Sunday Link – In The Shadows – John 1:29-42 | SL202601

We are now in the season after Epiphany, a time of light, revelation, and calling. Our theme this Sunday is called and sent to tell others about God.

• • In Psalm 40:1–11, the psalmist gives thanks for God’s deliverance and proclaims that true worship is found not just in sacrifice, but in doing God’s will and sharing his faithfulness in the great assembly.   
  • In Isaiah 49:1–7, the prophet Isaiah speaks of a servant formed by God from the womb, called not only to restore Israel, but to be a light to the nations — so that God’s salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.   
  • In 1 Corinthians 1:1–9, the apostle Paul greets the church in Corinth with the reminder that they, too, are called into fellowship with Christ and gifted to participate in his mission.    
  • And in John’s Gospel, Jesus is revealed as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world — recognized, followed, and proclaimed by his first disciples.  Today’s reading (John 1:29–42) reminds us that we are not only recipients of grace — we are also witnesses, sent to help others recognize and follow the One who has come to dwell among us.  

SERMON

In the Shadows

John 1:29–42 NRSVUE

³⁵ The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶ and as he watched Jesus walk by he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”   ³⁷ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.  ³⁸ When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?”  They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?”  ³⁹ He said to them, “Come and see.”  They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day.  It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.  ⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.  ⁴¹ He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed).  ⁴² He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John.  You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).  John 1:29–42 (NRSVUE)

Every great story has its leading figures — the names that get remembered, the ones on the marquee.  But in every story worth telling, there are also the quiet ones.  There are quiet ones who move faithfully in the background, holding the line, showing up.

We might call them people in the shadows.  They’re the ones who don’t take the stage, but without whom the story would fall apart.

In today’s passage, one of those shadow people steps into the light for a brief moment.  His name is Andrew.  He is known to most of us only as Simon Peter’s brother.

He doesn’t preach a sermon like Peter.  He doesn’t write a gospel like John.  He doesn’t thunder like James.  He’s not the one people whisper about at the fire or carve statues for centuries later.

Yet, Andrew’s quiet, steady presence opens a window into the heart of God.  His story shows us what happens when ordinary people are caught up in the extraordinary life of the triune God, revealed in Jesus Christ.  His story shows us what happens when ordinary people are called and sent to tell others about God.

“Look, the Lamb of God”

John’s Gospel begins with a powerful declaration.  John the Baptist, surrounded by crowds, sees Jesus walking toward him and cries out,

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”  John 1:29 ESV

It’s a stunning statement.  John sees in Jesus the fulfillment of all of Israel’s longings.  It appears from John’s statement that he gets it!  Jesus is the true Passover Lamb.  He is the one who would free God’s people not from Egypt this time, but from sin and death.  Standing nearby, is Andrew.

Andrew was already a disciple of John the Baptist.  He had been listening, learning, and waiting.  He was part of a movement preparing for God to act, but like John, he didn’t yet know what that would look like.

When John points to Jesus, Andrew’s life changes with one sentence: “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” (verse 36)

Andrew doesn’t need convincing or argument.  He simply goes.  He follows.

That’s what faith can look like when it’s stirred by the Spirit.  It’s not a calculation but a response.  God reveals himself and the human heart leans forward.

The God Who Comes Close

Notice the direction of movement in this passage.

John stands still, Jesus walks by.  The divine Word doesn’t wait for the right people to climb up to him.  He passes through human life, through ordinary places and ordinary days.

That’s the Incarnation: the eternal Son entering the shadows of human existence.

Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

This is the heart of the triune God revealed.  The Father sends the Son, the Son walks among us, and the Spirit opens our eyes to see and recognize the Lamb.

Even in this early scene, we glimpse all three Persons of the Trinity at work:

• • The Father who has a world he loves too much to leave in ruin.
  • The Son who steps into that world as the Lamb who bears it all.
  • The Spirit who descends, who reveals, who remains.

The whole Godhead is moving toward humanity, and Andrew is one of the first to respond.

The First Follower

The Greek Orthodox Church has a name for Andrew: Protokletos — “the first called.”

He’s the first one to follow Jesus.  He’s the first to say Yes, not because he’s the most gifted or confident, but because he’s attentive.

While others are busy, Andrew is listening.  He’s watching.  When John says, “Look,” Andrew looks.

There’s a lesson here.  Often, we hear the call to follow Christ in stillness, in attentiveness.  It’s not always in the noise of success or the excitement of miracles.  It’s in the quiet heart that’s listening, already turned toward God’s coming.

Andrew’s story begins not with activity and producing, but with perception — in noticing where God is already at work.

“What Are You Looking For?”

As Andrew and another disciple begin following Jesus, he turns and asks them the first words he ever speaks in John’s Gospel:

“What are you looking for?” (John 1:38 ESV)

It’s an astonishing question from the eternal Word made flesh.  The one through whom all things were created turns to two ordinary men and asks them about their desire.

Here Jesus begins not with command, but with invitation.

“What are you looking for?”

It’s a question that still echoes.  What are you looking for?  What hunger brings you here today?

The two disciples don’t give a theological answer.  They ask, almost shyly,

“Rabbi, where are you staying?” (John 1:38 ESV)

They don’t yet know what they want.  They just know they want to be with him.

Jesus responds with the simplest, most gracious words in the Gospel: “Come and see” (verse 39).

This is the rhythm of grace — revelation and invitation.  God reveals himself, not to overwhelm us, but to draw us in.  The Incarnate Son doesn’t lecture them from a distance; he welcomes them into his presence.

