Curiosity Concerning Christ

Transcript

Thank you, guys. Good morning, family. He is risen. Amen. Amen. Well, if you’d be so kind as to turn with me in your Bibles to John chapter 1, verse 35 through 51. If you’re here this morning and you don’t have a Bible, there are some Bibles under the seat in front of you. You’re welcome to use that Bible. If you don’t have a Bible, you’re welcome to take that with you as our gift. If you’ve not navigated a Bible before, you can find our verse, our section on page 833. The big numbers are the chapters. The little numbers are the verses. We will begin at verse 35. The next day, again, John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, Behold, the Lamb of God. The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, What are you seeking? And they said to him, Rabbi, which means teacher, where are you staying? He said to them, Come, and you will see. So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and follow Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, We have found the Messiah, which means the Christ. He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, You are Simon, the son of John. You shall be called Cephas, which means Peter. The next day, Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, Follow me. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, 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. Nathanael said to him, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward 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 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. 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. 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

(ESV)

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Let’s pray. Our Father and our God, we thank you for your word. And we pray that now your spirit would move among us and reveal all that is contained in your word so that we might come and see Jesus clearly and plainly in your word. And that as a result of being confronted with who Jesus is, we would believe and be changed. We pray these things in Christ’s name, amen. Well, if you are visiting with us this morning, again, I want to welcome you to Trinity Church. We are genuinely excited to have you here with us this morning. You have picked a great Sunday to be with us. Today is Resurrection Sunday, the day we celebrate the fact that Christ has indeed risen from

the grave. This is a monumental day for Christians, because on that first Resurrection Sunday, every claim that Jesus ever made about himself was confirmed. When he rose from the grave and conquered death, his identity, his mission, his authority, his power, and even his claim to divinity was proven. It all hinges on the resurrection. And because Jesus really rose from the dead like he said he would, everything he said is true. And that truth changes everything. It’s also a great time to visit because we’re only two weeks in into a brand new sermon series through the gospel of John. So whether you’ve been walking with Jesus for years, or whether you’re just beginning to ask questions about who he is, this gospel is a perfect place to start. Because this gospel of John gives us a clear, deep, and detailed picture of Jesus, who he is, what he’s come to do, and why it matters for every human on this planet.

Come and See

And so if you’re curious about Jesus, I would like to invite you to continue coming back so that you can hear more about Jesus. We’ll be exploring this gospel over the next year, and it will help answer a lot of your questions and, Lord willing, help satisfy a lot of your curiosity concerning Jesus. So I want to begin this morning by just taking a few moments to set some context and help catch many of you up to speed, for those of you visiting this morning, as to where we are in chapter one. So before we meet the disciples, the original followers of Jesus, before Jesus performs any miracles or preaches anything to any crowds, John, the author of this gospel, introduces us to Jesus, the principal character of the story, and he introduces us in one of the most incredible claims ever written. He says, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Now this isn’t just a poetic phrase, this is a profound reality. Jesus, who is the Word, never had a beginning. It was always there, and he wasn’t just there with God, near God, but he was God. The same Word who was, the same God who was the Word, created the beginning of all things with his words. And in verse 14, you can see there, just before our text this morning, there was this cosmic shift in our created world. John says, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory. And this phrase here is the turning point of human history. The eternal Word steps into our world, and God walks among us. And the question you might be asking yourself this morning is, why did God do that? Why would God choose to draw near to us and walk among his creation?

Well, to answer that question, you’ve got to consider the bigger story, or perhaps the beginning, the very beginning of the story. God, from the very beginning, created a world that was good, full of order, full of beauty, and full of purpose. And he created humanity in his own image to reflect his character, to enjoy his presence, and to live under his good rule and good order. But instead of worshiping him as the creator, like we were made to, we turned inward. We believed the lie that said we don’t need to worship God. We can be our own gods. And in that one decision, we rejected God’s authority and order, and that brought sin and ruin into our world. Man who was made good sinned against the God who made them and became cursed. And this curse has alienated us from the God who made us.

