We lived in Toronto, Canada, for a total of six years and I remember the first time that I saw Niagara Falls. It was from
the Canadian side and I was standing in the mist looking across at the Horse Shoe falls and around to its side, the American Falls. Together they drop the Niagara River nearly
200 feet. Of course I had seen many, many photographs of the falls. I had seen newsreels, documentaries and feature films that clearly showed the falls. But none of them had prepared me for the impact they had when viewed directly.
Up front and in my face, to use a current expression.Venturing closer and eventually standing on the very edge of the Horse Shoe Falls, watching the torrent rush over that
edge and hearing the thunderous noise it made, was an experience that I will never forget.
During our stay in Toronto, visitors would frequently ask what Niagara Falls was like and was it
worth the trip to see it? After my experience I had but one reply to their question—come and see!
There are times and experiences that cannot adequately be described by words or even pictures.
Niagara Falls is like that. So is the Grand Canyon and so is Mount Fuji. On an entirely different level, I cannot describe fully to you how I felt seeing my children take their first step and hearing
them form their first words. Try as I may, I just cannot adequately explain or describe these to you.
I believe that Andrew and Philip must have felt something like that after their first encounter with Jesus.
We know from John's gospel that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist. I would love to know how Andrew met John, and how long they had worked together, and to know something of their
experiences together. But gospel writer John tells us nothing of this. We simply know that John and Andrew and other disciples were at Bethany, baptizing and carrying a ministry. One day,
Jesus walked past them and John the Baptist announced that here was the one who was greater than himself; one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. He then added the most amazing words
that Andrew could have ever heard: "I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."
"This is the Son of God." How those words of John must have resonated in Andrew's mind and
what questions he must have had for John. And then the very next day, Jesus walked past again and John cried out; "Look, the Lamb of God!"
That was it for Andrew and the other disciple! The phrase 'Son of God' was mind boggling enough but to now modify it with the phrase 'the Lamb of God' was too much to ignore. A Son of God who was also the Lamb of God!
The description 'Son' implied some deep personal and princely connection with God, while 'Lamb' could surely only point toward a sacrificial role. This apparent contradiction was a new and
radical idea for Andrew, and although it would be three full years before he came to understand what this meant, for now it was enough. Under the leading of the Holy Spirit, Andrew left John and followed Jesus.
The subsequent first exchange between Andrew and Jesus is illuminating. Aware that the disciples were following Him, Jesus turned to them and simply asked 'What do you want?' And in
case you think that their answer was somewhat inconsequential, put yourself in their place. At a certain moment, they had made a huge decision; they had decided to leave their occupations
(Andrew was a fisherman) and they had decided to follow John the Baptist. They had then heard the remarkable statement of John that Jesus was the Son of God and the Lamb of God, and had
made another decision—to now follow Jesus. Excuse them if they were caught unaware when Jesus turned and asked His question. Have you never been lost for words?
All that came to mind for them was to reply, "Teacher, where are you staying?" Jesus understood and did not begin a long discourse on His ministry, or that it was largely itinerant with no place to
rest His head for long, and neither did He hint at the difficulties that lay ahead. I believe that it was with great deliberation that Jesus simply replied; "Come, and you will see." "Come, and see!"
No words could describe what lay ahead for Jesus and His disciples; for these two disciples of John, this was a moment for decision. For Andrew it was either to go back to the boats, or to go
back to John, or to follow Jesus and to see for himself all that was to happen. Andrew chose Jesus.
The Gospel writer John then simply records that the two disciples spent the day with Jesus.
What volumes are wrapped up in those few words?! I wonder, what Jesus talked about and how much detail Jesus had gone into. Did He explain what John meant by the Lamb of God? What was
to be the disciple's role in the coming events? These are questions I would dearly like to have answered. But again John is silent. It is sufficient to know that going into the relationship,
Andrew had heard that Jesus was the Son of God and the Lamb of God, and that after a day together, Andrew rushed to his brother Simon and told him that he had found the Messiah, the Christ.
During that first day with Jesus, Andrew was persuaded that this was the Christ.
And so John tells us that the first thing on Andrew's mind was to think of his brother Simon. And
bringing Simon to Jesus, Andrew made one of history's most significant introductions. Jesus looked at Simon and said; "You are Cephas. You are Peter, the rock!"
The next day Jesus set out for Galilee, and along the way He met a man named Philip. Jesus said to Philip; "Follow Me." And here was another moment for decision, and Philip not only decided to
follow Jesus but to go and find Nathaniel and to ask him to join them. "We have found the one that Moses told us about, the one of whom the prophets wrote about - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
Either Philip had been aware of Jesus, or Jesus had begun to explain his background and mission. Either way, Philip, like Andrew, is clearly convinced -- this is the Messiah, this is the Christ.
Nathaniel on the other hand was a little skeptical. As far as Nathaniel was concerned, Nazareth was hardly the center of religious learning or philosophical ideas or new and wonderful
introductions. "Nazareth! Can any good come from that place?"
While Nathaniel's response is open and honest, Philip's reply is momentous! Philip did not try to
enter into a lengthy explanation about Jesus, or a justification for the town of Nazareth, and neither did Philip try to explain his own feelings about Jesus. But rather, he simply stated "Come and see."
Come and see! There it is again. Truly there are times and events and experiences that we just cannot adequately express in words. There are times when we must fall back—no, let me
rephrase that—there are times when we must rise up and say to each other "come and see; come and see what I have found: come and see what I have learned and come and see what I have experienced."
If you are a follower of Christ, take a lead from Andrew who went to Simon, and from Philip who went to Nathaniel, and go to someone who needs to know Christ and tell them to 'come and
see!' To come and see what you have found and lead them through your experience and show them Christ in your life.
If you are looking to know Christ, then hear me say to you 'come and see.' Explore the word of
God and see what it is saying to you; find a believer and talk with him or her—indeed challenge that person to show you Christ in their life. Come and see all that Christ will do for you. Come
and see and come to know Him and to believe in Him and know that you are then saved to this glorious life and even to life eternal.
Come and see—and live!
We lived in Toronto, Canada, for a total of six years and I remember the first time that I saw Niagara Falls. It was from
the Canadian side and I was standing in the mist looking across at the Horse Shoe falls and around to its side, the American Falls. Together they drop the Niagara River nearly
200 feet. Of course I had seen many, many photographs of the falls. I had seen newsreels, documentaries and feature films that clearly showed the falls. But none of them had prepared me for the impact they had when viewed directly.
Up front and in my face, to use a current expression.