In my last post, I talked about seeking boldness to share the good news of the gospel with those around us. But, one of the things that may hinder us from sharing our faith is not knowing what we should say. We may feel like our words are not eloquent or that we are just not good communicators. I know I often feel this way. But in the gospel of John, we are reminded that we don’t need to be highly effective speakers to proclaim the good news. We simply need to guide others to Jesus and let the Holy Spirit take care of the rest. In John’s gospel, we see an invitational phrase that is repeated in several parts of the book: “come and see.”
First, Jesus himself invites us to “come and see.” John the Baptist had his own following, but when some of his disciples heard the things he said about Jesus, they decided to leave John and follow Jesus instead. When Jesus noticed that they were following Him, He asked them what they wanted and they responded with a simple question, “Where are you staying? (John 1:38)” Jesus could have given them a location but instead He invited them along, “Come and you will see. (John 1:39)” He didn’t want them to just have knowledge about Him (like where He was staying). Instead, He wanted them to know Him intimately.
Second, Jesus wants us to invite others to Him also. Just as Jesus told his first disciples to come and see who He is, they too started telling others to come and see. Shortly after they began staying with Jesus, they started telling their family and friends the good news. When Philip told his friend Nathaniel about Jesus, he was skeptical. But Philip retorted, “Come and see. (John 1:46)” When Nathaniel came and met Jesus, it didn’t take long for him to believe also. When people doubt what you have to say about Jesus, don’t try to forcibly convince them. Instead, just invite them to explore Jesus for themselves. It is the Holy Spirit who does the work of bringing unbelievers to salvation.
Later in the book of John, Jesus revealed that He was the Messiah to a woman at a well in Samaria. When the woman went back into town, she told everyone she met, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! (John 4:29)” We read later in the chapter that many from the town came to believe in Jesus as a result of accepting her invitation (John 4:39). Just like this woman, we can also share the good news by doing simple things like sharing our testimony or inviting others to church or giving them a tract or a Bible.
Third, not only does Jesus invite us to draw near to Him and tell others about Him, He also wants us to invite Him into our lives. It’s a two way relationship. As our relationship with Christ deepens and our trust in Him grows, one of the things we can do is reciprocate the invitation. When Mary and Martha‘s brother, Lazarus, was sick, the sisters invited Jesus to come and help them in their time of need (John 11:3). Jesus did come to their aid, but not according to their timing. Don’t be discouraged if His timing does not match yours. In His perfect timing, Jesus went to raise Lazarus and bring glory to God through the miracle. So also in your circumstance, He will come at the perfect time. When Jesus arrived and inquired about Lazarus, they invited him again and said ”Lord, come and see. (John 11:34)” When Jesus came, he was filled with compassion and wept. Just as Jesus cared deeply for Lazarus and his sisters, so also He cares deeply for us. Peter reminds us to “give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.(1 Peter 5:7)”
Jesus, thank you for inviting me to come and know you intimately. Give me boldness to invite others also to turn to You and see for themselves that You are the Savior of the world. And help us to invite You into the cares and worries of our lives so that we can experience your love and compassion in all our circumstances.