John_1

What a great chapter this is, filled with such quotable verses.  The Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us.  The promise that whoever receives  Christ has been given the right to be called children of God. And so much more.  One of the things that challenges me from this chapter is the response of three people who encounter God.

 

John encounters God and declares to everyone who He is.  John had a good thing going but his entire ministry was to introduce Jesus.  He did just that - twice in this chapter we see John pointing away from himself and pointing people to Jesus and introducing them to Him.

 

Then Andrew hears what John declares about Jesus so he goes to investigate.  Look at what Andrew did immediately after hearing and investigating - he goes and tells someone else about Jesus.  He doesn't wait till he has been trained by Jesus.  He doesn't fully understand all the theological implications of it all.  He goes and tells about Jesus within his relational networks.  Andrew tells Peter and Peter comes to investigate.

 

Next Jesus meets Philip and calls Philip to follow him.  Philip comes along with Jesus but he does exactly what Andrew did, he not only follows Jesus but he goes and finds Nathanael and invites him to come and meet Jesus.  All these guys did was invite them to come and meet Jesus, once they met Jesus, He did the rest and the men made a decision to follow.

 

I am challenged to go into my circle of friends and invite them to encounter Jesus.  The way I do that is to tell them the stories of what Jesus has done in my life.  I invite them to attend church with me as well.  These men were not highly learned, well trained and well versed men, but they were doing something that all of us can do - introducing their friends to Jesus.