So we are sinners by nature and sinners by choice. And the result is a brokenness that we can’t fix, a shame that we can’t cover, a separation we can’t repair, and a judgment we can’t escape on our own. And this is why Jesus, the eternal word, the son of God, entered into our brokenness. Not simply to observe it, not just to speak to it, but to rescue it. Not just to walk among us, but to live the life that we were supposed to live without sin, perfectly reflecting the character of God, and then to die the death we deserve to die because of the consequences of our sin and rebelliousness. The word became flesh to take away the sin of the world. And this gospel of John shows us Jesus, the word, who stepped into our world to show us what he is like. And as we’ll see this morning, how he begins his ministry.

He doesn’t just begin by performing miracles. He doesn’t make this grand entrance into our world the way the world would anticipate. He doesn’t explain everything all at once to convince people of who he is. Instead, he starts by inviting a few people to spend time with him. He begins not with massive crowds, but with curiosity. And this curiosity is what we’ll be exploring in our text this morning. In fact, verses 35 through 51 is the simple, unspectacular, yet life-altering story of how the first disciples, full of curiosity, met Christ and followed him. And if you’re here this morning with questions, maybe you’re interested in Jesus, but don’t have it all figured out yet. If you’re curious concerning Christ, this passage is the perfect passage for you this morning. And my hope for you is that you would see him clearly and plainly this morning. And so to help us along this morning, I’ve broken our text into eight short scenes.

Eight Scenes of Discipleship

And I do mean short scenes. These scenes, I think, will help the curious as well as encourage the Christian. So let’s begin with scene one, the power of simple repetition. We see this in verses 35 through 37. The next day, again, John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, Behold, the Lamb of God. The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Now this section here might seem simple, but it’s actually packed with great encouragement. This is actually the second time that John the Baptist has said these exact words in John’s gospel. In fact, if you look back to verse 29, you’ll see that he made this same declaration the day before. John the Baptist said, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. And what happened after that first announcement?

Well, nothing really, at least not immediately. No disciples decided to follow Jesus at that moment. There didn’t seem to be any response to the powerful and profound words that John the Baptist just dropped on them, which is crazy if you think about what exactly John was saying here. That phrase, Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Well, this also wasn’t just prophetic. This was packed with meaning and substance, and it would have caught the attention of anyone raised in first century Jewish culture. Because for generations, the Jews, according to God’s command, offered lambs as sacrifices for sins. They were slaughtered at the temple year after year as a reminder that sin has consequences and that sin requires atonement or a substitution. So John pointed at Jesus and said, Behold, the lamb. He was saying something radical. This man would be the final sacrifice.

He would be our substitute that would take away the sins of the world. That should have stirred something in the hearts of those who were listening if they truly understood the significance. And as powerful as the statement was, it didn’t seem to land the first time. Not fully, anyway. But here in verse 35, John repeats what he said the day before, and this time, two of John’s disciples hear it, and then something clicks. Those very words captured the curiosity of John’s disciples, because for the first time they were being told this sacrifice isn’t coming from a temple. It’s actually walking around us, and we can see him. So they heard John speak. They understood, at least in part, what he meant, and they decided to follow Jesus. And this reveals something essential to understand about gospel ministry. Fruit doesn’t always come immediately. The first time John said it, no one was moved.

But the second time, well, two lives are impacted and completely changed. You see, sometimes it’s the second conversation, or it’s the third invitation, or it’s the fourth retelling of who Jesus is and what he’s done when it finally lands on people. John the Baptist’s ministry wasn’t flashy in any possible way, but it was at least consistent. And the consistency worked. Not because John was incredibly persuasive, but because he continued to point people to Jesus the Lamb. And listen, this is how the church begins. I mean that literally. It doesn’t begin with a program or with political power moves. It doesn’t begin with persuasive preaching that demanded immediate results or a response, but with someone simply saying, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. From these small little words, people are pointed to the word, and the church is born,

and it begins to grow. And the church continues to grow today when people continue pointing over and over again to Jesus. Look at him, behold the Lamb. And these two disciples, curious, unsure, probably still processing all the particulars, they take that first step. They follow. Not because they fully understand who Jesus is. Not because they’re ready to, you know, preach sermons or plant churches or get all crazy. They follow Jesus because they’ve heard and seen just enough to spark their curiosity. And you see, sometimes, curiosity is all it takes for a person to begin a lifetime of learning and loving Jesus. Which brings us to scene two, the invitation to exploration. Verses 38 through 39, Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, what are you seeking? And they said to him, rabbi, which means teacher, where are you staying? And he said to them, come and see.

