by Pr. Edward F. Markquart, Seattle, WA

Gospel: John 1:35-51

Remember that John's account of the call of the first disciples is quite different than the account in Matthew, Mark and Luke. In John's gospel, Andrew, a disciple of John the Baptist, is called first and he goes and finds his brother. Whereas, in the first three gospels, Simon and Andrew are first called to be the disciples followed by James and John, all of whom become "fishers of men." All this occurs on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

The event of the call of the first disciples in the Gospel of John seems to occur in the Wilderness of Judea where John the Baptist was preaching. Whereas, in the first three gospels, the call of the first disciples is near the Sea of Galilee which was eighty miles north of the Wilderness of Judea.

Remember that in this course, we don't try to reconcile the numerous differences between John's gospel and the first three gospels.

Remember, as we move into this course, we will gradually discover that John's gospel consistently provides us with the historically alive juicy tidbits. We, as students of the life of Christ, listen most carefully to the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of John for historical accuracy. As the same time, we know full well that these gospels are not exacting biographies of Jesus. The Gospels of Mark and John are our only two gospels that have been written by eyewitnesses.

- The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, "Look, here is the Lamb of God!"

The day before, John the Baptist saw the Spirit of God descend on Jesus and remain on him. John the disciples told us that he bore witness that Jesus was the Son of God.

John the Baptist knew the true identity of Jesus. It was as if John was encouraging his two disciples to follow Jesus.

Underline the phrase, "Look, here is the Lamb of God." Jesus Christ was/is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, who will be crucified on a cross to forgive us all our sins, imperfections and flaws. John the Baptist knew what was essentially important about Jesus: he was none other than the Lamb of God (who would take away the sin of the world.)

- The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

We know that one of those disciples was Andrew. Circle the word, "follow." That is what a disciple is: a follower of Jesus Christ. Just like sheep follow the shepherd, so we disciples follow Jesus.

- When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?

" This is a philosophical question in John: "What are you looking for?"

- They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

A translation could be, "Jesus, where are you living?" In other words, "Where do live Jesus? Where do you find life?"

- He said to them, "Come and see."

Circle, underline, highlight. That is, Jesus invites us to come and see who he is and to discover his true identity for ourselves. We are invited to come and closely see who this Jesus is. We will again see the same phrase in a few verses.

- They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day.

They came; they saw; they remained.

They remained with Jesus for that time, for that day. It is important that we come to Jesus and remain with him. As we remain with Jesus for a time and spend time listening to Jesus, it may be that Jesus and his Spirit will get into us. We heard in the baptism of Jesus, that the Holy Spirit came AND REMAINED on him. (John 1:33). It is important that we remain with Jesus for a while so we can learn from him.

- It was about four o'clock in the afternoon.

Notice the detail. It was four o'clock in the afternoon. As we will say repeatedly in this course, either John was an incredible imposter who created historical details in order to give the appearance of historical accuracy or he was actually a recorder/a reporter on the scene who accurately told us what was happening. As this course develops, you as a student will come to appreciate and trust the reliability of John's eyewitness accounts of the details in the story of Jesus.

- One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

It seems that Andrew was a follower initially of John the Baptist. We recall of John's story of the feeding of the five thousand, it was Andrew who brought the little boy with five fish and two loaves to Jesus. It was Andrew who brought his brother and a little lad to Jesus. Andrew was a Greek name and it seems that Andrew had connections with Greek-speaking people such as in the story of the five fish and two loaves when Andrew addressed the Greeks who were looking for Jesus.

- He first found his brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated Anointed).

Andrew found the person who was closest to him and told him that he had found the person he was looking for throughout the years. Circle the word, "found." In this episode, we are going to hear about people finding the Christ and then finding their friends and family and then telling their friends that they have found the Messiah, who became the source of their spirituality.

- He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter).

Highlight it. Underline it. Memorize it. "He brought Simon to Jesus." That is one of the primary missions of our lives: to bring people to meet Jesus Christ. Andrew did not convert Peter to Jesus Christ. He simply brought his brother into the presence of Christ. The Holy Spirit and Christ do the converting. We are to do the same today. That is, we bring people into the Presence of Christ and it is God/Christ/the Holy Spirit who does the converting.

The Church of Jesus Christ and our congregation needs a whole lot more "Andrews," people who believe in Christ so much that they are willing to talk about Christ to our closest relatives. "He brought Simon to Jesus." What a powerful statement.

