Behold

Behold. 

Just a word, a suggestion, a nudge.   That’s what John the Baptist gave Andrew and his friend.   But it was all they needed to take the step to look for Jesus.   John didn’t discuss Jesus’ teachings.   He didn’t examine messianic prophecy.   He just said  Behold!   There he is.   Go take a look;  check it out.   Then, when Andrew approached him, Jesus was similarly concise.   He simply invited him to “Come and see” (John 1:39).   It was another call to look, to see, to observe.

It might seem anticlimactic;   Andrew and his friend were introduced to Jesus in a very simple way.   There was no drama, no lightning bolts or lengthy theological debate.   Just one person suggesting that another person take a look.   But that was enough.

It just goes to show, that simply pointing to Jesus can be a great form of evangelization.   We don’t need profound words or convincing arguments.   Sometimes they can even get in the way, because people need to see Jesus for themselves.   Our words, as good as they might be, are most effective when they help people seek out Jesus for themselves.

Look what happened to Andrew!   After spending just one day with Jesus, he was convinced he had found the Messiah.   Then he evangelized his brother Peter.   How?   By saying,  We’ve found the Messiah.   You’ve got to come see him!

So how can we point people to Jesus?   We probably won’t be able to point him out as he walks alongside a river, as John did.   But we have seen the way he has touched our own lives and shown us his love and mercy.   That’s always a great place to start.

You’ll likely have a chance to point someone to Jesus sometime this weekend.   A friend might be going through a rough patch;  you could try to encourage him by telling him how you see Jesus active in his life.   Or you might have gone through something similar and could share how Jesus helped you—even if you saw him only after the fact.   But that’s just one example.   Try to be open to all the opportunities that present themselves.   And know that as you open a window on what Jesus means in your life, you’re giving the people around you the chance to see him.   You’re inviting them to come to see more.

Word Among Us