“Come and See”

John 1:29-42

Pastor Deb Troester, STHPC, January 18, 2026

What comes to mind when you hear the words, “Hey, come and see this!”  Is it something on TV or YouTube? A beautiful sunset, an unusual plant, a weird insect? Did your kid decide to put the Christmas reindeer antlers on the dog, and the dog’s running around the house like a deranged Rudolf, trying to shake it off? Our daughter did that one time. “Hey, come see this!” usually means, come and look at this amazing or unusual thing I’ve found. I want to share it with you.

         In the passage we just read, three different people say “Hey, come and see this!” The first time is when John the Baptist says to two of his followers, “Hey, come see this guy. He’s the Lamb of God, the Messiah.” The second time is when Jesus says to those two followers, “Come and see – I want you to come with me and see where I live.” The third time is when Andrew goes to his brother Simon Peter and says, “Come and see! We’ve found the Messiah!” Let’s look at each of these “come and see” moments a little more closely.
         First are the two disciples of John the Baptist.

I was surprised when I first found out that John the Baptist had disciples. I thought only Jesus had disciples, but it turns out that any great rabbi or teacher back in those days had them. John was baptizing by the River Jordan and the Bible tells us that many people came out to hear him speak. There must have been a whole crowd of people who heard John say, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Yet only two of them seem to have taken him seriously. This still happens today. A lot of people hear about Jesus, but just go on with their lives. In our Gospel, Andrew and his friend are really listening. When John pointed to Jesus and announced, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” they wanted to find out more.  

         When Jesus realized they were following him, he turned around and asked them, “What are you looking for?” One thing to notice about Jesus: he’s always asking questions. Jesus is God, so He must have known why they were following him, so why did he ask, “What are you looking for?” Jesus often asked questions to make people think.  Perhaps he wanted John’s disciples to ask themselves, “What am I really looking for?” Why am I following this guy Jesus anyway?”

“Am I following him just because John told me to, or do I really want to find out for myself if he’s the Son of God?”

         These are good questions for us to ask ourselves as well. What am I looking for in life? Why am I here? Am I really following Jesus, or just pretending to? Many of us raised as Christians are following Jesus because someone else told us to. Maybe our parents said, “Go to church. Be baptized. Get confirmed. Participate in church activities.” So we did. But sometimes we need to stop and ask ourselves, “Why am I following Jesus?”  Is it just because someone told me to, or do I really want to find out more about him for myself? Am I just doing what I’m supposed to do or do I really want to follow him, and be his disciple? Jesus also asks us, “What are you looking for?”

         Andrew and his friend answer Jesus’ question with another question, “Where do you live, Rabbi?” Maybe they weren’t ready to say, “We want to become your disciples.” Maybe they just wanted to find out more about who Jesus was.         Perhaps you are like that. You’re not really sure what this God stuff is all about.

Lots of people talk about Jesus as if he’s their best friend, but you’re not sure you can be friends with someone who lived 2,000 years ago. You’re not really ready to follow Jesus as your Savior, but maybe you’d like to know more about Him. You’re kind of like Andrew and his friend – curious, but not ready to make a commitment.

Well, I have good news for you – Jesus says, “Come and see!” Come and find out more about me and see if you like what you find. Even for those of us who think we know who Jesus is, there is always more to learn. Jesus invites us, “Come and see.”  It’s like saying, “Come on, have a look. Check it out.” Jesus doesn’t make any demands on the two would-be disciples. He doesn’t ask if they’ve been baptized, or if they’re ready to leave their families and fish nets and follow him, or if they fast or pray, or tithe their money. No, he just says, “Come and see!” He invites them to see where he lives, and they spend the rest of the day with him – to see where he lives.

         So, where did Jesus live? I don’t think he had purchased a mansion on a hilltop overlooking the Jordan. He was probably staying with friends or relatives.

It probably was not any place fancy, though Jesus did sometimes visit wealthy Pharisees or tax collectors, like Zacchaeus. Jesus was at home anywhere, with anyone – no matter how rich or how humble.

         So if you wanted to go where Jesus lives, where would you find Him? Remember, this is the guy who said, “When I was hungry, you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me… whenever you did this for one of the least important of my brothers or sisters, you did it for me!” So whenever you help someone who is hungry or thirsty, a stranger – the word could also be translated “immigrant,” poor, sick, or in prison, you can be sure you are in Jesus’ home. The poet Maren, whose blog I follow, writes:

We all desperately want to know,
where he is staying …
and it is with the poorest,
the most frightened, the immigrant,
the ill, the lonely, the addicted, the lost,
the hopeful, the hurting.
We all can add to the list –
we’ve been there, or it’s the address
of someone we love.

         Back to Andrew and his friend: they didn’t just come to Jesus’ house, stay fifteen minutes and then leave. They spent the rest of the day with him. Friends spend time together, and these two wanted to get to know Jesus – and I think Jesus wanted to get to know them. In fact, “spending time with Jesus” could be one of the best definitions of discipleship ever. I wonder what questions they asked and what Jesus said to them? What questions would you ask Jesus if you had a whole day to spend with Him?  

         It was already four in the afternoon when they went there, so I imagine they stayed up half the night, maybe sitting around a fire, or in the lamplight, talking, just as friends do. This year, I want to challenge you to spend more time with Jesus. How? By prayer, Bible reading and study, meditating on scripture, listening to Christian music, journaling; there are many good ways to spend time with Jesus. Try what Brother Lawrence called The Practice of the Presence of God, in a book by that title. A 17th century Carmelite lay brother, Lawrence cultivated a continual awareness of God’s presence – not only at prayer, but all day long. Lawrence  worked in the monastery kitchen.

As he chopped vegetables, stirred stews, and cleaned the pots and pans,  he cultivated a consciousness of God’s loving presence. He said that, “With such an awareness, all our activities were hallowed; we would thus find ourselves in a state of continuous prayer or conversation with God.” He observed that God “regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.”

As Brother Lawrence did, remember that Jesus is always with you, walking beside you, all the time, every day, everywhere you go, and see if it makes a difference in your life. Jesus is there to help you, not to judge or condemn you. Think of him as you would your dearest friend – as in the hymn, “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!” Christ wants to help you grow in your faith and become the person God created you to be.

Let’s all make 2026 a year to spend more time with Jesus. Find out where he lives. Go there, talk to him, listen to him. Find out what questions he is asking you, what things he wants to teach you. How does he want you to change your life? What would he have you do?

         This story doesn’t end with the two disciples visiting Jesus. As soon as they leave, Andrew runs to his brother Simon Peter and says, “Hey, we’ve found the Messiah! Come and see!” I imagine him grabbing Peter by the hand saying, “Put down that fishing net and come with me. You’ve got to meet this guy Jesus!” 

Andrew’s “Come and see!” teaches us that if we have found peace, joy, and faith through our relationship with Jesus Christ, we must tell others about Him. Imagine if Andrew had kept this good news to himself! Simon Peter, the leader of Jesus’ disciples, might never have met Jesus and followed him. Like Andrew, we can all invite our family, friends, and neighbors to church to worship him. We can invite them to a Bible Study or another church event. Most of all, we can tell them how encountering Jesus has made a difference in our lives.

         I have told you how one of the reasons I’m here today is that a friend invited me to church with her long ago. As a result of that visit, I made a personal commitment to follow Jesus. I have stuck with that commitment and have never regretted it.

So, come and see! Come and see Jesus, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. Come and see where he lives, and spend time with him, getting to know him better. And invite everyone you know to come along. Come and see! Amen.

Sermon ©Deborah Troester 2026