An important question is: "What does it mean for us to bring people to Christ, to point people to Christ."

We do that all the time when we point a son or a daughter, a husband for a wife, a friend to Jesus/God and say, "I think that following Christ could help you in your life." We know it is true.

Sometimes, we Christians erroneously think that we are the ones to persuade people to follow Christ. God does that through many mysterious ways. One powerful witness to a family member or friend is to say, "I have found the One who helps my life, who guides my life, who fills my life with love for this day and for all eternity."

The following is the gospel text for The Second Sunday Following Den'ho:

- The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee.

We notice that Jesus has left the Wilderness of Judea where he had been with John the Baptist and where he called his first disciples. Jesus then went north to Galilee. We don't try to reconcile the historical details and apparent differences between the Gospel of John and the first three gospels.

- He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me."

Focus on the phrase, "Jesus found Philip." And then substitute your own name. In the scheme of life, we are often keenly aware that God has found us. In the moment we think that we have found God, we discover that it is really God who has found us. When all is said and done and we are walking in the ways of the Lord (stumbling along our path of life), we are often aware that it was God who initially found us in the first place. That is what grace is all about, that God found us.

Circle the words, "follow me." The essence of discipleship is to follow Christ. To follow Christ is what we want for ourselves, our friends, our family members, our closest people to us. We know that life goes immeasurably better for people when they follow Christ.

That is what Jesus always says to us somewhere during a conversation with us. Jesus says, "It is time to follow me. I will bless you, forgive you, heal you, protect you, make you strong. But it is also time that you follow me."

- Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

Jesus found Philip who was from Bethsaida which was located on the northeast corner of the Sea of Galilee. It was the same city as Peter and Andrew were from. In the Gospel of Mark, we hear that Andrew and Peter were from Capernaum. Again, we don't try to reconcile the differences of the details.

- Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth."

Circle the word, "found." First Jesus found Philip and then Philip found Jesus by following him. Philip found Christ, God, the Son of God. Having found the presence of God, he told Nathaniel.

Anyone who is a good evangelist "has found him," "has found Jesus," "has personally found the presence of God."

For Nathaniel, Jesus was the Messiah who had been prophesied in the Old Testament. People in every generation and in every culture are looking for the Presence of God for their lives. Such a search is part of human nature. People of all centuries and cultures have looked for the Presence of God, and Nathaniel found that Presence in the person and Spirit of Jesus of Nazareth.

We know very little about Nathaniel. His name was not on the list of disciples that was given to us in the synoptic gospels. We learn that he was from Cana (John 21:2 "Nathaniel from Cana in Galilee.")

- Nathaniel said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"

Nathaniel seems to feel that Nazareth was a "hick town," "a no-wheres-ville," "a nothing big happens in this city."

- Philip said to him, "Come and see."

Underline it. Highlight it. Memorize it. "Come and see." That is what evangelism is. Come and see Jesus Christ. Not the programs. Not the pastors. Not the pizzaz of our parish. But come and see Jesus Christ who was and is the very Presence of God. In the first three gospels, we will hear a similar theme: "Now you will become fishers of men." As Christians, far too often we focus on people "coming and seeing" our successful church rather than the spiritual and moral presence of God in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

- When Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!"

How did Jesus know that? That Nathaniel was truly authentic and not a phony out to deceive the world? Here is the first example in John's gospel of Jesus' omniscience, that Jesus was all-knowing, that Jesus was the Son of God.

- Nathaniel asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathaniel replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

In the Gospel of John, Jesus repeatedly demonstrates his gift of omniscience. Jesus, the Son of God, knows everything.

Followers of Christ often believe that about Christ: that Christ knows everything about our lives. We Christians don't understand what it means that God knows the numbers of the hairs of our head and other trivial details of our lives from years ago, but we sense that God is all knowing of our personal lives. We sense that God "knew us even before we were born, when we were growing secretly and silently in our mother's womb," to use the words of the Psalmist.

- Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these."

In the coming years, Nathaniel would see even greater signs/miracles than this. In the next episode in John's gospel, Nathaniel will see Jesus miraculously turn the water into wine. And this sign was just the beginning.

- And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

Gradually, Nathaniel will come to discover the full identity of Jesus, that Jesus truly is the Son of God, that the angels in heaven will surround him at the end of time.

This verse may refer to Genesis 28:12 where in Jacob's dream, there was a ladder between heaven and earth, "And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it."

