Joining Jesus in Changing Lives | Discover Jesus (John 1:35-39)

In this week's podcast, we discover the initial encounter of John’s disciples with Jesus, where they are invited to "come and see" (John 1:39). This invitation is not just to observe but to discover who Jesus is. As Jesus asks, “Who do you
say I am?” we understand that He is the answer to life’s biggest questions. At Divine Savior Church, we emphasize the importance of discovering Jesus through spending time with Him and our community. We offer various opportunities to connect, ask questions, and grow in faith. Our community, rooted in joy and grace, provides a safe and loving environment for all seekers. Join us as we journey together, changing lives with Jesus' truth and grace.

Transcript

The life moment I’m about to share with you still ranks in the top five most awkward moments of my life. A high school buddy and I were picking up some snacks at a grocery store when he dared me to walk up to a random person and ask, “What do you think about Jesus?” These are the types of dares you have when you go to a Lutheran high school. So naturally I picked out a seemingly sweet older woman thinking there was a good chance she would tolerate me. So I work up the courage to ask her the question and she tells me, “Jesus-freak, please leave me alone!” I thought I was going to melt in the cringeworthiness! That was 2010, and the awkwardness of spiritual conversations has only gotten deeper. It’s evidence for the times we’re living in, a supposed “Post-Jesus” era where a question like that is not only awkward but outdated. Even socially dangerous! Imagine at your next work party, playground hangout, or gaming session, coming up to a colleague, or friend, or typing in the chat window, “What do you think about Jesus?” Queue…Um…what? Our culture is no longer one in general that is on an intentional search for Jesus. They need to discover his importance. As Christians we want them to see his significance, but that can be difficult to do. Yes, even for a pastor with a master’s degree in theology. You can have all the facts, but if the person you’re talking to has no curiosity, is not intrigued, or sees no value, they won’t pursue it.

So the first thing we need to discover is, “How can we create a space where a conversation about Jesus is timely and engaging?” And here’s the good news! Contrary to common messaging today about how people don’t want to talk about Jesus, the Bible, or Christianity, that simply isn’t true. According to a 2022 study by Lifeway Research, 60% of Americans are curious about the religious beliefs of Christians, and that number is increasing with Generation Z, who are extremely curious about who Jesus is. In other words, statistics would say whether you’re in high school or adulting, there is a great chance that the person you’re talking to is open to a Jesus conversation. And as difficult as our time of relative truth is, we also have been given a fantastic tool through it: subjective witness. Sharing what Jesus means to you. It’s not sharing “your truth” but it’s sharing the truth that’s changed you.

It’s not a new approach either. John the Baptist did exactly that when he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” John is standing beside two students of his, and he says point-blank what he believes about Jesus. He’s the ultimate Passover Lamb, the one whose blood would be sacrificed to save us from death, and set us free from slavery to sin. John knew Jesus was his Savior and he wanted his students to know this life-changing reality too. But without his witness, they wouldn’t have understood just how relevant this man from Nazareth was. 

That’s where so many of our friends and family are at. They don’t understand how relevant Jesus is. He’s not just an emotional energy booster. He’s not just another great philosopher, or self-help guru. He’s not just for “some” people. He’s for all! But for them to see how the life we long for revolves around him, they need someone to present the truth. And out of all the people God could’ve chosen to share this truth-based love, it’s you. And God doesn’t intend to guilt you into outreach, but instead he comes alongside you in leading you through his Word to be intentional about seeking and recognizing opportunities to have gospel conversations. And I love how Jesus does exactly that for these disciples of John.

Jesus turns around and sees them following him and he asks them one simple question, his very first words in the entire gospel of John, there’s a ton of weight in them. He says, “What do you want?” There is tremendous meaning packed into these words. He’s really asking, “Are you seeking a whole new existence?” “A whole new way of approaching life?” It’s a penetrating question and one that most people don’t grasp when they first consider who Jesus is. I know this from experience.

One question I ask when someone takes me up on my coffee offer is, “What are you looking for in a church?” A question very similar to “What do you want from Jesus?” It’s a question I’ve gotten to ask so often because our congregation, you, have a gift for inviting friends and family to join us. We’ve had over 150 new people join us for worship at least once in just this past year alone. Most come because a friend invited them to try it out, or because their child is singing on Christmas Eve or after VBS. Some find us online, or by driving by, but when I ask them, “What are you looking for in a church?” And can you guess what the number one answer is? “A welcoming community.” People are looking for connection. They’re looking for a connected life. Definitely something we all need! But notice what’s missing. The focus is on human-connection and not Jesus-connection, a connection that will radically change everything you thought you knew about yourself and your world and I wonder if similar thoughts were on the disciples’ minds too.

