Bringing Others to Jesus
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0Introduction
0Introduction
This morning we are continuing our study in the book of John.
Last week, we saw that John the Baptizer (or John the Baptist) was a witness of Jesus to the religious leaders.
In John 1:34 John says:
I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”
He introduced the religious leaders to God’s Chosen One.
This morning we are going to continue our study of the Gospel of John. So if you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to turn with me to John chapter 1 and we’ll begin reading with verse 35.
The Lamb of God!
The Lamb of God!
The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
In this verse we have both a time marker, and a place marker (v. 35a).
Time Marker—the next day this would have been the day after he made his first proclamation about the Lamb of God. . . (cf. v. 29)
Place Marker—there again so this is in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan (cf. v. 28)
The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
John and two of his followers (disciples) were there (v. 35b).
When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
Once again, John sees Jesus walking by and announces a second time, “Look the Lamb of God.”
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
John’s Disciples Follow Jesus
John’s Disciples Follow Jesus
The two disciples that were with John heard what he said, and followed Jesus (v. 37).
Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
When Jesus sees them following him, he asks them what they want (v. 38a).
These two call him Rabbi or Teacher (v. 38b). This is a term of respect that implies subservience (i.e. master).
They want to know where Jesus is staying (v. 38c).
“Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.
Jesus’ response is to invite them to follow him and they will see where he’s staying (v. 39a).
So the two go with him and they spent the rest of the day with him (v. 39b).
John gives us another time marker--it was about four in the afternoon (v. 39c).
Introduction of One of John’s Disciples
Introduction of One of John’s Disciples
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.
of John that followed Jesus was Andrew (v. 40a).
This Andrew is the brother of Simon (who will be called Peter (or Rock) (v. 40b)
Andrew’s Immediate Response to Jesus
Andrew’s Immediate Response to Jesus
The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).
We’re told the first thing that Andrew did was to go find Simon to tell him that they had found the Messiah--God’s Anointed One (v. 41).
QUESTION—Who are you telling about Jesus?
And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).
The second thing Andrew did was to bring Simon to Jesus! (v. 42a)
Jesus’ Response to Seeing Simon
Jesus’ Response to Seeing Simon
First, Jesus looked at him. . . (Gk. looked at implies an intent looking almost a searching of him) (v. 42b).
Next, Jesus changes his name from Simon, to “Cephas” or “Peter.” Cephas is rock in Aramaic, while Peter is rock in Greek (v. 42c).
The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”
Jesus Calls Philip
Jesus Calls Philip
We have another time marker—the next day would refer to the day after Jesus called Peter to follow Him (v. 43a).
And we have a place marker. They are leaving the area around Bethany across the Jordan and they begin moving back into the region of Galilee (v. 43b).
As Jesus begins His journey to Galilee, he meets Philip. And when He does He calls Philip to follow Him (v. 43c).
Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.
In verse 44 there is a side note that lets us know the three that Jesus has called so far (Philip, Andrew, and Peter) are all from the same home town—Bethsaida.
Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Nothing Good from Nazareth!
Nothing Good from Nazareth!
Philip is so exited about meeting Jesus that he goes and finds Nathanael (v. 45a).
He tells Nathanael, “We have found the one Moses wrote about. . .Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (v. 45b)
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.
Nathanael's response is skeptical (v. 46a). He doesn’t believe anything good can come from Nazareth. Nathanael was from Cana and didn’t believe that the lowly town of Nazareth could produce the Messiah.
Philip is undaunted. He simply says to Philip, “Come and see!” (v. 46b). The idea here is “see for yourself!”
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
Jesus Calls Nathanael
Jesus Calls Nathanael
When Jesus sees Nathanael coming with Philip, He announces:
—Here is a true Israelite empty of deceit (v. 47).
—This was different from the original Israel. Jacob whose name was changed to Israel was originally a deceiver or deceitful (cf. Gen. 27:35-36, 22:12).
“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
Nathanael immediately asks, “How do you know me?” He knows he doesn’t know Jesus, so there is no way Jesus knows him! (v. 48a).
To his surprise, Jesus gives him a somewhat cryptic answer, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree—before Philip called you” (v. 48b). The way it is written suggests that Jesus saw or knew some prophetic insight into Nathanael.
Nathanael’s Declaration
Nathanael’s Declaration
Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
Nathanael makes his declaration in three ways:
—Calling Him Rabbi. This meant teacher, but also acknowledges Jesus as Master.
—He calls Jesus the Son of God!
—And finally he acknowledges Jesus as the king of Israel! (v. 49).
Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.”
Jesus Response to Nathanael
Jesus Response to Nathanael
Nathanael believed because Jesus said he saw him under the fig tree (v. 50a).
But that is nothing compared to what Nathanael will see (v. 50b).
He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”
Jesus tells Nathanael that he will see greater things that what he experienced Jesus do (v. 51).
Then Jesus makes a reference to Jacob (Israel) wrestling with the angel (cf. Gen. 28:12) and tells Nathanael that he will see:
—The heavens opened up
—The angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man
You may remember the story out of Genesis 28. Jacob tricked his father into giving him the family blessing. Now he is on his way to Harran to find a wife from his parents’ family, and escape the wrath of his brother, Esau.
On his way he stopped to spend the night. There he had a dream. He saw a stairway that went from the earth to heaven.
On the stairway he saw the angels of God going up and down the staircase.
Then God spoke to him. God repeated to Jacob the covenant that He made with Jacobs’ grandfather, Abraham; which was repeated to Jacob’s father, Isaac. And now, God repeats it to him!
Jacob, realizes that he had met with the Lord, and called it Bethel—which means the house of God.
So, Jacob promises God that if, his journey is successful and doesn’t end in death, then he promises:
—The Lord will be his God.
—Jacob will give God a tenth of his possessions.
Jesus begins verse 51 with Truly, truly, I say to you (Gk. amen amen lego humin) is used 25 times in the Gospel of John and introduces really important affirmation.
In this case, Jesus tells Nathanael (and his fellow disciples—the “you” in the Greek is plural) that they would see things that are even more amazing that what was seen by Jacob.
After all, Jesus is going to open up the mysteries of heaven (some of these revelations are recorded for us in Acts 10:11, Revelation 4:1; 19:11).
In fact, one of the themes of John is that Jesus would reveal heavenly things to the disciples and to HIs followers.
So What?
So What?
There are three things that I find incredible in our passage today.
Through the Word of God, and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives Jesus will reveal Himself to us!
Everyone one of us should be telling the people around us about the great and mighty things that God has done for us!
And then we ought to be like Andrew and Philip and bring those we know and love to Jesus!
The moto that I have for our church this year comes from the book of John. In our passage today, John has laid the foundation for our moto.
In case you have missed it. The moto for us this year is that we are to: Love God and Love people!