So here you have these two curious men who are now physically following Jesus, I mean, they’re literally walking behind him. And Jesus, well, he doesn’t just keep walking as a disengaged guru might do. He actually turns around and he speaks with these men. And these are the very first words of Jesus recorded in John’s gospel. And what’s interesting is that they’re in the form of a question. And did you notice the question? What are you seeking? And this really is a beautiful and disarming moment from Jesus. He doesn’t immediately ask them, do you believe in me? He doesn’t ask their motives. He doesn’t ask them, do you understand all the doctrine concerning me? He asks a question that reaches deep into the human heart. What are you looking for? And that same question continues to reverberate in the human heart today. In fact, it’s just as exposing today as it was in the first century.

And it’s the same question Jesus might be asking you this morning. What are you looking for? Why are you here this morning? What are you seeking in life? Is it hope, meaning, acceptance, forgiveness, security, maybe community, truth? If you still believe that exists. Or maybe someone who just won’t walk away. Well, Jesus invites reflection before he invites allegiance. He calls them to consider their desire before they receive his identity. And listen to how they respond, Rabbi, where are you staying? And this really is a humble, curious, but kind of awkward response if you think about it. But underneath the question is really a desire to know more about him. They want more time with Jesus to try to figure him out. And it seems like they don’t even know what to ask. They only know that they want to stay close to him. And Jesus answers with a disarming invitation of exploration.

He says, come and see. Those three words are gentle and gracious and very open handed. He doesn’t give them a physical address because he knows that’s not what they’re really asking for. He doesn’t say you’re not ready to follow me. He doesn’t question their theology. He says, come with me. Be with me. Walk with me. You will see what I’m about. And most importantly, you will see where I’m from. And you see, that’s always been Jesus’s posture towards curious people. He doesn’t demand full understanding up front. He invites them to explore who he is by way of proximity, by way of encounter and family. This teaches us something very helpful about discipleship. Discipleship doesn’t begin with a program or like with a book that you read with someone. It doesn’t begin with a prerequisite of understanding everything. It begins with nearness, spending time with Jesus.

The Joy of Witness

The invitation to come and see is an invitation not to doctrine, not to a religion. It’s an invitation to a person. The word made flesh, the lamb who takes away the sins of the world. They wanted to know where Jesus was from. And this was exploration. Because if they knew where he was from, then they might discover who he really was. And of course, what they will eventually come to find out is that Jesus comes from heaven. People might see and believe that he is the son of God. And this exploration process is so important because the most transformative aspects of following Jesus don’t happen in a moment. They happen in the time we spend with Jesus, praying, learning from him. And for us, that happens most practically through time in his word and time that we spend sitting and listening under the preaching of his word, which is exactly what they do.

They spend time with Jesus to learn more about Jesus. So what began with a curious question and a kind of half-baked request became a simple invitation to explore. And that’s the heart of Jesus. He welcomes the unsure. He welcomes the curious. He welcomes those who don’t even know the right questions to ask. He simply says, come and see. Because when we see, when we truly behold him, we are changed. Which brings us to scene three, the joy of witness and discovery, verses 40 and 41. One of the two who heard John speak and follow Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, we have found the Messiah, which means Christ. So after spending just a short amount of time with Jesus, something like half of a day maybe, something radical changes in Andrew. At first he’s curious, but by the end of the day, he’s persuaded.

He’s convinced enough to go and find his brother, Simon. And notice what Andrew says, we have found the Messiah. Andrew says this with no hesitation. With complete confidence, he bears witness. We have found him. And you see, this is what happens when someone spends time with Jesus and finds out who he truly is. They want to tell others about him too. Andrew doesn’t wait until he kind of understands everything. He doesn’t wait till he figures out all the doctrinal details. He doesn’t need a master class on evangelism to talk to people about Jesus. He just knows enough to know this. I have met the one I’ve been waiting for, and I got to tell someone about it. And who does he tell? Interestingly, he tells his brother, Simon. He starts with the closest person to him, which is often how it works. When I first became a Christian, I was about 18, and I was the first person in my family

to follow Jesus. But prior to following Jesus, I was a mess. I didn’t care about anyone except myself. But when the Lord saved me, something changed in me, and that the more time I spent with Jesus and his word, I began to see him for who he is. I began to change my desires and my attitude, including my selfishness and self-centeredness. I couldn’t contain my experience. I wanted to share with others about my experience with Jesus. And so I began sharing with my mom all the things that I had been learning about Jesus. And what’s crazy is that prior to me becoming a Christian, my mother and I didn’t really get along all that well. I mean, she was my mom, but I can’t remember a time before I was a Christian where we would actually sit down and talk about the deeper things of life.

