Audio
Youtube
In John 1:35–51, several ordinary men encounter Jesus through a remarkably simple invitation: “Come and see.” Andrew hears John the Baptist identify Jesus as the Lamb of God, spends time with Him and then brings his brother Simon to meet Him. Philip is personally called by Jesus and soon seeks out Nathanael with the news that he has found the One spoken of by Moses and the prophets. When Nathanael responds with doubt—“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”—Philip does not begin an argument or attempt to answer every objection. He simply says, “Come and see.”
This passage offers great encouragement to Christians who feel uncertain about sharing their faith. We may worry that we will say the wrong thing, be asked a question we cannot answer or fail to persuade someone. Yet our responsibility is not to produce conversion through clever words. We are called to bear honest witness to what Christ has done, give a reason for the hope within us and invite others to encounter Him. The Holy Spirit knows the condition of every heart, including the questions, pain and searching that may remain hidden from us.
That truth is illustrated through a deeply personal testimony. Years ago, two young Christian men felt prompted to cross a crowded beach and speak to someone they did not know. Their invitation was simple: come to a Christian concert and see. They could not have known that the young man had already spent months crying out to God for help, nor could they have seen what the Lord would eventually do through his life. That young man was Paul. Their obedience did not depend upon delivering a perfect presentation; they simply recognised the prompting of the Holy Spirit, approached him and made room for God to work.
Matthew 28 carries the invitation further. At the empty tomb, the women are told, “Come, see the place where the Lord lay,” and then, “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead.” Those who have come to Christ and seen the truth of the resurrection are now sent as witnesses. We invite, we pray and we speak truthfully, but God opens the heart and reveals His Son. There may be someone in our family, workplace or circle of friends who does not need an argument so much as a quiet invitation: “Come and see. Sit with me. Let me introduce you to Jesus.
