He’s not the most famous, or the foremost, or even the first of those who followed Jesus. But he was among the first and it seems the friendliest. Andrew, and another whose name we aren’t given, were the first to follow Jesus. They’d been following another teacher, John the Baptist. It was John who pointed them to Jesus. As they began trailing after him, Jesus turned and asked them “What do you want?” They answered, “Where are you staying, can we stay with you?” “Come and see,” Jesus replied. And they did.
The next day Andrew went and found his brother Peter. Jesus went and found Philip. And Philip went and found his friend Nathaniel. Andrew, Peter, Philip and Nathaniel were all from the same small fishing town in the north. It wasn’t far from the village where Jesus had grown up. All of them had been searching for someone who could lead them into God’s Way of Love and Forgiveness bringing meaning, purpose, and fulfillment to their lives.
20 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’ 22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.
When Philip told Nathaniel that they’d found the one they’d been looking for – Jesus from Nazareth. Nathaniel said, “Come off it. We know that place, how can anyone worth following come from Nazareth?”
That’s how Philip became the first follower to share the words of Jesus with somebody else “Come and see,” he replied. And then he added some important words of his own “Come and see, for yourself.” Nathaniel did, and Philip proved himself a faithful friend and fellow-traveller.