Come and See: Invite Others to Meet Jesus

Devotional

Day 1: Found Under the Fig Tree

Jesus walked into Galilee with purpose. He found Philip—a man not seeking Him—and spoke two words: “Follow Me.” Philip obeyed instantly. Hours later, Philip sprinted to Nathanael, bursting with news: “We found the One Moses wrote about!” Skepticism met his zeal, but Philip persisted: “Come and see.” [35:38]

Jesus doesn’t wait for seekers. He intercepts ordinary lives mid-routine. Philip’s story proves God initiates—He finds us before we think to look. Your doubts, your past, your Nazareth-like reputation don’t disqualify you. He calls you where you are.

Who have you written off as “too far” from Jesus—a coworker, a relative, yourself? Stop assuming spiritual hunger must precede God’s pursuit. Write down three names of people you’ve deemed unlikely to follow Christ. What if Jesus is already intercepting their story?

“The next day Jesus purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, ‘Follow Me.’”
(John 1:43, NASB)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to open your eyes to someone He’s already pursuing near you—a “Philip” unaware he’s been found.
Challenge: Write three names of “unlikely” people. Pray for them daily this week.

Day 2: Come and See the Unseen

Nathanael scoffed: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip didn’t debate theology or defend Jesus’ hometown. He simply said, “Come and see.” Minutes later, Jesus stunned Nathanael: “I saw you under the fig tree.” Raw honesty melted skepticism. Nathanael confessed, “You’re the Son of God!” [36:01]

Witnessing isn’t about winning arguments. It’s introducing friends to a Savior who knows their hidden moments—their fig-tree struggles. Jesus doesn’t need your eloquence. He needs your invitation.

When was the last time you said “come and see” instead of lecturing? Identify one person this week you’ll invite to encounter Jesus—through a meal, a Scripture, or your story. What fig-tree moment might Jesus use to surprise them?

“Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!’”
(John 1:46-47, NASB)

Prayer: Confess your fear of others’ questions. Ask for courage to replace debates with invitations.
Challenge: Share one verse about Jesus’ knowledge of the heart (e.g., Psalm 139:1) with a friend today.

Day 3: Sheep Without a Shepherd

Jesus surveyed the crowds—exhausted, harassed, leaderless. His gut wrenched. “They’re like sheep without a shepherd,” He told the disciples. That compassion fueled His next command: “Pray for workers.” He didn’t see nuisances or opponents. He saw souls drowning in plain sight. [48:34]

We dismiss people as “difficult” or “closed-off.” Jesus sees their orphaned hearts. His compassion isn’t pity—it’s a fire that demands action. Your irritation at a neighbor’s loud music, your impatience with a coworker’s cynicism—what if these mask spiritual starvation?

Who irritates you most? Write their name. Now pray: “Jesus, show me their hunger.” How might your compassion shift if you saw them as shepherdless sheep?

“Seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them because they were distressed and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd.”
(Matthew 9:36, NASB)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for pursuing you when you were “downcast.” Ask Him to break your heart for one harassed soul.
Challenge: Write a prayer for someone who annoys you. Text them an encouraging word before bed.

Day 4: Heaven’s Ladder in Flesh

Nathanael expected debates. Jesus gave him Jacob’s ladder. “You’ll see angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man,” He promised. The fig tree was just the start. Jesus wasn’t another rabbi—He was the bridge between heaven and dirt, between God’s holiness and human failure. [01:32:27]

Every interaction with Jesus unveils deeper layers. He turns skeptics into theologians, doubters into worshippers. Your testimony isn’t a static story—it’s a ladder others climb to glimpse God.

What “ladder moment” have you experienced—a time Jesus revealed His nearness in your chaos? Who needs to hear that story this week? Are you withholding it because it feels too ordinary?

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
(John 1:51, NASB)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for being your ladder to the Father. Ask Him to highlight one person needing that bridge today.
Challenge: Read Genesis 28:12-17. Note how Jesus fulfills Jacob’s dream.

Day 5: Spirit-Fueled Witnesses

The disciples huddled in fear until Pentecost. Then fire fell. Tongues loosened. Peter—who’d denied Jesus—preached boldly. The Holy Spirit transformed spectators into witnesses. Jesus’ final words rang true: “You’ll receive power when the Spirit comes.” Fear died. Joy spread. [01:38:04]

You don’t muster courage—you receive it. The Spirit doesn’t enhance your personality; He overhauls your priorities. Your stumbles, your quiet nature, your past failures don’t limit Him. He fuels surrendered vessels.