Discussion Question:

How do you feel about talking to your brother/sister about Christ? What does this story mean to you?

Reference:

Synopsis of The Four Gospels, Kurt Aland, English Edition, P. 22

by John Piper

Gospel: John 1:43–51

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 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." 46 Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" 48 Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49 Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50 Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51 And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
John 1:43–51

Christ Came Across the Divide

My hope in this message is that thousands of us at Bethlehem would put to death the remaining corruption in our hearts that thinks or feels or acts with ill-will toward others because of their race or ethnicity. The Bible says, "Put to death what is earthly in you" (Colossians 3:5). And it mentions "evil desires" which would include the spontaneous desires to avoid others or belittle others or hurt others because of their ethnic difference from us.

The divide could not have been larger between sinful human beings and the infinitely holy Son of God. But Christ did not despise us. He came to us. He loved us. He died in our place to give us life. And he did all this when we were more alien to him than anyone has ever been alien to us. When we feel or think or act with disdain or disrespect or avoidance or exclusion or malice toward a person simply because he or she is of another race or another ethnic group, we are, in effect, saying that Jesus acted in a foolish way toward us. You don't want to say that.

Removing a Subtle Self-Justification

So that's my goal with this message: that thousands of us at Bethlehem would put to death the remaining corruption in our hearts that thinks or feels or acts with ill-will toward others because of their race or ethnicity. I focus on the heart issue because if we could mortify this sin, if we could root out this remaining corruption, we would be spared many sins and bear much more of the fruit of love.

So here is what I want to do. I want to try to remove one of the subtle self-justifications we use to protect the sinful prejudice in our hearts. Before I tell you what this subtle self-justification is (and it is in all of us, every ethnicity, not just some of us), I want us to focus on a particular part of the text that was read from John 1. It's not the main point. It is an implication relevant for our situation.

"Can Anything Good Come Out of Nazareth?"

In verse 43, Jesus calls Philip to be his disciple. In verse 45, Philip finds Nathanael and says to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." In other words, Philip has believed on Jesus as the Messiah and is eager for Nathanael to know him too. He identifies this one written about by Moses and the prophets by calling him "Jesus of Nazareth." He identifies Jesus with a town and a group of people who live in that town.

Nazareth was a small town, no larger than two thousand people.1 The Old Testament is clear that the Messiah would be from Bethlehem of Judea (Micah 5:2). For whatever reason, Nathanael responds to Philip's announcement in verse 46: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" The answer that Nathanael expects is no. His question amounts to a foregone conclusion: Nothing good can come out of Nazareth.

What Was Nathanael's Mistake?

Nathanael is wrong. He has made a mistake. Jesus does come out of Nazareth, and he is good. Nathanael will have to eat his words very soon. But here's question: What was the nature of Nathanael's mistake?

Sinful Prejudice?

One way to describe it would be to say that it was sinful prejudice against the people of Nazareth. He had what we call a stereotype of people from Nazareth and he made his judgment about Jesus based on that negative stereotype, and he was wrong. We will come back in a moment and ask what is sinful about that.

Probability Judgment?

But there is another way to describe his mistake. One might say, Nathanael did what we all do every day: He made a generalization based on multiple experiences, and biblical evidences, and then formed a probability judgment based on that generalization. "My experience is that the folks of Nazareth are ordinary and even ornery, and I don't see in the Old Testament that the Messiah can come from Nazareth. Therefore, from those general observations, I think it highly improbable, if not impossible, that this Jesus is the Messiah."

Life Depends on Generalizing

Now this way of thinking - generalizing from the particulars of our experience and drawing probability judgments on that basis - is both inevitable and good. The human brain inevitably works this way. And in fact, our life depends on it working this way. You observe carefully that mushrooms with certain features are poisonous. So when someone offers you one like that, you turn it down. You have never tasted or tested that particular mushroom, but you see it as belonging to the general class that in the past has been poisonous, and so you form a probability judgment and refuse to eat it. Your life depends on not treating this individual mushroom in isolation from your experience of others like it.

But sometimes your judgment seems totally legitimate and proves to be dead wrong. You form a generalization that the I-35 bridge is safe. You have crossed it a thousand times. The state inspects it regularly. But on August 1, 2007, you make the judgment to cross in safety, and it collapses. Your probability judgment was wrong. But it was not a sinful judgment. It was well-warranted.

If I pass a man with certain features and dressed a certain way in this neighborhood, I form the probability judgment that he is Somali and Muslim. I could be wrong. But that is what my brain does with the information that I have.