But I began to talk with her consistently about Jesus. And I think partly because my mother saw a change in me, and because of me spending time with Jesus, she became curious about what was going on with her crazy son. And she just kept asking me, and I just kept talking to her about it. And about a year later, my mother became the second person in my family to become a Christian. And this family is often how the gospel spreads, through personal relationships, by engaging the people that we know, and the people who know us. Or through people in close proximity, through conversations over dinner, by parents talking to their kids about Jesus. Through the natural movement of people sharing what they’ve discovered. And here’s what’s crazy. Andrew doesn’t perform a miracle. He doesn’t preach a sermon. He doesn’t quote from the book of Isaiah in explaining how Jesus fulfills Old Testament

prophecy. He just says, we found him. The testimony of someone who has truly seen Jesus is echoing through his declaration. They begin to speak not merely as observers, but as participants. Listen, he says, we have found the Messiah. That’s inclusive language. And don’t miss this subtle but profound effect of this moment. Andrew’s brother Simon would go on to become one of the greatest preachers in history. In fact, this man preached on the day of Pentecost. And all of those people began following after Jesus. That’s powerful preaching. And he was introduced to Jesus because his brother joyfully invited him to discover Jesus. I mean, imagine if Andrew just kept quiet. What if Andrew thought like so many people in our culture think, well, my faith is private. What I believe is personal. I don’t need to share it with anyone because it’s just between me and Jesus.

Or imagine if Andrew thought, who am I, as sinful as I am, to speak to anyone about Jesus. They would know that I’m a sinful person. Peter may have remained nothing more than a fisherman on the shore of Galilee. But God in his infinite wisdom did not allow that to happen. Family, this is the power of personal invitation when we bear witness and invite others to discover. And speaking of Simon, we come to scene for the compelling power of change. Verse 42. He, that is Andrew, brought him, that is Peter, to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, you are Simon, the son of John. You shall be called Cephas, which means Peter. Andrew doesn’t just tell his brother about Jesus. He literally brings his brother to Jesus. He puts actions to his words and walks Simon into the presence of Jesus. And Jesus, with no introduction, looks at Simon and says something completely unexpected.

You are Simon, but you shall be called Cephas, which means Peter. In the original language, Peter or Petros means rock. Now what’s crazy is that Simon didn’t ask to get renamed. Like he just met Jesus and Jesus was like, oh, you’re not that dude anymore. But Jesus, having just met him, authoritatively changes his name. And don’t miss this because this is huge. Jesus knows who Simon is presently, but Jesus declares who Simon will become. And listen, this isn’t a suggestion from Jesus. It’s a promise of transformation from Jesus. Jesus doesn’t just receive Simon. He renames him and most importantly, he remakes him, meaning he changes him. He speaks over him a new identity that is at the same time immediate. But it’s also something that will unfold over time in greater degrees. You see, before Simon’s encounter with Jesus, Simon was likely all kinds of things.

Like a lot of us with a very shady past. But now Jesus looks at him and says, you will be called Peter, the rock. At that time, this name change might have seemed small. Maybe something insignificant, but it’s full of weight that would be revealed in the very near future. In fact, in Matthew’s gospel, in Matthew 16, 18, just after Peter boldly confesses, you are the Christ, the son of the living God. Jesus turns to him that is Peter and says, I tell you, you are Peter. And on this rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Peter becomes the rock on which Jesus says he will build his church. And it’s important to see that this rock is both Peter’s confession of who Jesus is. And Peter, the confessor, the man who boldly proclaims the truth of who Jesus is.

