Come and See
I spent the Lenten season reading through the gospel of John. I savored the old familiar stories and marveled at new insights as I journeyed with my Savior through the pages of God’s Word. One of the things that struck me most this time as I read was the frequent use of the simple three-word-phrase: Come and see.
As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.
Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them.
They replied, “Rabbi… where are you staying?”
“Come and see,” he said (John 1:36-38).
“Philip went to look for Nathanael, and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”
“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good from Nazareth?”
“Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied (John 1:45-48).
Over and over again, those encountered Jesus left echoing this simple cry: Come and see.
On Easter morning, the Lord painted a beautiful picture of this gospel theme right in my own front yard. One by one, my sleepy-eyed children woke and peered out the window at the odd tree abloom with breakfast. And one by one, the child who had just explored the grand surprise turned to another and said with glee, “Come and see!” As I watched my boot-clad investigators wade through the morning dew to the tree that could fill their hungry tummies, I smiled at the gospel’s truth unfolding before my eyes.
“Come and see!” Hannah yelled to Josh as she took his hand and pulled him to the sweet limbs.
“Come and see!” Josh beckoned Lizzy as she raised her eyebrows at the odd sight and then raced in laughter to the treat-filled tree.“Come and see,” Lizzy whispered in her little sister’s ear as she carried our tiniest one to tree and lifted her high.
Later, when the four hungry scouts were all gathered around the table with their sweet breakfast fare, their big brother finally rose from his pre-teen slumber. Without a second thought, the entire crew abandoned their donut buffet and led their big brother to the tree.
This is our post-Easter privilege, dear friends, to abandon our small agendas and paltry plans and jump at the chance to lead others to the tree that holds all they need. May our lives cry out with Christ, Come and see.
The Overflow: And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.”
-Mark 16:15
