they know…
- Then we find the impact not just on the first person, but by inviting them to come and see – the second person’s life can be changed.
We all have this opportunity – Is there someone in your life that you need to invite to come and see Jesus? When we know that this invitation is life changing, I want to invite you to consider who are the people around you that need to come and see – it might be as simple as inviting them to church, or inviting them to join you in a Bible Study. We just don’t know in what mighty way God will use you and maybe use the person who you invite – Life changing – isn’t that enough reason to ask them to come and see.
Next we see Phillip come on the scene
- The testimony of Phillip
- 43The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.” 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael 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.”
Here is another type of response, Andrew had been told about Jesus so he followed to investigate and then he went to his brother and invited him to come and see.
Philip is found by Jesus himself, them Jesus says “follow me.” Though it is not said, we can infer that Philip responded immediately to the call from Jesus, but then he takes the call one step further.
Phillip doesn’t just follow Him…He goes and tells His friend. But Why?
The basis for Philip to go to his friend, Nathaniel was the Scriptures. Just as Andrew told Peter they found the Messiah…this time Phillip tells Nathanael, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote” ….We have the eye witness testimony of Phillip, but connecting it to the OT scriptures….
This is what people were asking John the Baptist…are you the prophet?...not a Prophet…but THE Prophet…the Prophet that MOSES talked about that is to come….
Moses wrote in Deu….
Deuteronomy 18:15 - 15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.
The end of Deu states….
Deuteronomy 34:10–12 10 Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11 for all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, 12 and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.
Phillip is saying…The one that was promised is here…and He is going to do amazing things….and we get to be a part of it….
For you and me – when we get invited to Come and See, as we become witnesses to Jesus’s life in the gospels.
When we look at Philip’s example – we are called to explore the whole of God’s Word. The eyewitness testimony of Jesus is powerful, but how much more powerful is the testimony when we can see that God’s plan throughout history and recorded in His Word has from the beginning pointed to Jesus as the Messiah.
So far, everyone jumps on board pretty much right away in the text…but Nathanael is a bit different…
- The testimony of Nathanael
- 46Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.”
To understand Nathanael’s response…It is important to note that all these men are from Galilee…
- Just like today, we might say – Oh – you’re from Iowa or Your from New Jersey. In Israel, where you were from mattered from a position of social status.
- Israelites who lived closer to Jerusalem, to the temple and the religious center of the nation looked down on those who were from Galilee.
- That is Galilee…everyone looks down on Galilee…and guess what town is looked down on by Galileans…yep…Nazareth….that is like saying your from a bad town and a bad part of that bad town….
I think back to Isaiah 53….that says…He (the messiah)…was despised and forsaken of men…we did not esteem him….can anything good come out of Nazareth….Come and see…
Phillip does not argue with Nathanael…he just says Come and See….
that is exactly what Jesus said to Andrew and John….our God is a relational God…inviting men and woman to come and see who He is…to come and trust Him based on the testimony of scripture and the testimony of these eyewitnesses.
There is another lesson in here for us from Philip -
When we have the chance to share our faith with someone and they push back asking how you can believe in fairy tales or they just can’t believe in God because everything bad happening in the world.
What is our response? Do we brace up and get ready for a fight? DO we look for the best argument? I can’t let them think that they are right, I’ll show them. Or maybe we think we need to go on the offensive to defend God’s name.
Guess what, God doesn’t need me to defend him, and it really is not important that this person sees that I am right.
Rather the lesson from Philip can help us in how we share Christ – Our job is to invite them to Come and See and let God’s Word and the eyewitness testimony of the disciples carry the power that can change their lives. I don’t need to be right and I don’t have to defend God, I just need to help others to Come and See through loving words and loving actions.
Where was I – that’s right – the disciples
Jesus again takes the initiative and as Nathanael approaches says “an Israelite in whom there is no deceit”
Well we know Nathanael does not mince words, and does not pretend he likes Nazareth…but Jesus is speaking to Him and saying, you are a genuine Israelite…you are not someone who is duplicitous and deceitful…someone who honors God with their lips alone…
Nathanael is taken back as it seems Jesus has just looked right through Him to know him without ever meeting him….
- and he asks How do you know me…
- Jesus says he saw him by the fig tree before Phillip even came to get him….
- this is too much…Jesus is the one who sees into the heart of man, and also see’s man physically where ever they are….
- Nathanael recognizes this as a demonstration of power, and responds…in a very genuine way…Rabbi, you are the son of God, the king of Israel…
Nathaniel responded to the power and authority of Jesus.
