Jesus call

Why we should share

I am going to tell you a secret but this is just between you and I, ok don’t worry I am a grave, oh I am really worry for Tagle so I have to tell you something but lister this is only between you and I, of course you know me well I will not tell anybody…how many of us have been in a situation like that something that only you and I and the rest of the town know what a secret, the magic words if you want the word to spread is this is between you and I, ohh my is like a we flame in a paper shop, blink of an eye and catapult but if you say pass it on that it dies you don’t hear anything about it…This morning we are doing something different as we are going to be reflecting on the Gossip Network, how the news are spread and the implications so we are going to have an application now at the beginning of the sermon and together explore how I got there so lets see the exhortation this morning.

Conclusion

The very first episode of the public ministry of Jesus (1:35-51) is engaged in the call of disciples. This suggests that the Evangelist has set an agenda for the Gospel as a whole. The discipleship motif is developed gradually and progressively as the Johannine story unfolds. The call stories uncover only the initial stage of the journey of the first disciples.134 Even though some of the significant discipleship themes — like following, abiding, and witnessing — are broached in 1:35-51, they are explained later. Moreover, other important themes — like believing and loving (as the sign of discipleship [13:34-35]) — are not found in these call narratives; they are dealt with later in the Gospel. Based on this study of 1:35-51, we can reasonably conclude that discipleship is a process of becoming, a process of growth. It is a vocation to which one has never responded fully in a final and definitive way. It is rooted in an experience of Jesus and received as a gift. To be a disciple means to “abide” in Jesus and through Jesus with God. This “abiding” is reciprocal, transforming, and oriented towards community. Discipleship is a call to ongoing conversion, to be born from above and again and again. It is a call to an ever-deeper understanding and appreciation of the presence of God in the unfolding history of humanity and a commitment to God’s design for future generations and the entire cosmos.

Disciple:

Following

Abiding

Witnessing

A very quick summary of John:

The Gospel of John has been referred to as “the Book of the Disciples.”1 The term machetes (disciple) occurs more often (seventy-eight times) in John than in any single synoptic Gospel.2 It has even been suggested that “discipleship is the primary category in John.”3 The goal of the Incarnation, according to the Prologue (1:1-18), is to empower those who believe in Jesus (the disciples) to become children of God (1:12). The purpose of the Gospel, as it is expressed in 20:31, is to deepen the faith of the disciples.4 The discipleship motif — the call of the disciples (1:35-51), their identity (1:12), their mission (4:31-38, 13:1-35, 15:1-27, 17:6-26), their destiny (12:20-26), and their journey with Jesus (more specifically in chapters 2-4 and 20-21).

How the Gossip works in the passage:

John once more testifies about Jesus, now to two intimate disciples, Andrew and someone else. He names Jesus with the same title he used earlier: ‘The lamb of God’. But something new happens: The two disciples begin to follow Jesus, not John. Thus, the narrative turns its full attention to Jesus. Then follows an extensive repetition of this catechetical process, which may be summarize in this way: (1) Disciples name Jesus with titles to potential disciples, thus acknowledging his honour; and (2) Jesus himself makes revelations to them of profound significance. The following ‘closer look’ illustrates the recruitment by disciples of relatives and neighbours.

Abide: Last week I decided to clean a wee patch of soil in the back garden as the summer is here and the girls are starting to stay outside more and to be honest even do it is an small rectangle it was wild, after I clean the ‘big things’ that were really easy I encounter this small dead truck of three and decided let me take a shovel and take it out to make the story short 30 minutes I found myself in a deep hole still fighting with the silly three that despite my initial calculation inside was not as wee as I thought the roots were deeper in the soil and it wasn’t what I thought,

Abide

Even though John the Baptist referred to Jesus as the Lamb of God (v. 36), the disciples address him as 'Paßßi, which literally means “my great one.” The narrator, however, translates it as “teacher.” Brown points out that “John’s translation as ‘teacher’ is not literal but is true to usage.”41 This deliberate translation is not meant merely for the non-Jewish reader in the Diaspora,42 but it also “makes clear to the implied reader that these disciples are approaching Jesus as a teacher, and no more.”43 This is further underscored by the query of the disciples: ttoú péneiç (where do you stay or abide)? Since Rabbis are not wanderers, Moloney is of the opinion that “it is the logical question that follows on the recognition of a newly found teacher.”44 The query “probably indicates a desire to hear Jesus expounding the Scriptures.”45 But the word “abide” (jiéveiv) is used not only in the literal sense of “staying” or “remaining” (2:12) but also in the theological sense of “abiding” or “indwelling” (15:5).46 The word péneiu is an important theological term for discipleship in the Fourth Gospel.47

