Sermons on John 1:35-39

John 1:35-39 Interpretation:

Experiencing Jesus: A Personal Invitation to Faith (Rocky.Church) interprets John 1:35-39 as an invitation to experience Jesus personally. The sermon emphasizes the phrase "Come and see" as a call to observe and experience Jesus firsthand, rather than just understanding Him through philosophy or rules. The sermon uses the Greek term "logos" to describe Jesus as the essence of God, highlighting the importance of experiencing Jesus as a person rather than a concept. The analogy of a CEO cleaning bathrooms or the President flying economy is used to illustrate the humility and accessibility of Jesus.

Embracing the Invitation: Abiding in Christ's Presence (Reedsport Church of God) interprets the passage as an invitation to abide with Jesus, emphasizing the relational aspect of following Him. The sermon highlights the word "abide" as used in John 15, suggesting that the disciples' question "Where are you staying?" reflects a desire to be in close relationship with Jesus. The sermon uses the analogy of wasting time with Jesus, akin to spending quality time with loved ones, to illustrate the importance of abiding in Christ's presence.

Empowered Proclamation: Transforming Lives Through the Gospel (Reach City Church Cleveland) interprets the passage as a model for disciple-making, focusing on the stages of proclamation, investigation, and invitation. The sermon emphasizes the importance of living a life consistent with the message of Christ, as people observe believers to learn about Jesus. The analogy of a fitness journey is used to illustrate the process of disciple-making, where initial obedience leads to motivation through visible results.

Exploring Our Desires: The Call to Discipleship (Freshwater Community Church Wadsworth) interprets John 1:35-39 by focusing on the question Jesus asks, "What do you want?" The sermon suggests that this question is not just about physical desires but a deeper inquiry into the motives of the heart. The sermon uses this question to explore the theme of discipleship, emphasizing the importance of being with Jesus and being transformed by Him rather than just doing things for Him. The sermon highlights the importance of depth in one's relationship with Jesus, using the analogy of a shallow lake to describe superficial discipleship.

Embracing Freedom Through Relationship with Christ (Impact Church Metro Detroit) interprets John 1:35-39 by emphasizing the environment Jesus creates for the disciples to "come and see." The sermon suggests that Jesus' invitation is about creating a space where people can explore and experience Him without pressure. This interpretation focuses on the relational aspect of following Jesus, where the emphasis is on knowing God and finding freedom through a personal relationship rather than through rules or obligations.

Awakening Expectation: Transformative Encounters in Worship (Jefferson Nazarene) interprets John 1:35-39 by emphasizing the role of John the Baptist as a catalyst for action. The sermon highlights John's repeated declaration of Jesus as the "Lamb of God" and his encouragement for his disciples to follow Jesus instead of himself. This is likened to the concept of multiplication in the kingdom of God, where sending people out to follow Jesus is seen as more beneficial than merely adding numbers to a congregation. The sermon also explores the depth of Jesus' question, "What do you want?" suggesting it is an invitation to introspection about one's true desires and spiritual needs, rather than a superficial inquiry.

Encountering Christ: The Journey to Spiritual Fullness (MLJTrust) interprets John 1:35-39 as a transition from doctrinal exposition to practical application. The sermon emphasizes the simplicity of moving from being a disciple of John the Baptist to becoming an apostle of Jesus Christ. It highlights the importance of accepting John the Baptist's testimony as foundational, particularly his role as a forerunner pointing to Jesus as the Lamb of God. The sermon suggests that the passage illustrates the steps necessary to move from emptiness to fullness, from baptism with water to baptism with the Holy Ghost, emphasizing the simplicity and accessibility of this spiritual journey.

John 1:35-39 Theological Themes:

Experiencing Jesus: A Personal Invitation to Faith (Rocky.Church) presents the theme of Jesus as the living link between heaven and earth, emphasizing the relational and experiential nature of faith. The sermon highlights the importance of community and spiritual networks in understanding and following Jesus.