That’s what Christ builds his church upon. This is the authority of Jesus. He changes people. And it’s not just with Peter. It’s with all those who follow after Jesus. He sees our broken past and he calls us into a redeemed future. Now you might not change our names, but he most certainly changes our identity and our desires. And most importantly, he changes our hearts of stone and makes them hearts of flesh. And here’s the beauty of the gospel. Jesus meets us where we are, but he doesn’t leave us where we are. He speaks of future reality over our present weakness. He completely changes us and makes us new. And how does he do this? By the same power that raised him from the grave. You see, the resurrection isn’t just something that happened to Jesus. It’s something that happens in us. Ephesians 2 tells us that we, God’s people, were dead in our trespasses and sins, but

God made us alive. He resurrected us together with Christ. That means the same power that rolled away the stone, the same power that raised Jesus from the grave, is the same power now at work in you, changing you, sanctifying you, making you more and more like Jesus. You see, grace doesn’t just forgive. It resurrects. It makes Simons into Peter. It makes dead people come alive. This resurrection power in us is spiritual transformation. And it’s both initiated and guaranteed by Christ himself. And Jesus’s own resurrection from the grave is the guarantee that we will be changed and resurrected. Ephesians 5, the effectual call and response, verse 43 and 44. The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, follow me. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Now this is a bit of a shift from the pattern that we’ve seen so far, which is actually

very encouraging for us to see, because up to this point, people are brought to Jesus through the help of other people. Andrew came through the preaching of John the Baptist. Peter came through Andrew. But now we’re told Jesus found Philip. Jesus, unaided by anyone else, initiates this moment. No one brings Philip to Jesus. No one introduces him. Jesus goes directly to him and says, follow me. And this shows us something incredibly important about how people come to believe. Not everyone comes through the same pattern. Some are drawn through faithful preaching, like Andrew. Some are introduced through relationship, like Peter. And some are directly sought out by Jesus. And what this means is that there’s not a religious formula that we must follow or some program that ensures the unlocking of the human heart. God draws people to himself in thousands of different ways. But the common thread between everyone who follows Jesus is that each one must respond

to Jesus when he says, follow me. It’s personal. It’s simple. It’s authoritative. It’s responsive. Jesus doesn’t plead with Philip, did you notice? He doesn’t try to convince him. He simply calls and Philip responds. But how is it that Philip responds with no prior knowledge or understanding of who Jesus is? Well, this is what we call the effectual call of Jesus. Meaning when Jesus calls you, you will respond by following him. So this effectual call is not simply an invitation to follow. This call actually accomplishes the response it calls for. When God actually calls someone, he doesn’t just offer salvation. He overcomes their resistance. He opens their hearts. Acts 16, 14 tells us that he enlightens their minds. He regenerates their soul so that they freely and joyfully respond in faith. This means this call is irresistible, not because it forces someone against their will, but because it transforms the will.

Overcoming Cynicism

This effectual call is the sovereign grace of Jesus on display. He not only receives the seeker, but he seeks the receiver. And in both of those situations, he activates the response of faith in both. And this truth really should do two things to us. It should humble us because ultimately no one comes to Jesus apart from Jesus’s initiating work. And two, it should encourage us because Jesus draws all kinds of people, even the ones we don’t think are looking for him. Amen. Scene six, the observation that overcomes cynicism. Verse forty five and forty six. Philip found Nathaniel 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. Nathaniel said to him, can anything good come from Nazareth? Philip said to him, come and see. So Philip, this brand new Christian who is called by Jesus immediately becomes a witness

of Jesus. And he finds Nathaniel and makes a bold claim. We have found the one Moses and the prophets spoke about. Now, to be clear, this is not just a small claim. And any faithful Jew in the first century would have heard this as a massive statement. Philip is saying to Nathaniel, we have found the long anticipated Messiah. Now, this statement doesn’t come out of nowhere. I mean, Philip has just barely begun following Jesus. And so what this reveals is that Philip’s time with Jesus must have been marked by learning about Jesus. It’s highly likely that Jesus, even in these early moments, opened up the Old Testament scriptures and began to show him how everything in the law and with the prophets ultimately pointed to him. I mean, that’s the only way Philip could have said with such confidence. We have found him of whom Moses and the law and also the prophets wrote.

