Come and See - January 17, 2016 sermon

By Pastor Greg

A small town prosecuting attorney called his first witness to the stand in a trial -- a retired elementary schoolteacher.  He approached her and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know me?"  She responded, "Why, yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams.  I've known you since you were a young boy.  And frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me.  You lie, you cheat on your wife, you manipulate people and talk about them behind their backs.  You think you're a big shot. Yes, I know you."  The lawyer was stunned.  Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, "Mrs. Williams, do you know the defense attorney?"  She again replied, "Why, yes I do.  I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too.  And he has been a real disappointment to me as well.  He's lazy, bigoted, he has a drinking problem.  The man can't build a healthy relationship with anyone and his law practice is one of the shoddiest in the entire state.  Yes, I know him."  At this point, the judge called both counselors to the bench.  In a very quiet voice, he said with menace, "If either of you asks her if she knows me, you'll be in jail for contempt within 5 minutes!"

Yeah, judge, I know what you mean.  When I was in the fourth grade, my Grandmother Burkholder pulled me aside and spoke to me about my bad grades.  I was petrified.  How did she know?  Turns out, she knew my fourth-grade teacher.  Yikes!  It’s a little bit scary when someone knows your dirty little secrets.  Has something like this ever happened to you?

Well, then imagine how it must feel to stand before the Lord?  How scary would it be knowing that He knows all about you, and knowing He knows you know?  As Jesus stood among the disciples of John what did it feel like to have the only begotten of God look you in the eye?  How would you respond if the almighty pulled you aside and said, “I know you”?  John the Apostle tells us how a few individuals reacted when they met the Lord (read John 1:35-49).

The first two people to follow Jesus were Andrew and John (who would later become an Apostle and who is the author of this book).  During the time they spent with Jesus, they were convinced He was the Messiah.  Now mind you, Jesus did not perform any miracles.  This was before He fed the 5,000, walked on water, or even turned the water into wine.  So there was something about Jesus’ character or His behavior that convinced these two that this Man from Nazareth was the Promised One as mentioned by the prophets.

Look what happens when people meet Jesus.  Andrew, the first evangelist, runs and tells his brother.  When Jesus meets Simon, Jesus looks at Him and seems to know all about Him.  He knows his name.  He knows his dad.  He even changes Simon’s name to Cephas (Aramaic) or Peter (Greek).  As this group is traveling back to the area around the Sea of Galilee, Jesus calls Philip and, oddly, Philip seems to respond immediately.  Something about Jesus caused Philip to believe that He was the Messiah. 

There was something about the character of Jesus that opened the eyes of these men.  Maybe it was His wisdom.  Maybe His knowledge.  What was it about Jesus that caused these men to believe?  I think it was the Lord’s ability to know each individual intimately and personally and the way the Lord treated these men even though He knew them fully and completely.  Look at what He says to Nathanael.  “I saw you”, or perhaps even “I know you.”  When Jesus says this to skeptical Nathanael, he believes that this Man from Nazareth is the Son of God.

These words are amazing once you realize who Jesus is.  John told us that in the Man Jesus dwells the Father, and in the Father’s bosom dwells the only begotten Son (John 1:14) – the only Man who is the exact representation of God (Colossians 2:9).  As Christ stood on the earth, God was present among His creation (John 1:10).  God became flesh and dwelt among us.  He stands close to us.  We can touch God and He can touch us.  And as the only begotten of God, the only Person who is both fully human and fully God, as God stands before us, He says, “I know you.”

The reason I point this out to you is because I want to ask you a crucial question.  What do you think the Lord would say to you if He were to show up at your front door one day?  Jesus knocks on the door, and when you open it, there stands the only begotten Son of God – the Messiah Himself.  Realizing that the Lord already knows you and knows all about you, what do you imagine he would say?  Your answer will reveal what you believe about God.

I think most of us imagine an encounter with God to be a very scary ordeal.  We picture God scolding us for everything we’ve done wrong.  We expect punishment and wrath.  We imagine a time where we are shamed for our words, our deeds, and our actions.  But there is something about the chain of events that John mentions which indicate an encounter with the Lord was nothing like you or I imagine.  Look at how Andrew responds to his encounter with the Lord.  Philip does the same thing.  They ENCOURAGE others to “come and see”.  They’re all like “Brother, you’ve got to meet this Man”.  And if their encounter with the Lord was something painful and embarrassing, you can hardly imagine them enthusiastically inviting someone else to come and see.

God came and dwelt among us.  He came to give us life and light.  And as He walked among us, He demonstrated just what sort of God He is.  Our God is not some distant creator who set things in motion and then sat back to see what might happen (this idea is called Deism).  He is not a cold and indifferent God who lacks compassion for the people He created.  He loves us.  He cares for us.  He provides for us.  He knows us.  Through the actions and words of Jesus, we realize that God knows our name.  He indeed sees us and cares for us.

Later on in His ministry, Jesus will teach that God’s love for us can be seen in the way He cares for the birds of the air or the lilies of the field (Matthew 6:26-30).  If His eye is on the sparrow, you can be sure that God is watching you.  Since this is true, then what does this teach us about God?  Knowing this, what can we expect when we draw near to the Lord?

For some reason, many people are afraid to draw near to the Lord.  I guess they are expecting scolding and punishment for who they are and what they have done.  But from what I read in the Word and what I have personally experienced, meeting the Lord is nothing like that.  People like Andrew and Philip; many people throughout the years have been inviting others to come and see.  I continue to do the same.  If you have never met the Lord, trust me, there is nothing to fear.  Yes, He knows you already, but by his sacrificial death on the cross, He has demonstrated the depth of His love for you.  Don’t be afraid.  Come and meet the Lord for yourself.  In Him you will find grace, mercy, and love.