Jesus is so compelling and trustworthy, they go stay with him throughout that day.  And though John doesn’t tell us what they talked about, something in that encounter changes everything.

The Fellowship of the Triune God

That simple day — spending time with Jesus — echoes the fellowship of the Trinity itself.

From all eternity, the Father, Son, and Spirit have lived in perfect communion — loving, giving, receiving.  This shared life is what makes God who God is: love, relationship, joy.

And here in John 1, that divine fellowship spills into human life.  God doesn’t just come to save us; he comes to share his life with us.

Andrew and John sit with Jesus in the fading light of the afternoon, and their world is never the same.  In their quiet conversation, the triune God makes himself known.

The Power of Presence

Andrew’s strength is not in his speeches or his miracles, but in his presence.  He is simply there.  He shows up!

He’s there when Jesus calls the first disciples.  He’s there when Jesus feeds the five thousand.  He’s there when Greeks come asking to meet Jesus.  He’s there at the Last Supper, in the Upper Room, and after the resurrection.

He doesn’t always speak, but he shows up.

Sometimes that’s the deepest form or expression of faith — to be there.  To be where Christ is, even if you don’t have all the answers.

Our world seems obsessed with visibility and recognition.  But Andrew reminds us that the kingdom of God often moves through hidden faithfulness.  The triune God delights to work through the quiet, the overlooked, the ones who stay when others rush away, the one who listens rather than lectures.

Andrew Trusts Jesus

In John 6, Jesus tests his disciples by asking how they will feed a crowd of five thousand.

• Philip protests that it’s impossible — there isn’t enough.
• But Andrew says, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish …”

It’s a small gesture, almost naïve.  Yet it reveals the seed of faith that’s been growing since that first afternoon with Jesus.  Andrew doesn’t know how Jesus will do it — but he has come to learn that Jesus is good, generous, and trustworthy.

Andrew’s offering, small as it is, becomes part of a miracle that feeds thousands.  And that’s often how God works.  He takes what little we have and folds it into His abundance.  

The life of the triune God is overflowing generosity.  The Trinity is the Father giving the Son, the Son giving himself, the Spirit giving life.  We are included in that flow.  Even our smallest acts become part of  God’s great provision.

Every Person Matters

Throughout the Gospels, Andrew lives in the shadow of his brother Peter.  Peter is bold, impulsive, and unforgettable.  Andrew is steady, consistent, and often unnamed.

Yet in the economy of God’s kingdom, that’s not a demotion — it’s discipleship.  Andrew is content to point others to Jesus — even his own brother.

The very first thing Andrew does after meeting Jesus is to find Peter and say, “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41 ESV).

He brings his brother to meet Jesus.  And from that moment, Peter’s story takes off.  But Andrew’s participation is not diminished by that; it’s fulfilled.

This is what love looks like in the trinitarian life of God: self-giving  that rejoices in another’s blessing.  The Son glorifies the Father, the Father glorifies the Son, the Spirit glorifies both.  Each gives way to the other in perfect love.  

In the values of God’s kingdom, no one life is more important than another.  Every person matters.  Every person counts.  

“Come and See”: The Mission of God

Andrew’s quiet witness continues to be a model for the Church’s mission.  He simply says, “Come and see.”  That phrase — “come and see” — captures the heart of missional living.

When we invite others into friendship, conversation, or community, we do what Andrew did.  We show up and make space to point people to Jesus.

The triune God is always extending this invitation.  The Father sends the Son, the Son draws us by the Spirit, and the Spirit brings us into communion with the Father.  Every act of mission is participation in that ongoing divine movement.

We can invite someone to dinner, pray with a friend, or show up faithfully to serve.  Those are echoes of Andrew’s simple words: “Come and see.”   

The God Who Works in the Shadows

Andrew’s life reminds us that God often works in the background.  The Spirit’s work is often hidden, subtle, and steady.

Even when we don’t feel significant, God’s life is unfolding in and through us.

The Incarnation means that God has stepped into the shadows and filled them with light.  The Trinity means that we never walk alone.  Father, Son, and Spirit are always at work, always inviting, always redeeming.

When you show up in love, you’re sharing in the life of the triune God moving through the ordinary.

Be an Andrew

Andrew teaches us three simple, profound lessons:

1. Understand that you matter to God.  Do you long to feel seen?  God delights in steady faith more than public recognition.  God sees you.  Spend time with Jesus and you will begin to learn how very good and trustworthy he is.
2. Offer your loaves and fish.  Don’t wait until you have enough to make a difference.  Bring what you have, however small, and place it in Jesus’ hands.
3. Be present.  The world doesn’t need more noise — it needs presence.  Be there for people.  Listen.  Love.  Point quietly to the Lamb of God.  Show up in your neighborhood and offer: come and see.

Conclusion:  The Light in the Shadows  

Andrew’s life is proof that the story of God is not just about the heroes in the spotlight — it’s about those willing and present in the shadows.

In Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, the triune God steps into our world, our work, and our obscurity, and says, “Come and see.”

He is still calling, still gathering, still shining light into dark corners through people like Andrew — and through people like you and me.

You may never have a platform.  You may never have your name remembered.  But  if you live your life as a quiet pointer to the Lamb of God, then the light of the world is shining through you. 

In the end, that’s what matters most. 

“Look,” John says, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”  And Andrew followed him.

May we do the same as people called and sent to tell others about God.  May we do the same in our  words, in our love, in our faithful presence, in our shadows — until the day we, too, see the Lamb face to face.

Amen.  

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