What Jesus Did! 'See for Yourself!' — John 1:43-46

Thursday, January 27, 2022

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Come, follow me." Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter's hometown.

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 come from Nazareth?"

"Come and see for yourself," Philip replied.

— John 1:43-46 NLT

Key Thought

"Come and see for yourself!" What Christianity has to offer the world that no other religion really has is two-fold: 1) a genuine relationship with Jesus, God who walked among us, and 2) grace that makes us acceptable to God rather than our having to earn divine approval. If you really want to decide about Christianity, or you have friends who are wrestling with a similar decision, don't let yourself or them get lost in all the religious debate. Instead, invite them to come and meet Jesus in the Gospel of John, and you do the same. The invitation to "come and see" is repeated several times in the Gospel of John. Meeting Jesus in John won't answer all the questions, but it will point us to the only true answer — Jesus! So if you're doubting, if you're frustrated with the mess that organized religion sometimes makes, if you want to get past the religious hype into the life of God, then heed the invitation Jesus and his disciples give you to "come and see for yourself" who Jesus really is. Begin your own search. Find out for yourself. Seek and you will find!

Today's Prayer

O Father, glorious and holy and mighty, thank you for becoming accessible to me through Jesus. I confess that I sometimes struggle with my faith because of all the imperfections in myself, in your people, and in our churches. However, I thank you for Jesus and his grace, both of which allow me to be your child and know your love even though I am a flawed person living in a flawed world. In Jesus' name, I thank you for your grace. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Matthew 7:7
  • John 7:17
  • John 3:16-21

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Illustration

Illustration of John 1:43-46 NLT — "Come and see for yourself,"

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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