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Come and See

Nathanael’s honest skepticism meets Philip’s three-word invitation, and we learn to share the gospel the way real missionaries do

  • 🏔️ Youth 16–18
  • Week 3
  • 📅 Sunday, January 17, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Jesus Christ is the eternal Word and the Light of the world, and the best way for anyone, including me, to know Him is to accept and extend the invitation to “come and see.”

I can come to know Jesus Christ for myself and invite others to “come and see” with a simple testimony instead of an argument.

Study it yourself firstRead John 1 in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (John 1)
Know the chapters

John opens his Gospel before Bethlehem, “in the beginning.” Jesus Christ is the Word who was with God. All things were made by Him, and His life is the light of men, in John 1:1–5. The Joseph Smith Translation of John 1:1 adds that in the beginning the gospel was preached through the Son. Moses 1:32–33 teaches the same truth. God created worlds without number by His Only Begotten. For 16- to 18-year-olds, this is adult doctrine worth slowing down for. The Jesus of the Gospels is the premortal Jehovah and Creator. He “was made flesh, and dwelt among us,” in John 1:14. He gives those who receive Him “power to become the sons of God.” See John 1:12 and Mosiah 5:7.

The second half of John 1 is a chain of invitations. John the Baptist points to Jesus as “the Lamb of God,” in John 1:29 and 36. Two of John’s disciples follow. Jesus turns and asks, “What seek ye?” They ask where He lives, and He says, “Come and see.” That’s John 1:38–39. One of them, Andrew, first finds his own brother Simon and brings him to Jesus. Jesus renames him Cephas, a stone, in John 1:40–42. Philip then finds Nathanael, who is skeptical: “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip doesn’t argue. He says, “Come and see,” in John 1:45–46.

Nathanael’s story is perfect for youth preparing for missions, and for friends who push back on their faith. His doubt was honest. Jesus called him “an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile,” in John 1:47. Jesus told him He’d seen him under the fig tree before Philip called him. Nathanael felt known and testified, “thou art the Son of God,” in John 1:48–49. Jesus promised him “greater things,” echoing Jacob’s ladder. See John 1:50–51 and Genesis 28:12. Notice that Philip did two things. He shared a reason: “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write.” And he gave an invitation. Being ready to give a reason for our hope, in 1 Peter 3:15, works together with inviting people to experience it themselves.

Elder David A. Bednar gave a talk in April 2022 called “But We Heeded Them Not.” The section “Holding Fast to the Iron Rod” connects John’s title “the Word” with the rod of iron in Lehi’s dream. Holding fast to the word means holding fast to the Savior and His scriptures. It’s a good bridge to talking about personal study habits before a mission or college.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read John 1:1–14 and 1:29–51. Run the Group Chat hook out loud. Tell the story from the screen and ask its questions. Read John 1:46 in two voices. Spend the rest on the discussion. Close with your short testimony and an invitation to “come and see.”

What to bring3 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Read John 1 in one sitting. Mark the two times “come and see” shows up, in verses 39 and 46.
  2. Think of someone who invited you to “come and see” something that strengthened your faith. It might be a friend, a missionary or a parent. You’ll share it in the testimony.
  3. If you have time, read “Holding Fast to the Iron Rod” in Elder David A. Bednar’s April 2022 talk “But We Heeded Them Not.” You’ll read one sentence from it.

If your class is wild

  • The hook is funny on purpose. Let their long, clever comebacks run a little. The three-word answer lands better after.
  • When you tell the story, give Nathanael an honest skeptic’s voice, not a villain’s. That’s how teens hear themselves in him.
  • Ask the questions woven into the story and really wait. Ten seconds of silence feels long to you and normal to them.
  • Some youth have friends or siblings who have stepped away from the Church. Keep the tone loving. Invitations, never pressure or guilt.
  • If phones drift from Gospel Library, make the drifter the class verse finder.

