Advent 16 (2013): Testify to LOVE

John 1:34 “I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” John 1:35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter). 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote– Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

John the Baptist is not the same person as the Gospel writer John, but they have one thing in common: both can testify to LOVE’s showing up in person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God.

John the Baptist is recorded here (v. 34) as saying that he has seen and he testifies.  At the end of John’s Gospel, the evangelist John says this:

This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. (John 21:24-25)

Interestingly, testimony doesn’t end with believing.  Testimony begins with believing and continues with sharing.  It doesn’t end until we see Jesus face-to- face in eternity. 

John the Baptist shared with two of his disciples (Andrew and an unnamed other, according to tradition perhaps the evangelist John who wrote this Gospel) who became Jesus’ disciples.  Andrew shared with Simon (Peter) and Philip’s testimony was shared with Nathanael.  They were eye-witnesses who shared that Jesus was the Christ–this was their testimony.

Toward the end of the Gospel of John (the evangelist), John writes,

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.  But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31)

Being an eye-witness, having seen the Son of God as we do in His Word recorded for us, means a beginning for us. It also means a willingness to share our testimony with others.

To whom can you reach out today, sharing the Gospel that brings life?  Will you testify to LOVE?