Dr. Alan J. Meenan  

Today I am going to talk about the greatest discovery that four people ever made. It transformed who they were and changed the very essence of their being. Their story has been told many times over by millions of Christian men and women who have also had this life-transforming experience. In a way, Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip and Nathanael are types of all of us. However, there may be some folks here who've never had a real relationship with Jesus Christ and have never experienced the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in their life. Perhaps today is going to be that day! I also believe that for those who walk with Christ, hearing the story again of what Christ came to mean in a human life, can energize our faith.

The context of this passage suggests that Jesus had gone out to the wilderness to be baptized by John the Baptizer. After He was baptized by John in the Jordan, the dove came, and John the Baptizer recognized Jesus and said, "Behold the Lamb of God." Some of John's disciples overheard him saying this. In fact, if we look further in the Gospels, we will come across a passage where John actually said, "He must increase and I must decrease." John had come, to be the preparer of the way of the Lord. Now that the Lord had arrived, he said, "This is the Lamb of God; this is why I have come." Of course, this peaked the interest of his disciples, who then set off on a journey that would change their lives.

There were two in particular, who set off to see for themselves: Andrew, although, he's not mentioned, and John, the apostle. They began a journey that would set them on a path of incomparable adventure. Many of these disciples would end up in places like Rome, Greece, France, Spain, and some in Iran. Many of them would die for their faith! Once they came into a living relationship with God and Jesus Christ, they realized that this belief had transformed their lives, and they would never give that up for anything in the world! Even when they were threatened by death, and endured martyrs deaths, their faith could not be shaken. Wouldn't it be great to have a faith like that? It is possible. It is possible because one day, long ago, these people met a man who aspired to change the course of history. He did change the course of history, and in the process, also changed their stumped lives.

The first I want to look at is Andrew. You'll find his story in verse thirty-five. The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" Ponder that question with me for a moment. Picture Andrew and John following from a distance and Jesus graciously turning around to them, opening the door for them. It draws a lovely picture of divine initiative: God condescending to us, God coming to where we are. "What is it you want? What is it you're searching for?" What a great question! And it plumbed the depths of Andrews's life. It sent shock waves through his mind. "What do you want?" Jesus asked again. What is it you're trying to get out of life? Andrew pondered that question, and I would encourage you to ponder it for a moment. What is it you want? If Jesus were to come and say to you today, what do you want, what are you searching for, what is it that you're asking out of life, how would you answer? Would you say, I'm looking for love. I'm looking for security. I'm looking for peace and a sense of well-being. I'm looking for money. I'm looking for prestige. I'm looking for fame. I want to make it in Hollywood. What are you looking for? Andrew's response is "Rabbi, where are you staying?" Isn't that lovely? By saying the word Rabbi, by giving Him this honorable title of teacher, what he was saying was, "You're the Rabbi, you answer my question for me." Where are you staying where we can go and talk these things over? Wouldn't you love to do that with Jesus? Wouldn't you love to hear Him say, "What is it you want out of life?" Then simply turn to Him and say, "Let's go and talk."

One of the great Philadelphian pulpiteers (a Presbyterian, of course) was Donald Gray Barnhouse. He used to talk about the times when he would sit alone with God in his time of prayer. In that time of quiet he would listen to the voice of God, and he would hear the tones of love and his heart would well up within him, such that it would almost burst. Have you ever had that experience? If you're a follower of Jesus Christ, or you want to be one, that experience is available to you. Take time to be with God. Living the Christ life is very difficult in the 21st Century. Living and following the Lord Jesus Christ in the world in which we live is tumultuous at best. You will never make it unless you make the moments. Take the time to go off by yourself, before God, in quietness and in study, in reading the Word and in speaking to Him through prayer. You will experience that which Andrew experienced long ago. Rabbi teach me.

For Simon, it was something entirely different. Look at verse forty: Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah." And he brought him to Jesus. Then it says, Jesus looked at him. Do you see that? John the evangelist uses a distinctive Greek word for "look" which means studying intently. It's not just a glance. There is a different word for that. This is word that implies a concentrated intent scrutiny. It looks beyond the superficial façade that we build for ourselves. God sees right past your façade. He sees past what everybody else sees about you. It is a look that penetrates the heart. That's what changed Simon's life. It was that look. That look is able to see beyond who you are to what you can be by the grace of God. When God looks at you today, He looks past what you are and who you are, and He sees what you can become! That's why this verse is so important. Jesus looked at him, (verse forty-two) and He said, "You are Simon, son of John. You shall be called Cephas." He was saying, you are Simon son of John, and that's how everybody refers to you. But, I see you differently. I see you as Cephas the Rock. What is Christ saying to you? You are _____. You shall be _____. So it was with Simon.

