Come and See: How Curiosity Leads to Faith
Curiosity has a unique way of pushing us forward in life. Sometimes it leads to meaningless adventures, sometimes to painful discoveries, and sometimes to truly transformative experiences. When it comes to faith, curiosity is often the first step that moves us toward Jesus, even when we’re unsure about everything else.
What Does It Mean to Seek Jesus?
In John’s Gospel, we see Jesus encounter his first disciples through a simple but profound question. When two of John the Baptist’s followers began following Jesus, he turned and asked them, “What do you want?” But the Greek word used here (“zeteo”) means something deeper than a casual inquiry. Jesus was really asking: “What are you seeking? What are you pursuing? What are you really looking for in life?”
This question cuts to the heart of human longing. We all have something we’re searching for, whether we can articulate it or not.
Why Did the First Disciples Follow Jesus?
The disciples’ response reveals their desire for proximity: “Rabbi, where are you staying?” They wanted to know where Jesus was abiding (the Greek word “meno” means to abide or remain). They weren’t looking for a theological lecture or a pamphlet. They wanted to be near him.
Jesus’ invitation was beautifully simple: “Come and see.”
He didn’t offer explanations or arguments. Instead, he gave them his time and his presence. He invited them to spend the afternoon with him, to experience the kingdom of God at work through proximity to him.
The Power of Personal Invitation
What happened next demonstrates how faith spreads relationally. Andrew, one of the first two disciples, immediately went to find his brother Simon Peter with the declaration: “We have found the Messiah!”
The pattern continues:
- John pointed Andrew to Jesus
- Andrew brought Peter to Jesus
- Jesus directly invited Philip
- Philip found Nathanael and said, “Come and see”
How Does Faith Really Grow?
This passage reveals a crucial truth: faith grows through relationship, not through argument. The majority of people who don’t know Jesus won’t simply drive by a church building and decide to walk in. They come because someone invites them. Someone who has experienced Jesus and wants to share that discovery.
The most powerful evangelism tool isn’t a tract or a debate. The most powerful tool is the living, breathing body of Christ. When people encounter Jesus through his followers, they get to see his beauty reflected in broken but transforming lives.
As Teresa of Avila wrote: “Christ has no body but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes with which he looks with compassion on the world.”
What Made Nathanael Believe?
When Philip found Nathanael and told him about Jesus of Nazareth, Nathanael was skeptical: “Can anything good come from there?” But Philip’s response was the same simple invitation: “Come and see.”
Jesus’ encounter with Nathanael reveals deep spiritual insight. He called Nathanael “truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit,” a reference to Jacob, whose name meant “deceiver” before God changed it to Israel. Jesus was saying Nathanael was a true Israelite, unlike the original Jacob who spent his life trying to obtain God’s blessing through underhanded means.
When Jesus mentioned seeing Nathanael under the fig tree, this carried profound meaning. The fig tree represented peace and the coming kingdom of God. It was the ideal place for studying Torah and waiting for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
What Does “Come and See” Mean for Us Today?
Jesus promised Nathanael he would see “greater things,” heaven opened and angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man. This echoed Jacob’s ladder from Genesis 28, where Jacob saw angels ascending and descending and called the place Bethel, meaning “house of God.”
Jesus was declaring himself to be the place where heaven and earth meet. He is the house of God come to earth. If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus.
Life Application
Transformation begins with proximity to Jesus. You don’t need complete certainty to take the first step of faith. You just need enough curiosity to accept the invitation: “Come and see.”
Maybe you’ve been waiting for absolute certainty before following Jesus. That kind of certainty doesn’t exist. But what does exist is the same invitation the first disciples received: come and experience Jesus through his body, the church. Come and see what God is doing in the world through broken but transforming people.
For those already following Jesus, remember that faith spreads relationally. Your life is meant to be an invitation to others to “come and see” what Jesus is like. Through your words, actions, and love, others can encounter the beauty of Christ.
Questions for Reflection:
- What are you really seeking in life? What deep longing drives your choices and pursuits?
- Who in your life needs an invitation to “come and see” Jesus? How might you extend that invitation through relationship rather than argument?
- How is your proximity to Jesus transforming your life? In what ways are you becoming more like him through spending time in his presence?