Come and see

In this morning’s Gospel lesson we will see how Philip, following the example of Jesus Himself, invites his friend Nathanael to “Come and see” Jesus. Philip’s hope is that in coming to see Jesus, Nathanael will be seen and transformed by Jesus. One question that this text poses for us after Jesus’ ascent into heaven is, where are people to go if they would see Jesus today? Where do you and I invite people to “Come and see” Jesus for themselves? Well, beloved, if men and women are to see Jesus today, they must seek Him where He has promised to be found. They must seek Him in His Word, Sacraments, and Prayer. And that means that this gathering on the first day of the week is the primary place where people can “come and see” Jesus because here, in the covenant renewal service, His Word, Sacraments, and prayer are central. Now this doesn’t mean that we should, like so many other churches in our day, turn the covenant renewal service into an evangelistic service. No, this is the gathering of the Triune God with His people for the purpose of renewing covenant with us. And yet in the way that God renews His covenant with us the gospel is both proclaimed and enacted. You could think of the liturgy as God evangelizing us; proclaiming and applying the gospel to us in Word and Sacrament. If, therefore, an unbeliever comes into our assembly, he has come to the place where he can both see and be seen and transformed by Jesus. This is the scenario that Paul sketches out in 1 Cor. 14 when he envisions what would happen if an unbeliever came into the worship service in Corinth. He envisions the unbeliever being seen and transformed by the Word of Christ such that “the secrets of his heart are revealed; as so falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.” And if we’re worshipping God in Spirit and truth, that is what can happen when we invite folks to “come and see” Jesus among us. Beloved, this day you have come to the place where you can not only see, but also be seen and transformed by Jesus!