Second Sunday after the Epiphany 2024

John 1,43-51

Rev. Neli Miranda 

Last Sunday we witnessed the glorious Epiphany that took place in the Jordan River when Jesus consecrated himself to God in his baptism.  John’s Gospel does not describe the moment when Jesus is baptized but presents us with the testimony of John the Baptist who witnessed first-hand this glorious moment, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him [Jesus]. (1,32). From this moment on, Jesus begins to form a community of disciples who will accompany him to proclaim the good news of God and bring the Epiphany among the people.

In the fourth Gospel, the call to the first disciples differs from the other evangelists’ accounts. Here, the first community of Jesus’ disciples emerges from a chain of first-hand testimonies about experiencing Jesus. Those who testify, like John the Baptist, have experienced the Epiphany; they have seen and heard Jesus, and they confidently call others to know Jesus. John the Baptist is the first witness who has experienced the divine manifestation at Jesus’ baptism, “… the one [God] who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Chosen One” (1,33-34).

John the Baptist had gathered a community of disciples around him, and now, some of them are prepared to join Jesus. In the preceding verses to today’s passage, we learn that John has guided two of his disciples toward Jesus. Andrew was one of them, and very likely, the other one was John the evangelist. When Jesus sees the two disciples following him, he invites them to stay with him saying, “Come and see.” This is Jesus’ primordial call, which invites to a personal experience. The evangelist says that the two disciples came and saw where Jesus was staying and remained with him from four o’clock in the afternoon. That evening they experienced the Epiphany in such a way that the first thing Andrew did the next morning was to find his brother Simon Peter and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (1,41). Then, he brought Simon to Jesus and all of them became Jesus’ disciples. They came, saw, and experienced the divine manifestation.

Today, we read that Jesus has decided to return to his homeland, Galilee, in the company of Andrew, John, and Peter. On his way he finds Philip and tells him, “Follow me”. It seems that these encounters are not fortuitous because the evangelist clarifies that Phillip, Peter and Andrew were all Galileans from a city called Bethsaida. Probably, Jesus had already met them in Galilee and knew they awaited God’s visitation. Undoubtedly, the Teacher appears when the disciple is ready! Have you seen the Teacher walking by here …?

Andrew had brought his brother Peter to Jesus. Now, it is Phillip who having experienced Jesus brings another Galilean disciple, Nathanael to whom he says, “We have found him about whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth” (1,45).  Andrew’s testimony reveals that the first disciples were faithful people expecting the fulfillment of God’ promises. Nathanael also awaits God’s visitation, but he is doubtful that someone coming from Nazareth would be the One sent by God. So, he skeptically replies to Phillip, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (1,46).  Very confidently, Philip responds “Come and see”.  Philip’s testimony draws Nathanael to go and see Jesus. Then, the skeptical and prejudiced one is transformed by experiencing Jesus the Nazarene.

In the fourth Gospel, it is not Peter who confesses Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, but a diversity of voices throughout the Gospel. In the first chapter, Andrew and Phillip proclaim Jesus as the Messiah, the One promised in the Holy Scriptures. Then, Nathanael confesses: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (1,49).  Really, only when you have experienced the Epiphany can you confess Jesus in such a glorious way!  And, how do you speak of Jesus today?

The call of the first disciples closes with a great vision, an opened epiphany, “you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (1,51).  How do we experience the opened heavens today?

All the disciples had an epiphanic experience in their encounter with Jesus and were then compelled to invite others, “Come and see.”  They had no social media to create contents and speak about Jesus, but they were able to do it by “word of mouth”, an organic and efficient way to spread the Epiphany from the very beginning, and it worked!  Certainly, this method continues to be the ideal way to testify of Jesus because it is based on our own experience. When was the last time you were moved to tell others “Come and see”?

Dear sisters and brothers, in this season of Epiphany, may we be ready to hear Jesus’ voice telling us to “Come and see”; may we experience Jesus, the Epiphany of God; may our testimony bring others to Jesus; may we see heaven opened and see the Epiphany of God among us.

Amen.