Embracing the Invitation: Abiding in Christ's Presence (Reedsport Church of God) introduces the theme of abiding in Christ as a means to fully live, suggesting that true life is found in relationship with Jesus. The sermon emphasizes the need to slow down and spend time with God, contrasting the busyness of life with the invitation to abide.

Empowered Proclamation: Transforming Lives Through the Gospel (Reach City Church Cleveland) presents the theme of spiritual warfare and the authority of believers to reclaim territory for God's kingdom. The sermon emphasizes the importance of accurate teaching and living a life consistent with the gospel message to lead others to Christ.

Exploring Our Desires: The Call to Discipleship (Freshwater Community Church Wadsworth) presents the theme of discipleship as a journey of transformation into the image of Christ. The sermon emphasizes that true discipleship involves being with Jesus and allowing Him to form one's identity and purpose. It challenges the notion of doing for Jesus without being with Him, highlighting the danger of a shallow faith.

Embracing Freedom Through Relationship with Christ (Impact Church Metro Detroit) introduces the theme of freedom through relationship with Christ. The sermon contrasts the idea of obeying God out of duty with obeying out of delight, suggesting that true freedom comes from a loving relationship with Jesus rather than adherence to rules. It emphasizes the importance of intimacy with God and the transformative power of His love.

Awakening Expectation: Transformative Encounters in Worship (Jefferson Nazarene) presents the theme of provenient grace, which is described as the grace that goes before, drawing people to God even before they are aware of it. This theme is used to encourage believers to trust that God is already working in the lives of those they are witnessing to, and that their role is to point others to Jesus, not to themselves or their denominational preferences.

Encountering Christ: The Journey to Spiritual Fullness (MLJTrust) presents the theme of Christianity as an exclusive faith, asserting that true knowledge of God is only possible through Jesus Christ. The sermon emphasizes the exclusivity of the gospel, stating that Christianity admits no rivals or assistance, and that one is either a Christian or not. This theme is reinforced by the assertion that any attempt to claim knowledge of God apart from Jesus is false, highlighting the centrality of Christ in the Christian faith.

John 1:35-39 Historical and Contextual Insights:

Experiencing Jesus: A Personal Invitation to Faith (Rocky.Church) provides historical context about John the Baptist as a prophet preparing the way for Jesus, highlighting the shift from traditional rules-based religion to a relational understanding of God through Jesus. The sermon explains the cultural significance of God becoming human in a context where divine interaction with humanity was not expected.

Embracing the Invitation: Abiding in Christ's Presence (Reedsport Church of God) discusses the cultural context of John the Baptist's proclamation and the anticipation of the Messiah, emphasizing the radical nature of Jesus' invitation to abide with Him.

Exploring Our Desires: The Call to Discipleship (Freshwater Community Church Wadsworth) provides historical context by explaining the role of John the Baptist in preparing the way for Jesus and the significance of the title "Lamb of God." The sermon also touches on the cultural practice of disciples following a rabbi to learn from them, which adds depth to the disciples' question, "Where are you staying?"

Encountering Christ: The Journey to Spiritual Fullness (MLJTrust) provides historical context by describing the cultural and religious environment during the time of John the Baptist. The sermon notes the significance of John the Baptist's appearance as a prophetic figure after 400 years of silence since the days of Malachi. It also highlights the cultural impact of John's ascetic lifestyle and his role in preparing the way for Jesus, emphasizing the importance of his testimony in the religious landscape of the time.

John 1:35-39 Cross-References in the Bible:

Experiencing Jesus: A Personal Invitation to Faith (Rocky.Church) references Genesis 28:12, where Jacob dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven, to illustrate Jesus as the fulfillment of the connection between heaven and earth. The sermon also references John 20:31 to emphasize the purpose of the Gospel of John in leading people to believe in Jesus.

