35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 And when the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

38 Jesus turned and saw them following. “What do you want?” He asked.

They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are You staying?”

39 “Come and see,” He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour.

40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus. 41 He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ).

42 Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated as Peter).

REFLECTIONS

Written by Ken Ip

The phrase “Lamb of God” might not mean much to the average person on the street today, but for first-century Jewish men like Andrew and Peter, it would have meant everything. It was a phrase loaded with memories and hopes they had carried since childhood.

When they heard “Lamb of God,” their minds would have gone straight to the Passover, the moment when God had rescued their ancestors from slavery in Egypt. Every year they remembered how a spotless lamb was sacrificed so their people could be protected and set free. So when John the Baptist points to Jesus and says, “Look, the Lamb of God,” it would have stirred something deep inside them.

No wonder they were excited. They had been waiting their whole lives for this Messiah, the one who would save their people and make things right. And now suddenly he’s here!

Jesus then turns to them and simply says, “Come and see.”

It's perfect, in that it sums up the whole message of the gospel. God doesn’t push, demand, or make us jump through hoops. He invites us to come to him. He says, “Come and see what I’ve done for you.”

It reminds me that the gospel really is an invitation. Jesus doesn’t tell us to "earn your way to God", or “prove your worth”. Instead, He says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me… and I will give you rest.” That’s so different from all other religions, which focus on what we must do to reach God with rules, rituals, self-improvement, and endless effort.

Today, let's come to Jesus and spend some time reflecting and being thankful for what he has done for us on the cross. And like Andrew, when we have found something wonderful and precious, we will naturally want to share it: “Come and see what I have found!”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ken is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.