Generalizing Can Be Horribly Mistaken

I see a white car with red lights flashing behind me on 11th Avenue. From all my experience, I form the probability judgment that this is the police and not a criminal faking the lights to trap me. I could be wrong. But I pull over.

O how horribly mistaken we can be. Years ago one of the doctors in our church working the emergency room at Hennepin County Medical Center told me of the most bizarre thing he had ever seen. A man was brought in from deer hunting with an arrow through his back straight through his heart and coming out his chest. One of his own hunting buddies had shot him by accident. How? He formed a probability judgment that something brown moving in the bushes must be a deer. And he was wrong. Dead wrong.

Jesus Doesn't Condemn Generalizing

Nevertheless, we do and we must think this way. Jesus once commended this way of thinking in a kind of backhanded way. The Pharisees came to him to test him by asking for a sign from heaven. Jesus was not happy about this because he had given them enough evidence, and he knew their request was owing to their hardness of heart. So he said to them in Matthew 16:2-3, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times."

In other words, you are really good at generalizing about the natural world and forming probability judgments from the way a red morning sky precedes a storm and a red evening sky precedes fair weather. You have studied the world, and you are good at this way of thinking. It works. But when it comes to seeing spiritual reality, you are blind. Jesus doesn't condemn this universal way that the human brain learns from experience and forms probability judgments.

When Probability Judgment Becomes Sinful Prejudice

So what about Nathanael? Philip says (John 1:45), "We have found . . . [the Messiah], Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." And Nathanael answers (v. 46), "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Is this a non-sinful, fully warranted probability judgment that proved to be wrong - like judging the I-35 bridge to be safe proved to be wrong; or is Nathanael guilty of sinful prejudice?

I think he is guilty because he doesn't say, "Can the Messiah come from Nazareth?" He says, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" If his heart were right, gracious, loving, patient, hopeful toward the people of Nazareth, he might have been legitimately skeptical about whether the Messiah would come from Nazareth, but he would probably not have said, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Nathanael has moved from legitimate probability judgments to sinful prejudice. His view of these people is so negative that he sweeps all of them into the stereotype, including Jesus. His reaction is immediate. He does not consider the possibility that Philip might know what he is talking about. He is temporarily blinded by his prejudice.

Judge Him by His Glory, Not His Group

Philip doesn't argue. He simply says in verse 46, "Come and see." In other words, give this man a chance. Judge him by his glory, not his group. In verse 47, Jesus sees Nathanael coming and says, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" In other words, Jesus acknowledges that Nathanael is honest. He's not deceitful. What you see is what you get. So he is teachable. Nathanael asks, "How do you know me?" And Jesus says, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." With that, the stereotype is shattered. Nathanael knows he was wrong. And he changes his mind. Verse 47: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

The Line Between Probability Judgments and Sinful Prejudice

Now here is the point I want to make: There is a fine line between legitimate probability judgments and sinful prejudice. It is a real line. God sees it even when we don't. And my concern in this sermon is to plead with you not to let the legitimacy of probability judgments function in your heart as a subtle self-justification for sinful prejudice. That's my concern.

This is very risky to say what I am saying. It's risky because there will be some people who hear this, and in the hardness of their heart, they will take my words about generalizing and probability judgments and use them as a cloak for their own prejudices. I know that. But I take that risk because there is another group of people - most of us at Bethlehem, I think - who deep down know we already use this self-justification. We don't have names for it. We don't work at it. It just comes naturally, and it feels so legitimate. I am pleading with born-again saints - sinful saints with remaining corruption. I am pleading that you hear my plea and say, "Yes, thank you for helping me see the subtlety of my own sin. I must put this to death."

Three Indications of a Good Heart

Let me close with three indications of a good heart as we struggle with the line between inevitable generalizations and sinful prejudice - the heart that has received Christ and knows forgiveness and is indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

1. This good heart desires to know people and treat people for who they really are as individuals, not simply as a representative of a class or a group. If this were not so, Jesus could never be recognized for who he really is. Do you desire - really desire - to know people and treat people as individuals not merely as samples of their group?

2. This good heart is willing to take risks to act against negative expectations and belittling stereotypes when dealing with a person. Paul said, "Love believes all things, hopes all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7). I think he meant that love strives to believe and hope for the best, not the worst.

3. This good heart is ready, like Nathanael, to repent quickly and fully, when we have made a mistake and judged someone wrongly.

