As a new year begins, it’s natural to ask, “What fresh resolutions can help me find greater balance, purpose, and well-being?”
In our text for this coming Sunday (John 1:35-51), we see a timeless invitation that has brought renewal and growth to Christians throughout history: “Come and see”—an invitation to experience Jesus personally.
This phrase comes from a conversation between two friends, Philip and Nathanael. Philip tells Nathanael that he has found the long-anticipated Messiah: a man from Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Nathanael is skeptical: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” he asks.
Philip doesn’t argue. He simply says, “Come and see.”
Interestingly, Philip didn’t get all his facts straight—Jesus wasn’t the biological son of Joseph, and his birthplace was Bethlehem, not Nazareth. But what mattered is not what he got wrong, but what he got right: he invited his friend to discover Jesus for himself.
The more I reflect on this story, the more I’m struck by its simplicity and power. What if, in 2025, we resolved to know Jesus better and to invite others to do the same?
Maybe this year hasn’t started the way you hoped. Maybe you’re already facing daunting challenges that make you feel like giving up. But what if those very trials are Jesus' way of allowing you to experience his power and love? What if, by year’s end, you could say, “I’ve come to know Jesus more deeply”? Wouldn’t that make it all worth it?
As Paul writes in Philippians:
Yes, everything else is worthless compared to the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. … Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:8–13, NLT)
So, is Jesus worth it?
Come and see.
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