In other words, time with Jesus wasn’t just relational. It was revelatory. Jesus wasn’t just talking and walking with them about nothing. He was teaching them, showing them how all of the scripture points to him. But when Nathaniel hears the name Jesus of Nazareth, he hesitates and he says, can anything good come from Nazareth? And you can hear the cynicism in his voice, the subtle skepticism. And the reason why is because Nazareth was a small and seemingly unimportant place. It didn’t have the reputation of producing anything significant. It would be like saying Jesus from Columbus, Nebraska. Now notice if that’s where you’re from. I don’t know. But that’s Columbus. Nebraska is not necessarily the place that you’d expect greatness to emerge from. I don’t know. And really what’s happening in Nathaniel’s heart is something that we all tend to wrestle with. Nathaniel refuses to see anything glorious coming from something so ordinary, so close

to home, so familiar. You see, sometimes the closer something is, the harder it is to see the beauty and significance of that thing. And I think this is one of the reasons why people have such a hard time believing Jesus to be God, because he was at the same time man who walked among us. From Nathaniel’s limited perspective, he didn’t think Jesus fit the profile of a Messiah having come from Nazareth. And to be fair, no prophecy ever said that the Messiah would come from Nazareth. But this is where the gospel often does its most surprising work. Because when people are willing to look beyond their assumptions, when they are invited not to debate, but to observe, that’s when the spirit often begins to move. Observation of Jesus has a way of turning skeptics into believers and cynical people into Christians. It’s not always about having the right argument.

It’s about an encounter, seeing Jesus, watching him, hearing him, understanding him from his word. That’s what begins to soften hard hearts. Notice how Philip responds to Nathanael’s cynicism. He doesn’t argue. He doesn’t get defensive. He doesn’t try to explain away Nathaniel’s concern. He simply echoes what Jesus said. Come and see. I know it’s hard to believe. I know you probably have all of these preconceived ideas of what you think Jesus should look like, but just come and see. And this is the posture of real gospel confidence. You don’t have to win the debate. You just have to invite people to come and observe Jesus. The truth is, most people aren’t reasoned into the faith anyway, especially in our post-truth world. But curiosity often leads to observation, and observation often leads to an encounter with Christ that begins to crack the foundation of their cynicism. And there’s wisdom here for all of us in this.

When someone in your life is hesitant or doubtful or maybe even cynical, you don’t need to carry the burden to fix them. You don’t need to fear their questions. You don’t need to take it personal. You just need to invite them. Come and see. Come see the scriptures. Come see the people of God who gather together in this church. See how they used to be one way and see how they now are. Come see the way Jesus speaks, how he challenges your presuppositions, how he is a God who is kind, how he comforts the afflicted, how he changes and calls people to the kindness of himself. And notice something else here. Philip doesn’t wait to be trained before he testifies. He literally just met Jesus, but he’s already seen enough from Jesus to share Jesus. And that is a great encouragement. Scene seven, the gift of being known and knowing.

Verses 47 through 49, Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward 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 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. So Nathanael walks toward Jesus, still unsure, still skeptical. And before he says a word, Jesus speaks, behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit. What’s happening here is that Jesus sees right into this man’s character. Now, Jesus isn’t saying that Nathanael is perfect, but what Jesus is saying is that at least Nathanael is sincere. Jesus can tell that this man is a genuine seeker of truth. And Jesus’s knowledge of Nathanael is enough to shock him. Which is why he replies, how do you know me?

In other words, you’ve never met me. How could you understand these things about me? So when Jesus goes, then Jesus goes deeper, he begins to eradicate every ounce of skepticism. Jesus says, before Philip called you when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. And really what this means is that Jesus doesn’t just know him personally. Jesus knows his private moments and his private thoughts. Now the Bible doesn’t tell us exactly what Nathanael was doing under the fig tree. Some have speculated that maybe Nathanael was praying or reflecting on the scriptures or maybe even asking God to make himself known. Whatever it was, it was personal, maybe even sacred. And Jesus knew, not because someone told Jesus, but because Jesus sees everything. Because he knows everything. He is the all-knowing, all-seeing God who doesn’t just know all things and know about all things, but knows us intimately.

In fact, he knows us better than we know ourselves. And that moment cracks Nathanael open. All of his doubt and all of his hesitation, all of his cynicism in that moment is gone. And he confesses, Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel. And this is the first time in the Gospel of John where someone makes that full-frame declaration of who Jesus is. Not just a rabbi, not just a Messiah, but you are the Son of God. You are the King. And this is really fascinating. Nathanael, realizing that God knows him, leads to Nathanael knowing God. And how did he get there? Not through an argument, not through reason, but by being known fully and deeply. Nathanael realizes that Jesus saw all of him. His thoughts, his words, his quiet moments, everything. And still Jesus welcomes him. And this is a comforting reality to all of us.

