80 friends have opened a study shared with them this month.
Sitting in the library at the University of Aberdeen, I argued with an atheist for seven hours. By the end of the day, I was worn out by his relentless habit of pulling up YouTube video after YouTube video for me to debunk. I was hungry, cold, and tired. Neither of us had moved an inch. I thought I was doing evangelism. In retrospect, I was just trying to win. And nobody enters the Kingdom because they lost a debate.
John 1:35-51
The next day, John was standing with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and noticed them following him, he asked them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?" "Come and you'll see," he replied. So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed him. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated "the Christ"), and he brought him to Jesus. When Jesus saw him, he said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which is translated "Peter"). The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and told him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law (and so did the prophets): Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth." "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Nathanael asked him. "Come and see," Philip replied. Then Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, "Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit." "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you," Jesus answered. "Rabbi," Nathanael replied, "You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel!" Jesus responded to him, "Do you believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." Then he said, "Truly I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
Years later, two missionaries knocked on our door during dinner. We invited them in, but as I watched them try to maneuver the conversation toward their talking points, I felt a familiar cringe. I wasn't judging them; I was recognizing myself. For all their sincerity, the agenda was the elephant in the room. They weren't looking at me; they were looking at a target. Contrast that with how faith actually spreads in John 1. It's a chain reaction of friends. John points to Jesus. Andrew goes and gets his brother. Philip finds Nathanael. When Nathanael's raises legitimate theological objections to Jesus being from Nazareth, Philip doesn't sit under the fig tree for seven hours. He just says, "Come and see." Philip knew that his arguments couldn't convince Nathanael, but an encounter with Jesus could. He didn't try to close the deal; he just made the introduction. We often feel the pressure to be defense attorneys for God, answering every objection and closing every loophole. But Jesus doesn't need a defense attorney. Notice how Jesus responds differently to each person: Andrew and John get an address. Peter gets a new name. Nathanael gets a demonstration of omniscience. Jesus isn't running a script. He knows the key to each person's heart. That's why his question is the key to this passage: What are you looking for? Part of following Jesus involves loving God with all of our minds. There's a place for thoughtful answers. But arguments can't replace introductions. Talking about Jesus doesn't compare to meeting him. Jesus' invitation is always open. The question is whether we'll take our friends to meet him.
Who is the "Andrew" or "Philip" in your life—the person who first helped you see Jesus? What did they do that made you trust them?
Nathanael had a theological objection ("Nazareth? Really?"), and Philip ignored it to focus on the relationship ("Come and see"). Why is that so hard for us to do?
Think of the last time you tried to share your faith. Did it feel more like a lawyer making a case, or a friend making an introduction?
Think of one person who's been curious about your faith. Instead of explaining or defending, just invite them to do something with you. Dinner. A service. Coffee with a friend they'd click with. Text them today: "Want to come with me to ___?"
80 friends have opened a study shared with them this month.