The response of Jesus in v. 39 contains both an invitation: Come (epxeoGe) and a promise: You shall see (öi]/ea0e) ,51 The aspect of promise in the response of Jesus is neglected by most of the exegetes.52 Jesus’ promise (öv|/ea0e) in v. 39 is analogous in nature to the promise made by Jesus to Nathanael (oi|rr|) in v. 50 and then to all the disciples (öv|/ea0e) in v. 51. This is further established by the fact that the Evangelist always takes care to distinguish the invitation of Jesus from that of the disciples. The invitations of the disciples are always in the present imperative form: ’íôere (see the invitation of Philip in 1:46 [íôexe] and the Samaritan woman in 4:29 [íôexe]). The response of Jesus in 1:39, both the invitation and the promise in the future form, is a challenge to the disciples. As we shall see, it is an invitation to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus and to be open to the ongoing revelation of God in Jesus. The narrator informs the reader that the disciples not only went and saw the place where Jesus was “abiding” but also “abided” (¿pauca») with him.53 Abiding as an aspect of discipleship is developed much later in the Gospel. Discipleship in terms of abiding is explicitly expressed in Jn 15:1- 17. The use of péuau, however, at the very beginning of the journey to discipleship suggests that some thing more is implied than just seeing the place where Jesus was “abiding.” It implies that the disciples are on their way to seeing the ongoing revelation in Jesus, which later enables them to “abide” (jaéuau) in Jesus. As yet, this is only a hint. It will develop further as the narrative unfolds.

A journey of faith: Nathanael and Jesus

The fig three: some rabbinic texts imply that ‘fig three’ was both the locale for and symbol of studying the scriptures.

You will see what Jacob saw, I promise. Jesus promises these elite disciples a vision of the son of man in heaven. His remark requires us to compare what Jesus promises here with the vision by Jacob received a theophany - that is, a revelation of god – at bethel; he saw a ladder linking heaven and earth, with angels climbing up and down it, and God standing atop the ladder. The ladder functions as a bridge between heaven and earth. But Jesus’ remarks, although similar to Jacob’s vison describe a different scene.

John 1:51

You will see

Heavens opened

Angels up/down

On Son of Man

Genesis 28

Jacob saw

Ladder from earth to heaven

Angels up/down

On ladder

Minimally the disciples will be Jacob-like figures, seeing a vision comparable to that of Jacob. But unlike Jacob’s vision, there is no ladder in john, as Jesus (the son of man in down in the earth).

From the very beginning, the Gospel of John presents discipleship as a process of becoming. In the Prologue, it was stated that the purpose of the Incarnation is to give the power (é^onata) to those who believe in Jesus to become (yínopca) children of God (1:12-13). Both é^onata and yi-nopca imply some sort of movement and growth process.113 In John 1:35-51, the disciples make a journey with Jesus both in their understanding of Jesus and in their discipleship. Their dialogues with Jesus (on the third day [w. 38-39] and on the fourth day [vv. 47-50]) have given them new insights into the identity of Jesus. Their respective confessions of faith bear this out. The Evangelist, moreover, underscores the gradual development of the disciples’ faith elsewhere in the Gospel (6:66-69 and 14:9).114 As we have seen, the ministry of Jesus begins with a journey made by the disciples in chapters 2-4, and it concludes with an analogous journey in John 20-21. Even though Peter’s response is not described in 1:40-42, his journey of faith is recounted in chapter 21:15-19. It is worth noting that, at the end of Peter’s confession (21:15-18), the Johannine Jesus invites Peter again to follow (¿KOÀonOei) him (21:18). Jesus has used the same expression when he invited Philip at the beginning of Philip’s journey (1:43). Discipleship is thus presented as a never-ending process.

The concept of a journey or a process is brought into the call narrative (1:35-51) in various ways. We have literary indications and symbolic or metaphoric language, which render the notion of process more vivid. The disciples show a progression in their manner of recognizing Jesus as they give him more theologically significant titles towards the end of the narrative.

To Be a Disciple

As a consequence of the personal decision made by the disciples, they have been empowered to become children of God (Jn 1:12-13). They have a new way of being in the world, as persons who share the life of God. This notion of a second birth for the disciples is developed strikingly in the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus (3:1-12). The Johannine Jesus insists that a rebirth “from above” (autoGeu) is a necessary condition for the disciples to see the Kingdom of God (ßaaiAeica’ toû 9eoC) [3:3]. Flere autoGeu means both “from above” and “a second time.”130 “Je­sus’ words to Nicodemus combine both the horizontal experience of time and the vertical experience of the inbreak of God.”131 A similar conviction is brought out in the call stories by the act of renaming. Two of the call stories have an element of either renaming (1:42) in the case of Peter, or reaffirming (1:47) in the case of Nathanael. Jesus looks at Simon and calls him Peter (the Rock) and Jesus reaffirms Nathanael as a “true Israelite, in whom there is no guile.” Receiving new names is very common in the biblical traditions. Abram becomes Abraham (Gen 17:5), Jacob becomes Israel (Gen 32:28), Saul becomes Paul (Acts 13:9), and Simon becomes Peter (Jn 1:42). In each of these cases, the reception of the new name has a direct relation to the role the person so designated will play in salvation history. The new name and the mission associated with it, however, do not refer to a merely functional role of doing. It is something deeper; it is on the level of being. This is further accentuated by the concept of abiding in chapter 15. “Abiding is not grounded in external achievement or action, but derives energy from an interior source, a wellspring, an indwelling that is intimate and personal.”132 According to Jn 1:35-51, the vocation to follow Jesus is not to be interpreted only in terms of function. It is a God-given name establishing a new identity for mission.