When have you felt the Spirit’s nudge to speak? What stopped you? What if today’s hesitation is tomorrow’s open door?

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses.”
(Acts 1:8, NASB)

Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to override your self-consciousness. Request one divine appointment today.
Challenge: Whisper “Holy Spirit, fill me” before your next conversation. Note any shifts in boldness.

Sermon Summary

Jesus calls followers to look for fresh openings to point others to him, to invite rather than argue, and to trust the Spirit to do the transforming work. The passage from John 1:43-51 highlights a simple evangelistic pattern: Jesus seeks out people, invites them to follow, and then reveals himself so that doubts collapse into worship. Philip models a plain invitation, Philip connects personal encounter to the prophetic witness of Moses and the prophets, and Nathaniel moves from skepticism to confession when Jesus demonstrates intimate knowledge of him. The text insists that witnessing flows from compassion, not guilt; the heart that sees people as lost sheep will move toward them, not away.

Practical counsel runs through the teaching. Christians should expect daily opportunities, use existing relationships to extend invitations, and practice sharing the gospel in simple, reproducible ways rather than trying to win every argument. Personal testimony matters, but it must be anchored to scripture so that experience finds a sure foundation. The encounter at the fig tree shows that Jesus knows people before they know him and that when people meet Jesus they begin to see the Bible’s larger story—Genesis, prophecy, and promise—come into focus. The ladder image from Jacob’s dream becomes a Christological claim: Jesus is the bridge from heaven to earth, not a route people must climb.

Finally, the account points to the necessity of the Holy Spirit. Bold, effective witness does not come from human willpower alone but from the Spirit’s presence and power. The Spirit equips timid followers to speak, enables supernatural revelation when needed, and sustains the ongoing work of drawing people to Christ. The passage reframes witnessing as privilege and joy, a present task with eternal consequences, and an invitation to cooperate with God in bringing others into the same life that has transformed the believer.

Key Takeaways

1. Seek new opportunities daily Philip and Jesus moved into new places with a continual readiness to meet people. The daily rhythm of looking for chances to introduce others to Christ makes evangelism ordinary instead of exceptional. Cultivate awareness: ordinary moments often hide divine appointments. [39:01]
2. Invite others to come see Philip modeled a brief, winsome invitation rather than debate or persuasion. An invitation honors the other person’s dignity and trusts Jesus to reveal himself. Simple, relational calls to “come and see” open doors where argument closes them. [52:11]
3. Validate testimony with Scripture Personal encounter with Jesus proves powerful but becomes durable only when linked to the witness of Moses and the prophets. Testimony gains credibility when it points beyond private feeling to God’s revealed story. Share what Jesus did and show how that fits the Bible’s promises. [55:27]
4. Rely on the Spirit’s empowerment Bold witness depends on the Spirit more than technique or courage. The Spirit gives words, opens hearts, and sometimes provides direct revelation that dismantles skepticism. Seek the Spirit first, then obey; Spirit-led witness produces fruit Jesus promised. [98:04]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[35:14] - Reading John 1:43-51
[39:01] - Seek opportunities daily
[43:06] - Redeem every witnessing moment
[45:51] - Practice witnessing with tools
[52:11] - Extend simple invitations to Jesus
[55:27] - Testimony anchored to Scripture
[60:31] - Nathaniel and the fig tree
[89:48] - Jesus fulfills the Old Testament
[98:04] - Rely on the Spirit for boldness

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
John 1:43-51 (NASB)
43 The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Observation Questions

What specific action did Philip take immediately after Jesus called him to "Follow Me" (v. 45)? How does this contrast with arguments or debates?
How did Jesus demonstrate His knowledge of Nathanael’s character and circumstances (vv. 47-48)?
What Old Testament story does Jesus reference in verse 51, and how does He reinterpret its meaning?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Philip’s simple invitation (“Come and see”) was effective with Nathanael, even in the face of skepticism?
Jesus tells Nathanael, “You will see greater things than these” (v. 50). What might this imply about the relationship between initial faith and deeper spiritual revelation?
The sermon emphasized that witnessing flows from compassion, not guilt. How does Jesus’ interaction with Nathanael model this kind of compassion?