How can we do that today – we don’t have Jesus telling us He saw us at McDonald’s picking up a McMuffin before we came to the Northend. SO how will they see the power of Jesus?
The answer - your changed life, like Jesus changed Peter’s life and his testimony points us directly back to Christ.
Your testimony is based on the very power of Jesus in your life. In addition to inviting others to comes and see like Andrew, we are called to share our testimony of the power of Christ changing our lives like Peter. We all have a testimony, it does not have to be a salvation story from drugs alcohol and abuse to demonstrate the power of Christ. When Jesus Christ saves us, we are saved from our sin that would have otherwise condemned us to an eternity in hell. That’s a powerful testimony. It doesn’t have to make a good Hollywood movie, because the ending is all that matters.
I would invite you to take the time to think through your testimony and be ready to share when the opportunity comes as you invite others to Come and See Jesus.
1 Peter 3:15 says that we are always to be “ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect.
Our testimony comes from the power of Christ and that may make the difference in someone being ready to “Come and See” so that they too can respond to the power of the gospel.
The final witness in our passage is the one that matters the most – because ultimately, we can be the one who calls another to come and see, but they then have to wrestle with their own heart to decide if they will believe that Jesus really is who he says that he is.
We see it here when Jesus responds to Nathaniel’s statement “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, the King of Israel.”
- The witness of the Son of Man– v50-51
Throughout this whole section…Jesus has been referred to with many names…Lamb of God, Rabbi, Messiah (Christ), The Prophet Moses wrote about, Jesus of Nazareth, Son of Joseph, Son of God, King of Israel….All of these names are accurate,
But now we get to see the term Jesus chooses to use about himself…He is all that was said about him…but He is so much more…He is the son of Man.
That is His favorite Term for himself…
- If the son of God emphasized His deity…
- Messiah His anointed purpose…
- the son of man emphasizes His humanity…but even more than just his humanity…His divine rule over humanity…Daniel 7:13 is a passage you can read about the son of Man…the one who is given dominion, glory, and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, from every language, might serve Him…He will have an everlasting dominion…His kingdom will never pass away…
He is the God man, fully God and fully man. The only one who can rightly rule and not just rule, but restore the world to their creator.
He chooses to testify about himself by referencing an OT passage…namely the
- Angels ascending and descending on Jacob’s ladder
Jacob was renamed Israel…
In Genesis 28, Jacob was sent away by his father to find a wife in the home of his family and on that journey, God revealed himself to Jacob to reaffirm the covenant between God and Abraham and God and Isaac. In his dream,
- Genesis 28:11–13 11 He came to a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head, and lay down in that place. 12 He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. 14 “Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
Jacobs staircase emphasized God’s presence. He renames the Place Bethel, the House of God…The angels going up and down indicate the presence of God coming down to earth…and the gateway of heaven where all the families of the earth would be blessed is in sight…this is a big deal….Jesus takes that reference and takes it up another notch…
The angels are now…..
- Angels ascending and descending on the Son of man
- John 1:50-51 50Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Nathanael is amazed that Jesus saw him without seeing him…Jesus says that He is going to bear witness to something greater than that…The Word became Flesh and Jesus is the very bridge to Heaven…
With Jacob, the Lord stood above the ladder. In Jesus, everything is changing
God has come down…and made a bridge to heaven through the son of man….instead of man trying to build a tower to heaven on the basis of good works…God has made a bridge, a stairway that we may have life through the person and work of Jesus…the one who came from heaven to make a bridge to heaven…
God himself, The Son of God, the Son of Man has come to earth to reveal himself and show us something far greater that “seeing us under the fig tree.”
The question for you and I is simply this – How will we respond to the eyewitness testimony that we have.
When we hear – Behold, the Lamb of God – will we choose to look?
When we are invited to Come and see – will we choose to follow?
When we believe that Jesus is the Messiah – will we allow Him to change our lives?
When we have placed our trust in Christ – will we share our faith? Who will you invite to Come and See?
As a Christian – will we allow the eyewitness testimony of the disciples strengthen our faith in ways that changes our hearts and enables us to be a witness to others.
The Lord is inviting all to come and see and believe in the Son of Man so that they may have life….eternal life…gateway to heaven life…and that life is only in His name.
Lets pray
- for those who need to hear the invitation to Come and See
- that we would receive these eyewitness testimonies in a way that strengthens our faith
- That our testimonies would demonstrate the power of Christ
- That through our time in the Gospel of John that we would come to believe, and grow in our faith and share our tesimonoies that others might also come to believe
- that we might all Enjoy Life in His Name.
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