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John 1:35–51 Pointing Others to Jesus 1:35–36 Again the next day John was standing there with two of his disciples. Gazing at Jesus as he walked by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" The day after John had identified Jesus as the Lamb of God, he was standing with two of his disciples when he again saw Jesus walking by. Turning to them, he drew their attention to Jesus by telling them to look, for he was ‘the Lamb of God.’ This was an indirect challenge for them to follow Jesus; for from now on. John’s purpose was to point all men to the Saviour. 1:37 When John's two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Up to this time they had been faithful disciples of John and had heard his previous testimonies of who Jesus was. John had already said that his sole purpose was to proclaim the coming of Christ and point others to him. It was at John’s indirect invitation that they left him to follow Jesus. One of the disciples is Andrew (v 40) and the other is most likely to be John.
A Personal Invitation from Christ 1:38 Jesus turned around and saw them following and said to them, "What do you want?" So they said to him, "Rabbi" (which is translated Teacher), "where are you staying?" Jesus knows all things and so knew the heart of Andrew and John (John 2:25). Yet he turned to ask them ‘What are you looking for?’ By doing so, Christ takes the initiative to draw them into conversation. Andrew and John were seeking to know more about Jesus, and by asking him where he was staying they hoped to be invited to his home to learn more from him. The disciples saw the need of a teacher who would instruct them in the things of God, and they would find out that Jesus was far more than just a teacher. 1:39. Jesus answered, "Come and you will see." So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about four o'clock in the afternoon
At Christ’s invitation, they joined him at his own home. Since it was already 4 pm, it is most likely that they stayed overnight. This gave then a considerable amount of time with Jesus, getting to know him. We too should make sure that we spend time with Jesus. We can get to know more about him by praying, reading his word, and by fellowship with other Christians. Jesus’s invitation to come to him is for everyone (Matt 11:28) He never forces himself, but as he is sought after so he draws people to himself. Christ will receive all who come to him (John 6:37).
A Personal Invitation to Christ 1:40–41 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two disciples who heard what John said and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah!" (which is translated Christ). The very next day, Andrew went to find his brother Simon to tell him ‘We have found the Messiah!’ We don’t need to wait and learn a lot before we can tell others about Jesus; Andrew did it in a simple and straightforward way. There is no time to be lost if we are to tell others about Jesus, for their eternal destination depends on it. 1:42 Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon, the son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which is translated Peter). Peter was ready to listen and lets Andrew lead him to Jesus. Like Nathaniel’s meeting with Christ later, Jesus knew all about Simon before he even met him. Jesus reveals to Simon that he knows his name and that he will change his name, for he would make a new man of him. Simon son of John would become Peter, a son of God, for ‘Peter’ means ‘rock’, strong and steadfast like his Saviour, the eternal rock (Hab 1:12).
A Powerful Indication of Christ 1:43 On the next day Jesus wanted to set out for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." The following day Jesus wanted to return to Galilee. There he found Philip and called him to follow him. Philip readily responded. The word ‘follow’ doesn’t simply mean to follow behind, but to become a companion of. Jesus would repeat this call to the others whom he would choose as his disciples; including Peter and Andrew (Matt 4:19), James and John (Matt 4:21–22) and Matthew (Matt 9:9). Jesus still calls each of us to follow Him (Matt 16:24). 1:44–45 (Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.) Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Philip was from the Bethsaida the same town as Andrew and Simon. It is likely that Philip went to see Nathaniel (also called Bartholomew) when he arrived back in Galilee, for Nathaniel lived in Cana and the next chapter begins with Jesus and the disciples in that city. Philip was obviously well versed in the scriptures prophecies concerning the Messiah. When he found Nathaniel, he told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph’. 1:46 Nathanael replied, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip replied, "Come and see.” Nathanael was sceptical. ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Obviously, the town was not well thought of. Nathaniel's opinion was almost correct, for we see by their reaction to the Lord Jesus Christ what kind of people they were (Luke 4:28–29). Another point is that Nathanael, knowing the scriptures, would know that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem not Nazareth. However, there was at least one good thing to come out of Nazareth—Jesus. Philip's challenge to him is simple, ‘Come and see for yourself.’ It is never enough to hear about Jesus from others, we must come and meet him for ourselves (Ps 34:8). 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and exclaimed, "Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" As Nathanael approached the Lord Jesus, Jesus revealed that he knew all that was in Nathanael’s heart (Heb 4:12). He described him as a true son of Israel in whose spirit was no artfulness or deceit, that is, no pretense. Nathaniel was a man to speak his mind whether he offended others or not. 1:48 Nathanael asked him, "How do you know me?" Jesus replied, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael knew Christ’s estimation of him was true, so he asked, ‘How do you know me?’ Jesus’s reply again reveals a knowledge that can only be possessed by God. ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’ How could he see that? He was miles away at the time! He did not see it as man; but as God, through the Holy Spirit, he knew it (Ps 139:1–2). 1:49 Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel!" This was evidence enough for Nathanael; he is only the second person after John the Baptist to have recognized Christ as the Son of God and the rightful King of Israel. In other words, the Saviour God promised to David—the Messiah (2 Sam 7:12–13, Jer 23:5–6). 1:50–51 Jesus said to him, "Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these." He continued, "I tell all of you the solemn truth — you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
Jesus was pleased with Nathanael's faith; indeed, to find such faith in Israel was unusual. Since Nathanael had believed on such little evidence he would be privileged to see far greater evidence of Christ’s divinity. It is possible that Jesus literally meant that Nathanael would see heaven open and the angels of God coming and going as they ministered to the Messiah. But it may have another meaning. The only place in scripture where this is recorded is in Gen 28:12, where Jacob dreamt of a ladder fixed between earth and heaven on which the angels came and went as messengers from God. Christ is heaven opened; he is the link between heaven and earth. He is the only mediator between God and men and so is the channel of all God’s blessings (1 Tim 2:5). Nathanael would witness the evidence of this in Christ’s healing and deliverance ministry, as well as in Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection which would bring redemption and peace with God. These are the greater things which Nathanael became a witness to. ©
Mathew
Bartlett
&
Derek
www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk
Williams
2017.
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