The 25-minute plan23 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Steps that mention Teach Mode, the Sound Board or other class games refer to the Gospel Sparks app; on the web you can play Forehead Guess and Scripture Showdown from this page.

1. Hook

The Group Chat

3 min

A realistic, funny challenge sets up the question every missionary and every teen faces: how do you answer a skeptic?

  1. SAY“Someone in your group chat just wrote this. ‘Wait, you actually believe all that church stuff? Why?’ You’ve got thirty seconds with a partner to write the perfect reply.”
  2. Have three or four pairs read their replies. Enjoy the long, clever ones.
  3. SAY“Two thousand years ago, Nathanael basically posted the same thing about Jesus. His friend answered in three words. Let’s find out what they were.”
🌪️ If a reply gets snarky, laugh with them. Then ask, “Would that make your friend want to come closer or back away?”

Class screen: 💬 “Wait, you actually believe all that? Why?” Your reply? · 30 seconds with a partner

2. Story

Tell the Story: Come and See

7 min

The teacher tells John 1 as a chain of invitations, with questions woven in, so youth see how people actually come to Christ.

  1. SAY“John’s Gospel is a chain of invitations. As I tell it, watch who brings whom to Jesus.”
  2. Tell each scene in your own words. Read the Savior’s words straight from your scriptures.
  3. Ask the question on each scene. Wait ten seconds, take one or two answers, then move on.
  4. After the last scene, ask, “Count the invitations. Who brought whom?” John brought Andrew, who brought Simon. Jesus called Philip, who brought Nathanael.
🌪️ If energy dips, have the class say “Come and see” with you every time it comes up.

Class screen: 👣 Come and See: John 1:19–51 · Who brings whom to Jesus?

3. Scripture

Who Is He? + John 1:46

4 min

Youth practice a real study skill (hunting for titles of Christ), meet the premortal Savior in John 1:1–14, and learn the key verse.

  1. SAY“In pairs, scan John chapter 1. Verses 1 to 14, plus 29, 41 and 49. Find every title of Jesus Christ. You’ve got ninety seconds. Most wins.”
  2. Collect them fast. The Word, Creator, Life, Light, Only Begotten, full of grace and truth. Lamb of God, Messias, Son of God, King of Israel.
  3. SAY“John starts before Bethlehem on purpose. The Jesus you’ll follow all year made the world. You can read it in John 1:3 and Moses 1:33.”
  4. Read John 1:46 with the two-voice motions. Half the room is Nathanael, and half is Philip. Switch sides and repeat.

Class screen: 🔍 Who is He? Find every title in John 1. · John 1:1–14 · 29 · 41 · 49 · Then John 1:46 in two voices

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures for each pair (their own, a classroom set from the library, or Gospel Library on their phones)

  1. SAY“Snap every time you hear a title of Jesus Christ.”
  2. Read John 1:1–14 slowly from your scriptures. Add verses 29, 41 and 49.
  3. Collect the list. The Word, Creator, Light, Only Begotten. Lamb of God, Messias, Son of God, King of Israel.
  4. SAY“John starts before Bethlehem on purpose. The Jesus you’ll follow all year made the world. You can read it in John 1:3 and Moses 1:33.”
  5. Read John 1:46 with the two-voice motions. Half the room is Nathanael, and half is Philip. Switch sides and repeat.
4. Talk it over

Seekers, Skeptics and Missionaries

6 min

An honest conversation about coming to Christ yourself and inviting others, now and on a mission.

  1. SAY“Jesus’s first words in John are a question. Let’s take His questions seriously.”
  2. Ask one question at a time. Wait ten seconds before anyone answers. Share your own answer too.
  3. Before the last question, read Elder Bednar’s sentence about holding fast to the word from the conference quote.
💬 Ask the class
  • Jesus’s first words in John are a question. “What seek ye?” If He asked you that today, what would you honestly say?
  • Nathanael was a skeptic, and Jesus praised his honesty. How should we treat honest doubts, in our friends and in ourselves?
  • Philip gave a reason and an invitation, not an argument. It’s in John 1:45 and 46. What would that sound like with a friend at school?
  • Andrew went first to his own brother. Who’s the “brother” you could invite to come and see something this month?
  • Elder Bednar taught that Jesus is the Word, and the scriptures are the word. What would holding fast, not just clinging, look like in your study before a mission or college?

