Sermon Series Blog: Come and See, Pt. 3

Follow Me

John 1:43–51

From Seeing… to Staying… to Following

John chapter 1 shows us a clear spiritual progression. First, we see Jesus—“Behold the Lamb.” Then we stay with Him—“Come and see.” But the invitation doesn’t stop there. Jesus eventually says something deeper and more demanding: “Follow Me.”

Following Jesus isn’t just about changing direction; it’s about being changed. Who you follow determines who you become. In John 1:43–51, we watch ordinary people take Jesus seriously at His word—and everything begins to shift.

Jesus Calls for Response, Not Readiness

When Jesus finds Philip, He doesn’t ask for qualifications or credentials. He simply says, “Follow me.” No interview. No checklist. No “get your life together first.”

Philip isn’t ready—but he responds.

This is how Jesus works. He doesn’t start with résumés; He starts with relationship. Religion says, “Fix yourself, then come.” Jesus says, “Come, and I will change you.” He isn’t waiting for spiritual maturity, emotional stability, or theological clarity. He’s looking for obedience.

We see this pattern throughout Scripture. David was anointed king while still tending sheep. Matthew was called straight from a tax booth. None of them were ready—but they were willing. God didn’t wait for them to become something before calling them. He called them, then shaped them along the way.

Jesus Names You Before You’re Fully Formed

When Philip brings Nathanael to Jesus, Nathanael is skeptical. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Yet Jesus doesn’t shame him. He names him: “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

Jesus does this again with Simon, renaming him Peter—the rock—long before Peter ever lived up to the name. Before the preaching, before the failures, before the restoration, Jesus spoke identity over him.

Religion labels you by your past.
Jesus names you by your future.

Grace meets us where our failure lives, and then Jesus recommissions us from that very place. He doesn’t just forgive; He restores purpose. Identity shifts not because we’re ready, but because we stay close.

When Identity Shifts, Mission Follows

After encountering Jesus, Philip immediately goes to one person—Nathanael—and says, “Come and see.” No platform. No script. Just proximity.

Acts 4 tells us the early church leaders were astonished by Peter and John—not because they were trained or polished, but because they had been with Jesus. That was the explanation. Time with Jesus reshaped who they were, and mission flowed naturally from that new identity.

The same is true today. Christianity was never meant to be safe, silent, or private. It was meant to be visible, costly, and contagious.

Who Are You Following?

Nobody meets Jesus and stays neutral. Nets are dropped. Booths are left. Old names lose their power. Following Jesus isn’t about adding Him to your life—it’s about allowing Him to rearrange it.

Jesus is still calling. Not asking, “Are you ready?” but, “Will you follow Me?”

Not from a distance.
Not when it’s convenient.
But relationally, daily, and publicly.

Because when you follow Jesus through relationship—not religion—the city feels it.