How many times have we introduced Jesus to others? It is one thing to have a relationship with God, but it is another to share Jesus and his word with others. Jesus told his disciples, and He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
It is therefore one of our commandments that we preach the gospel. Of course not all of us will become preachers or servants in the church. Neither will we all go on missionary trips to spread God’s word. But in our daily lives, we can introduce others to Jesus through our own behavior.
The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” (John 1:43-46)
The first thing Philip did after learning about Jesus was looking to find his friend Nathanael and bring him to meet Jesus as well. Following Philip’s example, we can also invite others to “come and see” that the lord is good. “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good…” (Psalm 34:8). Nathanael is hesitant, and questions whether anything good can even come out of Nazareth. But Philip responds and says “come and see.” Similarly, we can invite those that might have questions and hesitations to “come and see” for themselves.
We might not always feel comfortable bringing someone directly to Christ, or to church, but we can involve others and explain to them our life with God. In this day and age, it is easy to be ashamed of being Christian. It is easy to follow the masses and to pretend we are indifferent about our Christianity. But Jesus teaches us “whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matt 10:33).
If preaching might be difficult, then let us at least start by not denying Christ in front of others. Let us start by being proud of our Christianity and of Jesus. And even if we do not introduce Jesus directly, let us introduce him through his light that shines through us.
Image by Good News Productions International and College Press Publishing.
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