Personally I really like Philip. I like Philip because there's nothing distinctive about him. He's the ordinary Joe that you pass on the street without taking a second look. Having a type-A personality as I do, I like everything to be in a neat little row. You know how that goes, the person who walks into a room and has to straighten a picture. If you ever invite me to your home, make sure the pictures are straight before I arrive. Otherwise, I would be very eager to go over and straighten them! When I read Biblical text, and I read how the Gospel spread, I understand that John the Baptizer went and told Andrew about Jesus. Andrew went and told Simon about Jesus. Then Philip went and told Nathanael about Jesus. But there's a gap there. Who told Philip? No one told Philip. Why? Because he's a common Joe. You don't think to tell a common Joe. In fact, John the evangelist repeatedly tells how common, ordinary and slow Philip is. In chapter six he says, Philip lacks vision. In chapter twelve he says Philip never takes any initiative. In chapter fourteen, he says Philip is slow to understand Spiritual truth. Philip is the kind of person, who people by pass. So, who told Philip? Jesus. Jesus told Philip. Maybe there's some Philip out there, some plain Joe or Joanna who has melted into the crowd. The wonderful word for you is this: Jesus called Philip himself. Philip matters to Jesus! Isn't it wonderful that God doesn't overlook slow and ordinary people? God doesn't overlook us.

Our forth character is Nathanael. The picture that is painted of Nathanael is that he's one of these young academics. You know the type- a "know-it-all." He's like a sophomore in college who has taken a Philosophy 101 course, and he is sitting under the fig tree, a young, contemptuous, skeptical Philosophy student. I wonder what he was thinking. I like to ask that question. What on earth was he thinking? Was he wondering about the meaning of life? I don't know. I recently came across a little ditty by A.E. Houseman that I kind of like that seems to sum up so much of philosophical thinking:

Yonder see the morning blink
The sun is up and so must I
To wash and dress and even drink,
And look at things and walk and think.
And God knows why.


Maybe that's what he was thinking. I told the people at the Cue service, maybe he was thinking about the meaning of personal relationships. You turn on the TV today, and you see things like "Meet my folks," 'Blind Date," "Fifth Wheel," "Change of Heart." You can ditch your mate! It's incredible stuff, foolishness. People are looking for meaningful relationships. Perhaps Nathanael was looking for meaning and relationship. And while he was there under the fig tree, Philip, stumbles onto the scene, "You'll never believe this," he says. "We found the person that Moses wrote about. His name is Jesus, and He's from Nazareth." That does it! To properly understand this text, you need to appreciate the fact that Nathanael came from the little village of Cana. You've heard of Cana of Galilee. I think some of you might mispronounce it Canaan. Cana of Galilee is just over the hill from Nazareth, and there's a great rivalry between Nazareth and Cana. No good thing could come out of Nazareth or from Cana if you were living in the other camp! I used to always get a giggle about rivalries when I lived in Scotland. There is a great rivalry between Edinburgh and Glasgow. I remember once meeting someone from Glasgow, and he said, "Where are you living?" I told him and he replied, "Oh, that's a terrible place to be." I said, "It's not so bad really. In fact, I quite like it." He says, "No, there's only one good thing that ever came out of Edinburgh." I asked, "Really, what was that?" He replied, "The train into Glasgow." That's the kind of rivalry that existed between Cana and anyone from Nazareth. Besides, he was a Philosophy 101 student. He had all the answers! Isn't it interesting that Philip did not get into any theological discussions with him? He didn't get into any philosophical gyration with him. He simply said, "Why don't you come and find out for yourself." Reluctantly Nathanael arose and stepped out from the shade of the tree, to make his life staggering discovery. Christ's insight changed his life.

Look at verse forty-seven: When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." I get a kick out of this. Nathanael answers, "How do you know me?" So the next time someone says to you, "You are the most wonderful person," you can respond, "Well then, how did you know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree even before Philip called you." In that encounter with Jesus Christ, Nathanael uttered these words, "Rabbi you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel." And Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that."

Perhaps the most effective way to bring men and women to Jesus Christ is embodied in the words, "Come and see." Four different people each made the greatest discovery of their lives. We have found the Messiah. We have found the one of whom Moses wrote. You are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel. They came to believe that God's anointed King had come, and this belief system changed their lives. It can change yours as well! Believe, not only with the mind but also with the heart, and find in Jesus Christ - the answer to all your needs. Whether it comes in the form of pondering His question, what do you want, whether your heart is pierced with His look of love, whether it's Him taking the divine initiative right now to come to you and say, "Follow me," or in the invitation, "Come and see," it is a life-transforming discovery.