From Person To Person

My thoughts here are not studied, but simple observations that come to my mind as I read this section. First, it is interesting to see that the pattern of gathering people to Jesus seems to be by personal testimony. First, John tells his disciples that Jesus is the Lamb of God. As a result, they follow Jesus and ultimately become believers. Andrew then immediately seeks out his brother and, like John earlier did with him, Andrew tells his brother that Jesus is the Christ. He then brings Peter to Jesus, and as the rest of the gospel makes clear, Peter becomes a believer as well. If this is indeed the pattern of how people find there way to Jesus, then the challenge for me…and for all of us…is to ask myself if I am verbally telling people about Jesus. Am I seeking to bring people to him as John and Andrew, and later Peter, sought to do? If not, why not?

It is also interesting to note the apparent manner in which Andrew became a believer. As the story unfolds, we see Jesus asking the disciples, who have decided to investigate who this Jesus is, what they want. There answer is to inquire about where Jesus is staying. Now, that may seem like a foolish response to us, but both the Expositor’s Bible Commentary and F.F. Bruce state that what the disciples were truly asking for was time with Jesus to discover who He was and what He was all about. Jesus invites them to come and see, no doubt referring not just to where He was staying but who He was and why He had come to earth. The result of spending time with Jesus, exploring His identity and mission, was that Andrew became a believer.

It seems to me that often this is how a person comes to believe in Jesus. First, they hear a verbal testimony about him. Curious about what it means, they begin to ask questions and explore the person and purpose of Jesus. As they spend time studying His life and ministry, the Holy Spirit illuminates their minds, convicts their conscience, and convinces them to place their faith in him. While this might not be “the definitive manner” in which people come to faith, it certainly is the way I came to faith. With whom are you building a relationship in order to spend time with them in the presence of Jesus? Are you bringing people to Jesus, inviting them to “come and see” the Savior? Are you verbally witnessing to others, trusting that the Holy Spirit will empower your witness and convict their heart? I hope we are all not only believers, but witnesses for the greatest man…the God-man…who alone can bring salvation to others.