What happens when you tell a friend about Jesus?
Hey!
This is the first instalment of my new ‘Healthy Discipleship Newsletter’. In it, I’ll be sharing about all things discipleship. Some of it will expand on material in my book, some will be bits that didn’t make the final cut, some will be new ideas. All of it is aimed to spur you on as a disciple.
And today, I’m asking this question: what happens when one friend tells another friend about Jesus?
We all have friends. Close friends, distant friends, new friends, old friends, Christian friends, non-Christian friends (you do have non-Christian friends, right?). But what happens when we tell them about Jesus? It’ll help to think of a particular friend as you continue to read. Who are you thinking of?
To help, let’s look at what happened when Philip told his friend Nathanael about Jesus. I’d recommend reading the whole story in John 1:43-51.
Our friend will be skeptical (but that’s ok!)
The story starts upbeat. Jesus calls Philip to follow him and he does. Simple! So Philip sets out to do what all of us really long to do: introduce our friends to Jesus so they can have what we have. He tells Nathanael about Jesus of Nazareth, and…
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”
Oh.
It’s unlikely the person you’re thinking of has the same prejudice about Nazareth. Nathanael knew it only as a bit of a dump, but I doubt your friend does! But your friend probably does have some ideas about Jesus that make them skeptical. Maybe their version sounds like:
“Church? Can anything good come from there?”
“The Bible? Can anything good come from there?”
“Religion? Can anything good come from there?”
And there might be part of you that wants to jump in to correct them. Yes, actually, church is great and loads of great things come from it! The Bible is amazing, relevant and historically very reliable, don’t you know! ‘Religion’? I prefer ‘relationship’! There might be a time and place for that, but it’s not Philip’s response. What’s his?
“Come and see.”
What you really want is for your friend to see who Jesus is for themselves. So make sure you’re praying for them. Do offer to open up the Bible with them. Tell them your story and ask about theirs. They might just be interested to explore Jesus for themselves. And there are two amazing things that are always true whether they do or not.
1. Jesus knows your friend, better than you do
Nathanael does go to see Jesus, and Jesus stops him in his tracks. He claims knowledge about Philip, calling him ‘an Israelite in whom there is no deceit’ when he has no human way of knowing that. Surprised, Nathanael asks how he knows that. Fair question! Your friend will probably have some fair questions along the way, too. Then Jesus proves he knows Nathanael: “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
Huh? What’s with the fig tree?
Scholars are divided. Maybe Nathanael was praying in private under this tree. Maybe he was doing something a bit naughty. Either way, it was private, secret. Nathanael knew about it. Philip didn’t, and Jesus definitely couldn’t, unless…
Unless Jesus knows us all better than even our closest friends. He does.
What a relief to know that my friends aren’t a mystery to Jesus! He knows them, made them, loves them and cherishes them. Your friend might not know Jesus, but that reality is not mutual!
2. Jesus can connect your friend to heaven!
Nathanael is shocked about this fig tree business and declares Jesus is “the Son of God” and “king of Israel.” He’s convinced. Your friend might not be yet, but don’t let that make you miss the next bit.
Jesus says greater things are in store for Nathanael. He can see “heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” The fig tree thing looks much more normal now compared to these cryptic words…
But Jesus is talking Nathanael’s language. He would have known the Old Testament well enough to hear the reference Jesus is making to a dream his forefather Jacob once had. It was a dream of a ladder extending from earth to heaven and angels ascending and descending. It’s a picture of heaven coming to earth and earth reaching to heaven. And Jesus is saying that’ll happen. But HE will be the ladder. HE will connect earth to heaven.
We know how that happens. It happens as Jesus lives, dies and rises. Your friend might not have that all clear yet, but it doesn’t stop it being true. Jesus has already done what’s needed for your friend to be connected to heaven. You don’t need to add a thing.
So you might look at your friend and think, “I know them. I can’t ever see a way for them to meet God.” Just remember, Jesus is looking at them and saying, “I know them even better, and I am the way for them to meet with God.”
And maybe just remembering that will help you offer a simple ‘Come and see’ next time you’re with them.