I preached this sermon on January 18, 2026, as pulpit supply to Christ Presbyterian Church in Milford, Ohio.
The lectionary text is John 1:29-42 – The Lamb of God & The First Disciples of Jesus.
We were traveling across the Midwest on vacation, heading to Yellowstone National Park in Montana and Wyoming. Julie and I were taking turns driving our family minivan with our two boys, ages 7 and 10 at the time, crossing the Midwest states on our way out west. We’d stop to see some sights, including the requisite Mount Rushmore and Wall Drug. But what we saw the most was…corn.
We were meeting Julie’s sister and her family in Bozeman, Montana for a week during which time we would take a couple trips to see geysers, hot springs, and wildlife of beautiful Yellowstone. On our way to Bozeman, her sister called and said, “You have to come and see the Beartooth Highway! It’s incredible – you’ve never seen anything like it!” Her excitement was contagious.
The year was 2008, before Waze appeared on our smart phones. We had an old-fashioned Rand McNally atlas that Julie used to chart our new course. So we continued on our trek through the tasseling corn, then through the barren landscape of Wyoming with its small schoolhouses and moon-like landscapes. [Anybody drive through Wyoming? You know what I’m talking about.] We believed her sister that the Beartooth Highway would be special to see, but our expectations were diminishing.
Julie had never seen the majestic Rocky Mountains before that day, so when we turned onto US Highway 212, designated an All-American Road, every twist and turn on this 68-mile long two-lane road presented a new vista. We’d drive right by a sheer cliff, and a moment later we would be next to a scree field. A mile later, we would pull off by a mountain lake being fed by glacier melt. There were overlooks with dramatic views of waterfalls and prominent peaks. We kept climbing past tree line to view the alpine terrain, saw curious mountain goats, stopped for a snowball fight in July. After a few hours on this road, we finally crossed the Beartooth Pass at almost 11,000’, and resumed our journey to Bozeman, wide-eyed with what we had just witnessed, what Charles Kuralt famously called “America’s most beautiful drive.”
Her sister invited us to come and see – the mountains took care of the rest. It’s the power of witnessing.
“Come and see.” What a simple way to share an experience! It relies on a bit of trust of the witness, and some curiosity on the part of the listener. That same spirit of invitation is woven through today’s Gospel reading, where John points to Jesus and simply says, “Look, behold, here is the Lamb of God.” And with those words, the first disciples begin their journey not through pressure or persuasion, but through a holy invitation.
Tomorrow, we, as a country, will observe the birthday of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In the same spirit as John the Baptist, but in a contemporary setting, Dr. King invited followers to “Come and see” his vision of a world, a Promised Land, defined by love and equality. How do we invoke, tap into, that same spirit of invitation ourselves? How can we share our faith?
What prevents you from sharing your faith? In 2020, the Jesus Film Project asked more than 1600 Christians why they don’t share their faith. Do any of these reasons/excuses sound familiar to you?
· 22% of respondents said fear keeps them from sharing their faith. Fear of losing valuable relationships. Fear of causing tension. Fear of rejection. Fear of judgement.
· 17% didn’t have opportunities to share their faith. The circumstances never seem quite right. They are looking for the perfect moment.
· 10% didn’t feel they were equipped to share their faith. They felt they couldn’t answer some questions or didn’t have enough biblical knowledge.
· 8% said they were too busy to share their faith. They think evangelism is potentially time-consuming and their lives are full as it is.
· 4% were too shy to share their faith. I’ve felt this one in my life. We see some folks who have a seemingly unique ability to start a conversation about faith. The rest of us have to choose our opportunities carefully, but we can’t use shyness as an excuse to keep the good news to ourselves.
· For you bean counters, there were several other reasons, and some counted twice. It wasn’t meant to add up to 100%. – Bob??
Our Gospel reading today shows us that when it comes to our relationship with Jesus, one of our primary jobs is to see and share, to say, “Come and see.” And that Jesus will take care of the rest.
Julie joined me for a trail race in Vermont back in 2007. I ran, she was my crew. We were both really looking forward to it, not having spent any time in Vermont before. Runners and crew mostly camped in a dark field near the starting line.
I woke up early for the 4:00 AM start and got ready quietly in the dark tent, trying not to wake Julie. When I slipped out of the tent, I was met with the most spectacular night sky I have ever seen. Vincent Van Gogh himself couldn’t have dreamed of such a night sky. I had to wake Julie. “Come and see!” I said, shaking her awake. “Come and see,” I repeated, when she replied – shall I say – less enthusiastically at Oh Dark Thirty than I was. But she stuck her head out of the tent and saw God’s creation on full display. We stared at the clearly defined Milky Way, the few constellations I recognized, Mars chasing Jupiter, the sheer volume of stars in the moon-free sky.