Were the disciples seeking an entirely new existence defined and dictated by Jesus, or were they searching for him to give them the life they thought was best for them? What about you? What are you truly seeking from Jesus on the everyday level of your heart? This is where our sin is exposed. How often do we forget what we truly need from Jesus?! It happens to you and me every day! Which is why we need him to save us from ourselves. We need him to give us an identity. We need him to give us real hope. We need him for forgiveness. We need him to have lasting joy. We need him so we can have a truly connected life. We need him in everything. Yet, often, we look to Jesus not to change us from the inside out, but to make the outside match what we think is best from the inside. This is what’s so cool about the disciples’ response to Jesus’ “discover-type” question. They say, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” They’re not just asking what his address is. Jacob Neusner, who was a foremost scholar on rabbinic Judaism, captures what a disciple is seeking when he asks a rabbi this question. “The disciple did not merely learn things. He was converted from one way of living to another.” This is the way a student would approach a rabbi in their culture, and the subtext of the question is, “We want the life you are talking about, can you teach us the way?” 

But what exactly is this new life Jesus longs to give you? The new life that we can discover anew day after day through the Scriptures? The life he says is “to the full?” The most satisfying, fulfilling life a person can have? And Jesus doesn’t hold back in sharing this best version of life with us. He invites us just like he invited to those two men that day. He simply says, “Come and you will see.” “Let me show you real life. It all starts at my cross, where everything is fulfilled.”

The life Jesus gives us is the cruciform life. What do I mean? It’s a life that begins and ends with the cross. Life to the full can only be yours when you see the cross of Jesus as the answer to the deepest questions you’re facing. It’s at the cross that Jesus stays beside us. If you want to have a life of never-ending significance, only the Lamb of God, Jesus, can give such a life to you. New Testament Greek scholar, William Weinrich puts it this way, “The cross, the perfecting act of divine love, is the place where the true disciple remains with Jesus.” It’s there alone that grace, hope, and peace are waiting to be uncovered.

It’s why the cross is so relevant today. It stands against everything the post-modern strains of our culture demand. How many are saying, posting, and thinking, “There is no lasting truth, it’s subjective to each individual, or “true freedom is having complete autonomy,” or “true joy is up to me to create,” or “find your own meaning and hope that’s satisfying.” This is what you and me, our friends and family, our coworkers and classmates are living in every day. We are constantly walking past people who are seeking to discover in themselves and in their possessions something they will never find here. No lasting truth means there is no certainty, no certain hope, nothing to bank your life on. There’s no real stability. Joy becomes like vapor, contingent on how you feel. You try to grab it but you can’t hold on, and finding your own meaning is a total lie because no one is above influence. Can you see how the cross answers those longings so uniquely and fully?

The cross says there is an unchanging God whose truth is never altered and this truth is grounded on self-sacrificing love, a love that has no end point and never fails. The cross gives you freedom from being consumed in the rat race of proving yourself, proving your worthiness and dignity. Instead, the cross shouts that Jesus has set you free by giving his life so you can have the most satisfying life ever to serve God and others and know that your work is never in vain. The cross of Jesus gives you an eternal legacy. The cross is where joy is found in the blood streaming down the face of your God who couldn’t bear the thought of not having you in his family. It’s that unique brand of Jesus-joy that gives hope to the hopeless and a reason to endure even in the most dire darkness.

It’s there that we find the life we seek. To wake up each day, excited to discover what God has placed before us today, that every situation, location, and person that we encounter was not random chance, but orchestrated by the God who wants us to seek him to experience life to the full. It gives us a seeker mentality, having an intentional mindset when it comes to every activity we are doing. In a time where mindlessness is everywhere, we get to show that being a Christian isn’t being a simpleton, it’s living mindful in the truest sense. What we hear about in church Sunday after Sunday is what this hurting world needs, and empowered by the grace of our Lamb of God, Jesus, are we really going to let potential awkwardness hold us back from inviting our friends to worship, or Youth Group, or Trunk or Treat, or Christmas for Kids, or Winter Fest, or Easter, or VBS. We do all these things so more can discover and re-discover in a relevant, natural way just how unnaturally amazing God’s love for us in Jesus is. 

And here’s the best part. We aren’t called to be Jesus-salesmen as if the results are on us. We simply get to join Jesus and enjoy the fact that he’s chosen us to be a part of his story to save the world. It’s something Jesus continues to teach me! Not too long ago, I encountered a super-bright college student, wrestling with religion. He had found out about our church through Facebook and he texted me if I’d be up for talking with him. So for over two hours late one Friday night, we talked. He raised his doubts, and I tried to answer the best I could, but I didn’t find my words to be particularly impressive. As we were about to go our separate ways he said to me, “Thanks for your time.” That’s it. There was no big “I believe in Jesus” moment in the conversation, but I had this unnatural joy. Joy not because I saw a change in that young man’s mind or heart, but the joy that I had such a message to share. As we seek to bring more into the presence of Jesus, don’t let Satan steal your joy, or convince you that you can’t be a witness, or let guilt be your motivator in living out your identity in Jesus. Instead, we get to smile and wait with intentionality, knowing that Jesus will lead us to discover the people he’s specifically set aside for us to take by the hand to his cross so they too can discover the only love that gives joy no guilt can touch. Amen.