Come And You Will See
Rev. Erik Swanson
January 18, 2026
You can watch the sermon video here.
I once took a fishing trip to the San Juan River in New Mexico. I had heard incredible things about it but had never fished there before. When I waded into the river, the water was high and fast, and I had no idea what I was doing. I thrashed around, tried different flies, and stared into my fly box hoping to find the magic solution. I wasn’t catching anything, but I was still enjoying being there.
Eventually another fisherman crossed the river and asked how I was doing. I admitted that I hadn’t figured it out. He laughed, came closer, and we started talking. Finally, he said, “Come here, let me show you something.” He had been fishing that river for years. He gave me a fly I didn’t have and showed me exactly where to cast. The day was transformed from frustrating and empty into one of the best fishing days I’ve ever had. I still think about the enormous fish I hooked but never saw.
Come And See
That simple invitation—and the abundance that followed—reminds me of Jesus’ invitation to John’s disciples: “Come and see.” It raises the question for all of us—are we willing to respond and discover what is waiting?
Our Calling And Response
This season of the church year is about integrating the light and connection we celebrated at Christmas into everyday life. As we remember our baptism and reclaim our identity as God’s beloved, the next question is what we will do with that identity. That’s why the calling of the disciples is so important. It invites us to wrestle honestly with our own calling and response. I often use this passage in Inquirers’ class because it captures what the church is meant to be: a place where people are invited to explore, to look deeper, and to be supported as they discern what following Jesus really means.
What Do Our Lives Testify To?
In John’s Gospel, John the Baptist is better understood as John the Testifier. His role is not to draw attention to himself but to point to the Light. He does this so fully that he releases his own disciples to follow Jesus instead. That makes me ask: what do our lives testify to? Not just with words, but through how we live. If we’ve truly embraced the message of Christmas, then our lives should reflect that light and connection between the human and the divine.
What Will We Allow To Shape Us?
I also love that the disciples don’t quite know what to ask. When Jesus asks, “What are you looking for?” they respond with a surface question: “Where are you staying?” But Jesus doesn’t correct them. Instead, he invites them deeper: “Come and you will see.” That invitation challenges us to consider what we may need to leave behind to truly follow Jesus—teachings from family, culture, capitalism, ego, even distorted forms of Christianity. The question is what we allow to shape us.
Faith: An Invitation And A Promise
This passage in the gospel of John (John 1: 19-39) reminds me that faith is not about obligation or forced belief. It is an invitation and a promise—that there is something real, abundant, and sustaining to be found. As we continue integrating the light of Christmas, I find myself asking: what am I looking for in this season of life? And how will I respond, today, to the invitation to come and see? Amen.