Because though Jesus sees every part of us, our doubts, our fears, our history, our baggage, our sin, he sees everything about us. He knows all of the details. And yet, he still welcomes us. Family, being fully known and fully welcomed is the doorway to real relationship and real worship. And finally, we come to scene 8, the glory of the heavens cracked open, verses 50-51. 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. 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. Jesus receives Nathanael’s confession with grace, but also with a promise. Essentially, Jesus is saying, You believe because you have seen that I know all things. But that’s only the beginning of the things that you will see.

Then he makes this profound and somewhat mysterious statement. He says, You will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. And this is really an interesting thing that Jesus says, and that it’s a clear reference to the Old Testament. In the very first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis, in chapter 28, there is a man named Jacob, and Jacob had a dream. And in that dream, he saw this ladder stretched between heaven and earth, and angels were moving up and down this ladder. Jesus, with this statement, is essentially teaching biblical theology. Jesus says, The ladder in Genesis is me. I am the place where heaven and earth meet. I am the bridge between God and man. I am the true connection, the true mediator. I am the way into heaven. Jesus isn’t just the one who sees into our souls.

He is the one who opens heaven to us. He is the Son of Man, heaven sent, heaven revealing, and heaven reconciling. And because Nathanael believes, Nathanael will see heaven opened for him. You see, because of our sin and our rebellion, we could never get to heaven on our own. There isn’t enough good things that we could do to earn our way back to God who resides in heaven. So heaven came down to us in Jesus. He came down to live the life we could never live, to die the death we deserve to die, to pay the penalty we owed because of our sin, and to rise again in power. He died for our sins, yes, but he was raised from the grave to prove that the payment for our sin was fully accepted, and to reveal what resurrection life looks like. Jacob’s ladder was only a glimpse of glory, but the greatest glory is the empty

Heaven Cracked Open

tomb. The resurrection Sunday is heaven cracking open, declaring that everyone in Jesus will be saved, and that everything Jesus said is true. So yes, discipleship begins with curiosity. It deepens through an encounter, but it is sustained by the power and the proof of the resurrection, because the one who says come and see is not just the lamb who dies. He is the king who lives after death. And if you are here this morning and you wouldn’t consider yourself to be a Christian, this resurrected king invites you this morning to come and see with curiosity. Come to Jesus with empty hands. Come with all of your sin and all of your doubts. Ask him to help you see. Ask him to give you eyes of faith to believe who he truly is. Ask him to help you follow him, and he will do it. And if you want to know more, if you want to know more about what it means to follow

Jesus, if you have questions, you can talk with anyone that you’ve seen up here this morning. We would love to help you see and believe. Even if you’re just curious, even if you’re skeptical, we would still love to talk with you because this whole passage began with two curious people. They didn’t have all the answers. They didn’t know where this thing with Jesus was going to lead. But by God’s grace, they came to see. And what began with curiosity turned into conviction. And that conviction led to repentance, meaning turning away from their old lives and their old sins. And that repentance turned into a confession of faith. You are the son of God, the king of Israel. That’s how it starts. Not with fully understanding, but with a willingness to draw near, to linger long enough to discover who Jesus truly is. And if you see him, if you turn from your sin, he will save you.

Every person in this story met Jesus in a different way. Andrew heard it from the faithful witness and the faithful preaching of John the Baptist and followed. Peter was brought by his brother and he followed. Philip was found by Jesus and followed. Nathaniel came as a skeptic and followed. But every one of them said yes to the same invitation. Come and see. So come with your doubts. Come with your fears. Come with your questions. Come and see who Jesus truly is. And if you do, if you truly come to him, you will see greater things than these. You will experience the forgiveness of sin, peace with God, a heart made new by the power of the resurrection. And you will see heaven cracked open for you. Amen. Let’s pray. Our father and our God, we thank you. That heaven came down. That the word became flesh.

To pay for all of the sins of humanity, because we couldn’t do it on our own. And we thank you. That you proved that you are God. And that the payment for our sin was secure by raising from the grave. And on this day, oh Lord and God, we celebrate the resurrection. Not just because it proves that you are who you say you are, but because of what it means for us. That we get to experience this resurrection power in our lives that has changed us and will continue to change us. That nothing in this life will separate us from the love of the father. Because the love came down. Thank you for rising. We praise you and we celebrate you, oh king over death. In Jesus name, amen.