A Devotional as Review for the Sermon "Come and See"
- mpenman31
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Scripture: John 1:35–51
Sermon starts around 47:44 mark
There is a quiet revolution in the way Jesus begins relationships. No thunder. No demand for polished belief. Just an invitation that sounds almost casual and yet rearranges everything: “Come and see.”
The early disciples do not begin with certainty. They begin with curiosity. With longing. With a question still warm in their hands. One is named. One is unnamed. Both are welcomed. That detail alone feels like a small gospel inside the larger one. Even the unnamed find their way into the story. Even those not spotlighted are still seen by Christ.
Faith, then, is not a stage for the impressive. It is a doorway for the seeking.
1. Seeking Before Seeing
When the disciples first follow Jesus, he does not test their theology. He asks a question: “What are you seeking? ”He treats desire as sacred territory. Longing becomes the first language of discipleship. Before they see who he is, they are allowed to bring who they are.
We often think belief must arrive fully dressed before we approach God. Yet Jesus welcomes the half-formed prayer, the uncertain step, the unnamed ache. Seeking is not a failure of faith. It is often its birthplace.
Some seek peace. Some seek relief. Some seek clarity in the fog. Christ does not dismiss honest desire. He dignifies it. He invites seekers before they become seers.
2. Abiding Before Believing
The disciples ask Jesus where he is staying. They do not ask for proof. They ask for presence. Jesus answers with an invitation: “Come and you will see.”
Notice the order. Not see and then come. Come first. Stay first. Abide first.
They spend the day with him. They share time before they share certainty. Faith grows not only through answers but through proximity. Through remaining. Through staying in the space where Christ is present, even when understanding lags behind.
Many of us learned faith this way. We stayed in the room. We listened to songs before we understood their theology. We watched others pray before we found our own words. We abided long enough for belief to take root.
Transformation often happens slowly, like a seed underground doing its invisible work. Remaining with Christ becomes a kind of quiet apprenticeship of the soul.
3. Being Known Before Confessing
When Nathanael approaches Jesus, skepticism in tow, Jesus does something disarming. He reveals that he already knows him. "Before Philip called you, I saw you.”
This is the turning point. Nathanael believes not because of spectacle but because of recognition. He realizes he has been seen all along.
We often imagine we must fully understand Christ before we approach him. Yet the gospel suggests the opposite: we are already known before we confess. Already seen before we arrive. Already called before we respond.
To be known by Christ is to discover that nothing in us has escaped his attention. Not our doubts. Not our history. Not our hidden fears. And still, the invitation stands.
This realization becomes the doorway into deeper faith. Because if Christ sees us fully and still calls us, then our confession grows not from fear but from being found.
And Jesus promises something more: greater things are ahead. The journey of faith is not a static moment but an
. What begins with seeking and abiding will open into deeper vision, deeper connection, deeper awareness of God’s presence woven through ordinary life.
Prayerful Reflection
Lord Christ, You meet us before our certainty. You welcome us before our clarity. You know us before we know ourselves. Teach us to seek honestly, to abide patiently, and to trust that being known by you is the beginning of true sight. Amen.
Reflection Questions
What am I truly seeking right now beneath the surface of my daily routines and responsibilities?
Where do I sense Christ asking me, gently but directly, “What are you seeking?”
Where might Christ be inviting me to “come and stay” rather than rush toward quick answers?
What would it look like to abide in prayer, scripture, or community even when belief feels unfinished?
How does the truth that Christ knows me fully before I confess or understand change the way I approach God?
What parts of myself do I hesitate to believe are already seen and held by him?
In what ways have I experienced growth through remaining rather than resolving?
How has time, presence, or community shaped my faith more deeply than certainty alone?
Where in my life do I need to trust that “greater things” are still unfolding?
How might I live with expectancy rather than finality in this season?
Invitation:
You only need the courage to act on your curiosity and step closer.
Christ still speaks with the same simple words: Come. Stay. See.
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