God, Help Us

Our hearts are deceitful still. And corruption remains. We must put it to death. May the Lord give us absolute honesty with ourselves and him. May he expose every remnant of sinful prejudice. May we never use the legitimacy of generalizing to cloak the sin of prejudice. May the glory of Christ shine in our lives. God, help us.

References:

1 Andreas Kostenberger, John (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004), p. 81.

by Dr. Janet H. Hunt, Dancing with the Word

Gospel: John 1:29-42

I always find it fascinating how memory works - just what it is that can take us back in time in a heartbeat.

This was so for me a few days ago. I bent down to pull on my winter boots. They have been especially well used this season between heavy snowfall and frigid temperatures and icy rain. As I bent down, I noticed that my boots are starting to show some wear. While much of it will probably wash off, the toes are scuffed with salt and dirt. In that moment's time I found myself thinking of Pastor Antti Lepisto who was my pastor and mentor and friend. I found myself recalling the winter before I started seminary: I thought of his boots - and yes, for some reason I still remember noticing his boots were dirty in the midst of that particular long, cold winter.

Why that image came to mind these thirty years later, I have no idea. With that visual memory, though, all the rest came flooding back as well. How he not only recommended his seminary of choice to me, but drove me the full seven hours north to St. Paul, Minnesota so that I would see it in person. How in those months he invited me to 'come and see' what this work of being a pastor was all about. How he allowed me to tag along on all sorts of pastoral errands: those day to day pieces of ministry which most people never see.

For it is so that some things can't be explained with words or even fully understood with our minds alone. Sometimes we truly need to see and experience things first hand.

Jesus knew this, too, of course. Indeed, I do love this little bit of the story which is ours to encounter this week. I can so relate to John's two disciples who, apparently on an impulse and prodded on by John's announcement of Jesus' identity, just take off after Jesus. Evidently they had no plan other than to try to get close to him, for when Jesus turns and asks them what it is they are looking for, they answer with a question: "Where are you staying?"

Now it may be so that at this point John's disciples are simply trying to gather enough information so that they can then find a way to stay nearby - just close enough so that they can listen in and tag along behind - anonymously even: maybe at a safe distance. Or maybe they really didn't know just what it was they were looking for. Whatever the case may have been, Jesus doesn't answer their question. He simply invites them to "Come and see." And they do. They 'come and see' not only where Jesus was staying but they stuck around to see all that will follow.

Thirty years ago my friend and mentor and pastor did this for me. I expect he knew that no amount of explanation could fully capture what makes up a pastor's week. (This, no doubt is also true for most other callings as well…) You really have to move the piles of papers off the passenger side seat and ride along to see for yourself. And you count yourself most blessed to be invited to do so with one who pulled on his boots and tromped through all sorts of piles of all sorts of things to get to where God was calling him to be - to get to where God's people were.

I expect it almost goes without saying that this is also true for us in our lives of faith. Oh, we spend a lot of time with books and words studying what it is we are called to believe. But it is only as we put our boots on - and invite others to tag along - that we really see what faith filled lives can mean for the life of the world - and, in turn, for ourselves.

And so it is that I imagine it's not only because it is different from the ordinary that our confirmation age youth seem to most enjoy those times we get out of the building on a service project: whether it is delivering Christmas cards to home bound folks or raking leaves or something else of the like. It's those times when they get to see faith at work, sometimes in extraordinary ways.

Oh yes, I imagine this is so for all of us, that our faith grows as we follow the invitation to 'come and see' over and over again:

It is as we see kindness offered and find a way to practice it ourselves.
It is as we gratefully receive the generous gifts of others and learn to share, in turn, from what we have been given.
It is as we are prayed for that we learn to remember to pray for others.
It is as we experience forgiveness and then seek reconciliation where it has been broken between us.
It is as we hear the call for justice and join others in working for it.
It is as we 'come and see' in all these ways - as the disciples did with Jesus so long ago - that faith is born and grows and is passed on.

"Come and see!" With these urgent words Jesus invited the disciples so long ago. With these words, we are invited as well. So "come and see!" Along with Andrew and Simon and all the rest, hear Jesus' invitation to come closer! And while you're pulling on your boots, think about just who you might invite to come along and see as well!

Can you think of times when you were invited to 'come and see?' In your experience what difference did the 'seeing' make?

Jesus' invitation to 'come and see' is a simple one today. How might you share that same invitation? What would you invite someone else to 'come and see' in your life of faith?