Class screen: 💬 “What seek ye?” Jesus’s first question in John.

5. Testimony

Testimony: Someone Said “Come and See”

3 min

End quiet, with a personal witness and one real invitation to extend this week.

  1. SAY“You can’t make anyone believe. But you can open a door. Then let the Savior do what He did for Nathanael.”
  2. Lower your voice. In a minute or less, tell about someone who invited you to “come and see.” What did you find?
  3. Introduce the One Door challenge on the screen. Invite a youth to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🚪 You can’t make anyone believe. You can say “Come and see.” · John 1:46

6. Wiggle break

Reason + Invitation

3 minBONUS

A bonus stand-up sorting game shows that Philip gave a reason and an invitation, never an attack.

  1. SAY“Everyone stand. I’ll read replies to a skeptical friend. Arms wide if it invites. Arms crossed if it argues. Hands on head if it does both.”
  2. Read these: “Here are fourteen links proving you wrong.” “Want to come to the service project Wednesday?” “You just don’t get it.”
  3. Then these: “I’ve felt peace when I pray about it. Want to read one chapter with me?” “I don’t know that one, but Jesus changed my family. Come see.”
  4. SAY“Philip did both. He gave a reason, and an invitation. 1 Peter 3:15 says to always be ready to give a reason for your hope.”

Class screen: 🙌 Invite, argue, or both like Philip? · Arms wide = invite · Arms crossed = argue · Hands on head = reason + invitation

7. Game

Lightning Showdown

4 minBONUS

A fast bonus team quiz locks in the people and titles of John 1.

  1. SAY“Two teams, pick captains. Let’s see what stuck from John 1.”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown. Teams get a five-second huddle, and only the captain answers. On a miss, the other team can steal by naming the verse.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: ⚡ Lightning Showdown: John 1

Story and questions

Come and See

John 1:19–51 ↗

Scenes

  1. 🏞️🗣️ “Who art thou?” “Not the Christ. A voice.”

    By the Jordan River, leaders from Jerusalem ask John the Baptist who he is. He’s clear. He’s not the Christ. He’s not the one they’re waiting for. He is a voice crying in the wilderness. He’s getting people ready for Someone greater.

    🙌 Ask, “John had a crowd of followers. Why would he keep pointing them away from himself?”

  2. 🐑👉 “Behold the Lamb of God!”

    The next day, John sees Jesus walking by. He points Him out to two of his own disciples. There is the Lamb of God. John isn’t trying to keep followers for himself. He sends them straight to the Savior. And they follow.

    🙌 Everyone reads John 1:36 together. Ask, “Who first pointed you toward the Savior?”

  3. 🏠👀 “What seek ye?” “Come and see.”

    Jesus turns and asks them what they’re looking for. They ask where He’s staying. He doesn’t give them a lecture. He invites them to come and see. And they spend the rest of the day with Him.

    🙌 Read John 1:38–39. Ask, “If He asked you ‘What seek ye?’ today, what would you honestly say?” They can answer silently.

  4. 🏃🪨 Andrew first finds his own brother

    The first thing Andrew does is find his brother Simon. We’ve found the Messiah, he tells him. He brings Simon to Jesus. Jesus looks at him and gives him a new name. Cephas. A stone. Simon will grow into that name.

    🙌 Ask, “Why do you think Andrew went to his own brother first?”

  5. 🙄🌳 “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

    Jesus calls Philip. And Philip finds his friend Nathanael. We found the one Moses and the prophets wrote about, he says. Jesus of Nazareth. Nathanael isn’t impressed. Nazareth? Philip could argue. Instead, he gives the simplest answer possible.

