"Come and See": Experiencing Jesus Christ

Introduction

There's a difference between hearing about a great meal and actually tasting it. You could describe the best meal of your life to me for a whole hour, and I still wouldn't know what you felt. "Seeing is a hundred times better than hearing," as the saying goes. It's the same with Jesus Christ. Hearing about him is the beginning of faith, and that's essential. But until you've come close, looked, tasted for yourself who he is, the greatness of his person and the richness of his blessing will stay just an idea in your head. Today, in John 1:14-51, the apostle John invites us to take all three steps: come, see, and experience Jesus Christ.

Outline of the message

1. The Word became flesh: God let himself be seen in Jesus (v. 14-18)

John writes as an eyewitness: "we have seen his glory," "our hands have touched him" (1 John 1:1). Jesus lived, walked, and ate among men.
John the Baptist testifies, "He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me." Jesus isn't just a religious man, the eternal Word became flesh.
From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. He isn't a stock that runs out, he's the source. The more you come, the more you receive.
The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only Son has made him known.

2. The testimony of John the Baptist: preparing the way (v. 19-34)

The priests and Levites come to question him: "Who are you?" He answers in order, "I am not the Christ. I am not Elijah. I am not the Prophet. I am the voice crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord."
John was baptizing a Jewish people who, culturally, weren't the ones who got baptized, baptism was for pagans entering the covenant. So many were recognizing their sin: a revival.
When Jesus steps forward, John points at him: "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." No longer covering, but taking away, that's the difference between the Old and the New Covenant.
"I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal." Despite his powerful ministry, John sees himself as small next to Christ. He announces that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.

3. The first disciples: come and see (v. 35-51)

Two of John's disciples leave their teacher to follow Jesus. John rejoices at this: his role was to lead people to Christ, not to keep them for himself.
Jesus asks them, "What are you seeking?" They answer, "Where are you staying?" They don't want an address, they want to be with him. Jesus says, "Come and you will see." They spend the whole day with him.
Andrew, now convinced, runs to find his brother Simon. Jesus looks at him and calls him Cephas, the little rock, the one who will become Peter.
Philip finds Nathanael. "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip doesn't argue, he simply says, "Come and see." Nathanael comes, Jesus shows him that he saw him under the fig tree, a place of prayer and meditation. Nathanael confesses, "You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" And Jesus promises, "You will see greater things than these."

Key takeaways

Hearing is the beginning, experiencing is the key. A truth accepted only in your head doesn't transform your life until it's been tasted in your heart.
Jesus is the source, not the stock. His grace never runs low when you come to draw from it. Every day, he adds a new grace on top of yesterday's.
Everything in the Christian life is grace. Forgiveness is grace, faith is grace, the strength to obey is grace. The moment you rely on yourself, you dry up.
"Behold, the Lamb of God." Jesus didn't just cover your sin, he took it away. His cross doesn't hide your guilt, it wipes it out completely.
"Come and see." It's the shortest invitation in the Gospel, and the most decisive. Faith grows in his presence, not in debate.

Personal application

Am I coming to Jesus, or am I only coming to church, to a devotional book, to a routine?
What new grace is Jesus holding out to me today that I risk missing because I'm still living off yesterday's grace?
Where am I trying to get through things by my own strength instead of asking for the Holy Spirit?
Is there a "Simon" or a "Nathanael" around me to whom I can simply say, "Come and see," this week?
When I open my Bible, am I expecting Jesus to speak to me, or am I just checking a box?

Scripture references

Frequently asked questions

What does it really mean to "experience Jesus Christ"?

It isn't just about gathering knowledge about him. It's coming to him in prayer and in the Word, asking him for his grace, and watching his faithfulness answer in your everyday life: forgiveness, strength, peace, direction. Faith begins by listening, but it takes root through encounter.

Why does John the Baptist say "he was before me" when he himself was born six months earlier?

Because Jesus didn't begin to exist in Bethlehem. The Word, the Logos, is God from all eternity. Physically, John was born before him, but in his divine being, Jesus was there from the very beginning, the Creator of all things.

How do I know if I'm truly going to Jesus in my devotional time?

Ask yourself whether you open your Bible to check a box, or to meet him. Are you expecting him to speak to you? Are you asking him to change you? Going to church isn't the same thing as going to Christ. Devotion means laying your heart before him and listening.

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