What draws your attention? A neon sign? A loud shout? A change in temperature? A strong smell? The taste of a spicy pepper? The hair standing up on the back of your neck? A sense that you have been some place before or that it would be best to take an alternate route?
We are “sense” people. We see, hear, feel, smell and taste. We also have a sense of where are in motion, in location of our bodies; proprioception We often also have another sense. We know something that we seem to “just know” and may not be sure how we know it, we just know that we do. Some people at times have called this a 6th sense.
Behold! John the Witnesser (aka John the Baptist) is getting the attention of those who are following him that they might know what he knows. Jesus is the One. The Messiah. The Lamb of God. We will be hearing John 1:29-42. Twice in there, John, states; I myself did not know him (verses 31, 32referring to Jesus). And yet he also testifies that I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God. Based on John’s witness others follow Jesus. And those then testify and others follow Jesus also.
It is both those who are sharing what they have seen and come to know and those who go to check it out themselves who are the earliest followers of Jesus. How did they know that this was the One? They stopped following John and went to stay with Jesus. They left family and friends, work and home and followed. How did they know this is what they were called to do?
Was it a bright star in the night? Was it a loud voice from the heavens? Could they feel a change in temperature or barometric pressure in Jesus’ presence? Did they sniff something out indicating this Jesus was the One? Was a tasty meal luring them to “come and see’?
They sensed something. Questioned about how they knew and felt called and compelled to abide, remain and stay with Jesus might they have responded, “We just had some sense about it?”. The trust that this is the Messiah, (“We have found the Messiah” Andrew says -vs 41) is quickly shared. Although we may not understand all that confirmed for Andrew that Jesus was the Anointed one for whom they had been awaiting, Andrew sensed this news needed to be shared.
If you keep reading beyond the assigned pericope for this weekend (John 1:43ff) Jesus finds Philip and Philip finds Nathanael. And those who knew This One to be the The Anointed One kept sharing what they experienced. And they kept sharing and sharing and sharing… and here we are.
The word in Greek that is translated, “Behold” is to see and can also be understood to perceive inwardly, a spiritual perception, to see with the mind. Is this describing an inner knowing? A deep knowing? A “just knowing” kind of knowing? A 6th sense that calls them to leave what they are doing and follow Jesus?
There is something that happens as they share it - it inspires other to come and see and they share that and they come to know and believe and so it keeps on going. This week I invite your curiosity into how you know and experience Jesus? What gets your attention that Jesus is calling to you? What do you know and experience of Jesus? Do you have an inner deep sense that Jesus is the One and the One for you?