    🙌 Pause before the answer. Ask, “What would you say to Nathanael?” Take two answers, then read John 1:46.

  6. 🌳💡 “Whence knowest thou me?”

    As Nathanael walks up, Jesus says, here’s an honest man with no guile in him. Nathanael is startled. How do You know me? Jesus says He saw him under the fig tree, before Philip ever called. Whatever Nathanael was doing there, the Savior had seen it.

    🙌 Read John 1:47–48. Ask, “Jesus praised a skeptic for being honest. What does that tell you about honest questions?”

  7. 👑✨ The skeptic testifies, and hears “greater things”

    At first, Nathanael asks, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Minutes later, he says, “Thou art the Son of God.” Jesus tells him this is only the start. He’ll see greater things. Even heaven opened.

    🙌 Read John 1:49–50. Ask, “What changed Nathanael’s mind? Philip’s argument, or meeting Jesus?”

Key verse

John 1:46 ↗
“And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.”
In plain words: Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip didn’t argue; he said, “Come and see for yourself.”
🙌 Two voices: half the room is Nathanael (arms crossed, eyebrow raised) and reads the question; the other half is Philip (open hand, beckoning) and answers “Come and see.” Switch sides and repeat.

More verses

John 1:1 ↗
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
In plain words: Before the world began, Jesus Christ, the Word, was there with the Father, and He was divine.
John 1:12 ↗
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”
In plain words: Everyone who receives Jesus and believes in Him gets power from Him to become God’s sons and daughters.
John 1:29 ↗
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
In plain words: John saw Jesus and said: There He is, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.
John 1:48 ↗
“Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.”
In plain words: Nathanael asked, “How do You know me?” Jesus said, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip ever called you.”

Forehead Guess words16 words

  • 📖 The Word
  • 💡 Light
  • 🐑 Lamb of God
  • 🌊 John the Baptist
  • 🏃 Andrew
  • 🪨 Simon Peter
  • 👉 Philip
  • 🙄 Nathanael
  • 🌳 Fig Tree
  • 🏘️ Nazareth
  • ✨ Messias
  • 👀 Come and See
  • 🌍 Creator
  • 🧳 Missionary
  • 🪜 Ladder
  • 🏞️ Jordan River
Clues for each word
  • The Word: John’s first title for Jesus
  • Light: Shines in darkness (John 1:5)
  • Lamb of God: What John the Baptist called Jesus
  • John the Baptist: A voice crying in the wilderness
  • Andrew: First found his own brother
  • Simon Peter: Renamed Cephas, a stone
  • Philip: Answered a skeptic with three words
  • Nathanael: Asked if anything good came from Nazareth
  • Fig Tree: Where Jesus saw Nathanael
  • Nazareth: Jesus’s hometown, doubted by Nathanael
  • Messias: Means the Christ (John 1:41)
  • Come and See: Invitation that shows up twice in John 1
  • Creator: All things were made by Him
  • Missionary: Someone whose whole job is “come and see”
  • Ladder: Angels ascending and descending (John 1:51)
  • Jordan River: Where John was baptizing
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. What title does John use for Jesus in John 1:1?
    • A. The Word
    • B. The Rock
    • C. The Shepherd
    Show answer

    ✅ A. The Word “In the beginning was the Word.” Jesus was with God before the world was made.

  2. According to John 1:3, what was made by Jesus Christ?
    • A. Only the temple
    • B. The law of Moses
    • C. All things
    Show answer

    ✅ C. All things He is the Creator. Moses 1:33 says worlds without number were created by the Son.

  3. What did John the Baptist call Jesus when he saw Him?
    • A. The King of the Jews
    • B. The Lamb of God
    • C. The Son of David
    Show answer

    ✅ B. The Lamb of God John 1:29, 36: the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

  4. What were Jesus’s first recorded words in John’s Gospel?
    • A. “What seek ye?”
    • B. “Follow me”
    • C. “Repent ye”
    Show answer

    ✅ A. “What seek ye?” John 1:38. Then He invited them to “come and see.”