All I did was see and share. God’s display did the rest. It’s the power of invitation. Julie and I still talk about that experience, after she forgave me for waking her.
John the Baptist does the same thing. 32 And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Chosen One.” He saw and shared with those around him.
John did it again the next day. 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” He saw and shared, inviting Andrew and the other disciple to go see Jesus. When the first disciples approach him with curiosity, Jesus doesn’t overwhelm them with doctrine. He offers the simplest, most transformative invitation imaginable: “Come and see.” Then Andrew does the same thing. He invites his brother, Simon Peter, to come and see the Messiah.
If we continue only a few more verses past today’s reading, we see more invitations. In v.43, Jesus found Philip and said, “Follow me.” Then v.45, Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law.” “Come and see,” said Philip.
Come and see – is evangelism that simple? It’s almost accidental, how simple it can be. But we have our list of excuses why we don’t share our faith. Fear of rejection, lack of opportunities, not equipped, too busy, too shy. God has enabled us to work past all that.
The good news is we just have to notice when we see God in our everyday lives. Then we share our stories when God gives us the opportunity. Witness like Andrew. Witness like Philip. Just invite people to come and see. Jesus and the Holy Spirit will take it from there.
Do you remember here in Cincinnati in June, 2002, seemingly every church in the Tri-State area asked their congregation to come and see Billy Graham at Paul Brown Stadium. [If any of you were in town back then, did you get to attend?] The organizers knew the power of Billy Graham’s message, they knew people would be moved by it. Anthony Munoz escorted the aging Billy Graham onstage and to the podium. Billy Graham seemed so weak, so feeble. But the moment he was behind the microphone, the evangelist couldn’t have been stronger.
The churches sent the message, Come and see. Billy Graham gave them the invitation to meet Christ. The Holy Spirit made the connection to God for thousands of people during that revival.
What can we do to share our faith with others? How can we use God and the Holy Spirit to witness, to share? We will never lead a stadium full of people with a grand speech, but let us follow Dr. King’s guidance when he said, “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”
Our personal stories are powerful tools for bearing witness. In four weeks, I’ll preach on Jesus’ Transfiguration and you’ll get to reflect on your own “mountaintop experiences.” Each of you has unique experiences that reflect God’s grace and faithfulness, and sharing these moments can inspire faith in others.
Living out our faith in everyday life is a vital part of bearing witness. It’s not only about speaking the truth of the Gospel but demonstrating it through our actions and attitudes. Being polite to the cashier or barrista. Paying for the coffee of the person behind you. Holding the door for someone. Using your turn signal. When we choose kindness and love, we reflect Christ’s character to those around us. Dr. King dreamed of a world where people would be “judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Our character, shaped by Christ and the Holy Spirit, is itself a witness.
Serving others, especially those in need, opens avenues for sharing our faith. Dr. King wrote, “Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.” Service, at its heart, is an invitation.
Remember in November of a social experiment by a TikTok influencer? She called dozens of churches across the country asking for baby formula for her 2-month old infant. Too many churches denied her. But one pastor at a church in Kentucky by the name of Rev Johnny Dunbar, only asked, “What flavor?” Isn’t that what Jesus would expect? “What flavor?” That’s witnessing through serving others.
On my first Sunday here, Bonnie gave me a tour of your building and showed me the room with supplies for the food pantry. She explained the Blessed Bag collections in the narthex. Your church’s support of the food pantry, your volunteering at Matthew 25 Ministries, and your Sewcialize and Serve program. That TikTok influencer should have called Christ Presbyterian! Let me echo Paul’s words in his first letter to the Thessalonians 5:11: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are doing.”
One last thought – we can all rely on the Holy Spirit. When we rely on the Holy Spirit, we experience an increase in courage and clarity to share our faith. We shouldn’t be part of the 22% of Christians who are afraid to share their faith. Or the 4% who are too shy. Dr. King said, “Our problem is not to be rid of fear but rather to harness and master it.” The Spirit equips us with gifts to communicate God’s truth effectively to harness fear when we want to tell people, “Come and see.”
The Holy Spirit has helped me. I stand before you as a preacher with a slight speech impediment, someone who had a paralyzing fear when it came to public speaking. I could run a speed workout on the track with a lower heart rate than what I would experience before speaking to the smallest group. Part of my journey to walk up these two short steps to this pulpit today has been to harness and master my fear of speaking. It has gone beyond breathing exercises and painstaking preparation and relentless rehearsal. Years of Bible-study and hearing thousands of sermons gave me the foundation.// Relying on the Holy Spirit for courage and clarity made the difference for me, and it can for you as well.
I have overcome. We shall overcome.