Application Questions

Philip invited Nathanael to “come and see” Jesus without overcomplicating the message. Who in your life could you extend a simple, relational invitation to this week? What might that look like?
Jesus met Nathanael’s skepticism by revealing His intimate knowledge of him. How can you rely on the Holy Spirit to highlight what God already knows about someone’s heart when sharing your faith?
The sermon mentioned that “ordinary moments often hide divine appointments” [39:01]. What daily routines or relationships could you approach with greater intentionality to spot opportunities to point others to Christ?
Philip connected his personal experience of Jesus to Scripture (v. 45). How could you practice sharing your testimony in a way that also anchors to God’s Word?
The ladder in Jacob’s dream (Genesis 28) symbolizes Jesus bridging heaven and earth. What doubts or misunderstandings about God might someone have that Jesus alone can resolve? How can you point people to Him as the answer instead of trying to “climb” to God?
The sermon stressed relying on the Spirit’s empowerment over human effort [58:04]. What practical step could you take this week to depend more on the Holy Spirit’s guidance in conversations about faith?

Sermon Clips

You know, you don't have to argue with people who don't believe in Jesus. May I just say to you again, I think a lot of Christians misunderstand witnessing, and that's in part why they don't wanna do it. Well, I don't wanna get into an argument. Who who said you need to argue? This is about informing people of something that's happened in your life. You just need to invite people to meet someone you know that they have never met. Listen. Don't overcomplicate the gospel. [00:53:36] (28 seconds) #InviteDontArgue

That's all religions say do. Jesus Christ said it's finished. It's done. God isn't asking you to climb to heaven and giving you the way to do it. It's the 10 commandments. It's the sermon on the mount. That's baloney. I'm sorry. Take that song out of your kids. I hope we don't sing it here. I thought we'd have in trouble, but I don't care. The latter is not a way to get to God. It wasn't in the dream. Jesus is the way God comes down to man. [01:33:59] (39 seconds) #JesusIsTheWay

Just as Jesus was baptized and the spirit of God came on him and he began his ministry, he is saying, I want that now for you. Let my spirit come upon you. I will give you the power to be my my witnesses. Witnessing is not some obligation. Too many Christians feel like, I I feel so bad. I I know I should do it more. Listen to me. He's it's a promise. You will be my witnesses. When? When the spirit of God comes upon you. You won't be able to help it. It's gonna happen. [01:37:25] (26 seconds) #EmpoweredByTheSpirit

So instead of feeling guilty that you don't do it, I should do more of it. Oh, no. I need to practice and do bob job. Maybe I'll be better. Forget it. You need the spirit of God to come upon you, and then guess what? You won't be able to be anything else. On the day of Pentecost, those scaredy disciples that had been hiding in those places for being arrested and worried suddenly became the boldest witnesses on the planet because the spirit of God was on Jesus was on them. Listen. God can open your mouth. If God can no offense, but if God can open the mouth of a donkey, I say, Lord, sign me up. Heehaw. [01:37:51] (40 seconds) #PentecostPower

Listen. Last thing. When Jesus said it is finished, it was paying for our sins on the cross. But it's almost like this. Jesus said, it is finished, and the Holy Spirit said, yeah. And I've just about begun. Because Jesus ascends to heaven, the father sends the Holy Spirit at Christ's request to fall upon the church. Jesus said, you will be my witnesses when the Holy Spirit has come upon you everywhere you go. [01:37:00] (25 seconds) #SpiritHasBegun

Listen to me. You're not gonna be able to answer them all. Accept that. Some of their questions are based on ignorance, and sometimes because of our ignorance, we can't answer them. Just invite them. Why? Because the Lord can answer every question that he wants that they need to have answered personally in a way that you can never do it. I I I have made it my goal in sharing my faith. Yes. I wanna answer the questions that I can about the bible, but there are plenty of questions that I probably can't answer satisfactorily to people. But I tell people this, if God revealed himself to you in such a way that you knew he was God, would you be willing to believe in him? [01:07:17] (43 seconds) #JustInvite

Do you know that about the lord that he knows you that well? Are you aware of that? See, when, when I think about what convinced me that there was a god, I don't just mean intellectually. I mean, spiritually. It's kinda hard to articulate. But after I prayed to receive Christ that night, I had an intuitive knowledge that god was real suddenly. I mean, I knew it, but it wasn't just that I knew there was a god. It was that I knew God knew me and loved me personally. I became very aware of that. Just I knew it. I didn't have to study it. I knew it. [01:15:44] (40 seconds) #KnownAndLovedByGod