  5. Who did Andrew go find first?
    • A. Philip
    • B. His brother Simon
    • C. John the Baptist
    Show answer

    ✅ B. His brother Simon John 1:41: “We have found the Messias.”

  6. What new name did Jesus give Simon?
    • A. Barnabas
    • B. Boanerges
    • C. Cephas, meaning a stone
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Cephas, meaning a stone John 1:42. A stone is strong and steady, and Peter became a leader of the Church.

  7. How did Philip answer Nathanael’s skeptical question?
    • A. “Come and see”
    • B. “Just believe me”
    • C. “Read the prophets”
    Show answer

    ✅ A. “Come and see” John 1:46. No argument, just an invitation.

  8. Where had Jesus seen Nathanael before Philip called him?
    • A. At the temple
    • B. Under the fig tree
    • C. By the Jordan River
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Under the fig tree John 1:48. Nathanael felt known and testified that Jesus was the Son of God.

  9. John 1:12: those who receive Jesus get power to become what?
    • A. Kings and priests
    • B. Prophets
    • C. The sons of God
    Show answer

    ✅ C. The sons of God Sons and daughters of God, born of God (John 1:12–13; Mosiah 5:7).

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

From general conference

“Please note that the ability to resist the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary is promised to those individuals who “hold fast to” rather than merely “cling to” the word of God.”

— Elder David A. Bednar, “But We Heeded Them Not,” April 2022

Read in the discussion, before the last question about study habits.

Read the talk ↗

Songs

  • Come, Follow Me Hymns, no. 116

    The invitation Jesus kept giving, starting in John 1. Find it ↗

  • Called to Serve Hymns, no. 249

    For future missionaries learning to invite others to “come and see.” Find it ↗

  • I Know That My Redeemer Lives Hymns, no. 136

    Like Nathanael, a testimony you can give in one breath. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

One Door This Week

Answer Jesus’s question “What seek ye?” in a private note. Write your one honest sentence of testimony. Then give one real “come and see” invitation this week. Try an activity, a service project, sacrament meeting or reading a chapter together. No pressure and no arguing. Just open the door.

Text the parents

Today in class we studied John 1. Jesus Christ is the Word and Creator. When Nathanael doubted, his friend Philip simply said, “Come and see,” in John 1:46. We talked about sharing a one-sentence testimony plus an invitation, like missionaries do. Ask your youth: “Who might you invite to ‘come and see’ this week, and how can our family help?”

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Got extra time?

🔦 Light in the Dark · 4 min

  1. Turn off the lights or close the blinds. Turn on one phone flashlight.
  2. Read John 1:4–9. Ask, “Why is light a good word for the Savior? What does it mean that the darkness ‘comprehended it not’?”
  3. Ask, “John the Baptist ‘was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.’ How is that like a missionary’s job, or yours?”

🌱 Power to Become · 5 min

  1. Read John 1:11–13 together, then Romans 8:16–17 and Mosiah 5:7.
  2. Explain that we’re all spirit children of God. Through Jesus Christ and our covenants, we’re also born of God and can become like our Heavenly Father.
  3. Ask, “How does being born of God connect to baptism now and to the endowment in the temple later?”

🪜 Greater Things · 4 min

  1. Read John 1:50–51. Then read about Jacob’s ladder in Genesis 28:12.
  2. Ask, “Jesus promised Nathanael he’d see greater things. What ‘greater things’ has the Lord shown you since you first believed?”
  3. Invite youth to write one in the margin next to John 1:50.

⏱️ Invitation Speed Round · 6 min

  1. Hand out cards. Each person writes one honest sentence of testimony. Then they write one real invitation they could give this month, like an activity or a chapter.
  2. Pair up. One partner asks a real question, like “Why go on a mission?” The other answers with the sentence and the invitation in about 20 seconds.
  3. Switch partners every minute. Ask, “Which invitation felt most natural? Who could you really give it to?”

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

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