Embracing the Invitation: Abiding in Christ's Presence (Reedsport Church of God) references John 15, where Jesus calls believers to abide in Him, to highlight the relational aspect of following Jesus. The sermon also references the rich young ruler in the Gospels to illustrate the choice to respond to Jesus' invitation.

Exploring Our Desires: The Call to Discipleship (Freshwater Community Church Wadsworth) references John 15, where Jesus speaks about abiding in Him as the vine and the branches. This passage is used to emphasize the importance of remaining in Jesus to bear fruit. The sermon also references Romans 8, discussing how God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, linking it to the transformation into the image of Christ.

Embracing Freedom Through Relationship with Christ (Impact Church Metro Detroit) references Romans 8:1, which speaks about no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. This passage is used to support the theme of freedom through relationship with Christ, emphasizing that believers are declared righteous in Christ despite their behavior.

Awakening Expectation: Transformative Encounters in Worship (Jefferson Nazarene) references the end of the Bible in Revelation, where the invitation to "come" is repeated, emphasizing the ongoing call to seek and find God. This is used to reinforce the idea that the invitation to "come and see" is a continuous call for both believers and non-believers to seek transformation and redemption through Christ.

Encountering Christ: The Journey to Spiritual Fullness (MLJTrust) references John 1:29, where John the Baptist declares Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This cross-reference is used to reinforce the sermon’s interpretation of John 1:35-39, emphasizing the continuity of John the Baptist's testimony about Jesus. The sermon also alludes to John 20, where the Evangelist mentions that the gospel is a selection of events, underscoring the idea that the passage is part of a larger narrative demonstrating the fulfillment of Jesus' mission.

John 1:35-39 Christian References outside the Bible:

Embracing the Invitation: Abiding in Christ's Presence (Reedsport Church of God) references Bob Goff, an author and speaker, who contrasts the eagerness to accept an invitation to the White House with the reluctance to accept an invitation to fully live. This is used to emphasize the life-changing nature of Jesus' invitation to "come and see."

Exploring Our Desires: The Call to Discipleship (Freshwater Community Church Wadsworth) references C.S. Lewis in "Mere Christianity," discussing the challenge of handing over one's whole self to Christ and the difficulty of trying to maintain personal happiness while being good. This reference is used to highlight the struggle of lukewarm faith and the need for total surrender to Jesus.

Awakening Expectation: Transformative Encounters in Worship (Jefferson Nazarene) cites John Corson, an author, who advises believers to invite others to "come and see" what God is doing, rather than feeling pressured to have all the answers. This approach encourages relational evangelism and witnessing through personal testimony and experience.

John 1:35-39 Illustrations from Secular Sources:

Experiencing Jesus: A Personal Invitation to Faith (Rocky.Church) uses the analogy of a CEO cleaning bathrooms or the President flying economy to illustrate the humility and accessibility of Jesus. The sermon also references the song "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin to connect with the biblical story of Jacob's ladder.

Embracing the Invitation: Abiding in Christ's Presence (Reedsport Church of God) uses the analogy of wasting time with Jesus, akin to spending quality time with loved ones, to illustrate the importance of abiding in Christ's presence. The sermon also shares a personal story of driving around town with family to emphasize the value of spending time together.

Exploring Our Desires: The Call to Discipleship (Freshwater Community Church Wadsworth) uses the illustration of Hinkley Lake, a large but shallow lake, to describe the danger of a wide but shallow discipleship. The drained lake serves as a metaphor for a life filled with activity for Jesus but lacking depth in relationship with Him. This analogy is used to challenge the congregation to seek a deeper, more meaningful discipleship.

Awakening Expectation: Transformative Encounters in Worship (Jefferson Nazarene) uses the example of the Olympics and breakdancing to illustrate the idea of being moved by the Holy Spirit. Just as breakdancers respond to music, believers are encouraged to respond to the presence of God with enthusiasm and action. The sermon also references a story about a church in Texas inviting Middle Eastern leaders to a conference, where they experienced a divine encounter, illustrating the unexpected ways God can work through human efforts.