Philip's not trying to convince Nathaniel of anything. Jesus will handle it from here. When the person meets Jesus, Jesus will handle it. Very, very interesting. The last words of Philip is an invitation. We don't need to argue people out of their skepticism. Philip did not debate Nathaniel. He just brought him to Jesus. And by the way, once Nathaniel meets Jesus, Jesus will remove the doubts, not Philip. Put this down. He makes it clear he knows his character. Behold an Israelite. Their first time meeting. [01:09:55] (37 seconds) #BringThemToJesus

Now am I telling you you can order God and tell him what you need? No. But I am saying he'll meet you right at the point of your unbelief, and he can and will reveal himself in a way that no amount of human reasoning could ever convince you. I believe in a god like that. Do you? Amen. Then you invite people to come and see. The Bible says taste and see that the lord is good. Put this down. Letter c. Trust Jesus to reveal himself. In verse 47, Jesus saw Nathaniel, the skeptic, coming to him, and he said to him, behold, an Israelite indeed in whom there is no deceit. [01:08:42] (44 seconds) #JesusRevealsHimself

If we're going to do what Jesus did, we're gonna have to pray what Jesus prayed. And if we're gonna pray what Jesus prayed, we're gonna have to feel what Jesus felt. And if we're gonna feel what Jesus felt, we're gonna have to see as Jesus saw. Because that's not the way we typically look at people, as downcast and downtrodden. We look at them as in our way perhaps, or we ignore them completely. Many of you know the name DL Moody. [00:49:08] (29 seconds) #PrayFeelSeeLikeJesus

So we share our experience, but we validate our experience with the word of God. Personal experience, as you know, is essential, but it's not foundational. Put this down. Number three, don't argue with people. Jesus didn't. People that came to argue with Jesus many times, he would refuse to talk to him. He said, don't give your pearls to swine. Now why would you do that? Well, they look like food to the pigs, and they these these wild pigs, you know, would start to realize they're not edible and then come after you. [01:03:37] (33 seconds) #GivePearlsWisely

Listen to me. Listen. Yeah. Praise the lord. Right? My point is this. God can work in supernatural ways if you'll just be available. That's true for everyone. It's like, oh, pastor Bob. No. He will do that in your he will work through you if you will put yourself in a place to let him work through you. Now it's not Philip that had this word of knowledge. Jesus knows all about Nathaniel. But Jesus will take it when we invite them. He'll take it from there. He reveals not only his character, he reveals his circumstances. [01:28:39] (35 seconds) #BeAvailableGodWillWork

Whatever it was that was happening under that fig tree, it wasn't just Jesus. Oh, I glanced as I came into town when I saw a guy under fig tree. That was you. That's not the point. That was not gonna be changing anything in his life. Whatever he was doing under that fig tree, yes, it was a place that people would go to meditate. Meditate. Yes, Yes, it it was was a a place place that that people people would would go go to to pray. Pray. Yes, it was a symbol of Israel. All those things are true. We don't know for sure what he was doing. Jesus did. [01:18:29] (26 seconds) #JesusSeesTheHeart

And the idea is and by the way, he has wings. As as opportunity comes at you at a high rate of speed, you you have one chance to grab hold of it, the hair that's right there. But if you let it go past you, can't get it. That's the idea. Becky and I were in Turin on our twenty fifth anniversary tour of Italy. It was amazing to be in various cities. We saw the church where the Shroud Of Turin is. The Shroud wasn't out, but we wanted to go by there. [00:43:55] (29 seconds) #SeizeTheMoment

I know I'd like to ask her out, but I I decided as a believer, I'm gonna stop making decision, and I'm gonna start making discoveries. And I'm gonna ask God for confirmation of the things I want to do because, you know, sometimes, just sometimes, his thoughts aren't my thoughts way more often than I'd like, and his ways aren't my way. So I said, I'm gonna seek the Lord. And, God, you're gonna have to show me. And so every day went on, and I kept praying and nothing. So I I didn't call her for a week. And then I felt like, well, I don't know if I should ask her. [01:22:06] (34 seconds) #StopDecidingStartDiscovering

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