John 1:35-51 - Following Jesus

Pray

Father, I pray that you would speak through me this morning.

I can’t do this without you.

I need your Spirit to work in me and through me now.

Please, open our hearts and minds to hear from you.

And transform us into the likeness of your Son as we hear your Word proclaimed.

We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Intro

Sometimes I feel ashamed of my testimony.

I’m not ashamed of Christ or the gospel.

But I sometimes feel like my story isn’t very spectacular.

That my story isn’t really worth telling.

Other stories would be way better to convince people to follow Jesus.

I wasn’t saved from a drug addiction or abuse.

I wasn’t saved from a life of crime or violence.

I wasn’t saved from death’s door or a terminal illness.

But I have been saved from sin and death,

and I’ve got to be reminded that my story is not about me.

Maybe there are some of you here today who can relate to my situation.

Maybe you’re struggling like me with unnecessary shame about your boring story.

Maybe there are others here who don’t necessarily relate because you have a remarkable story.

Maybe you are struggling with pride because your story is so interesting.

Maybe there are still others here who haven’t started to follow Jesus yet, and you are waiting for the right time.

Regardless of your story’s circumstances, we all need to be reminded that…

It’s not about how you began, it’s about who you are following.

We are going to walk through John 1:35-51 where Jesus calls four different disciples to follow him in four different ways.

We are going to look at them two at a time and see how the first pair were seeking Jesus and the second pair were sought by him.

Then we are going to look at the differences and similarities of these four circumstances to be reminded that…

Jesus is the only one worthy to be followed.

And the circumstances don’t really matter compared to the glory of the one we follow.

Your testimony is not about you, it’s about Jesus.

Turn in your Bible with me.

We are going to start in John 1:35 where we will see the first pair of disciples who sought out Jesus.

Now, two days prior to this, John the Baptist told the religious leaders that he was only the forerunner of the one who had the authority to turn their religious system upside down.

And only a day ago he saw Jesus and proclaimed to everyone who was there that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

John the Baptist’s declaration proved that Jesus is the one to look to rather than him because Jesus has always existed as God, and he is the only one worthy to be followed.

Now we come to day three of John’s gospel, and it opens, again with John the Baptist.

This is the account of two disciples who were…

Seeking Jesus (35-42)

John 1:35–42 ESV

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

First among those who were seeking Jesus is Andrew.

Andrew was counseled to follow the Lamb of God in verses 35-40.

We see John’s counsel to him in verse 36 where he says the same thing he said the previous day.

“Behold! The Lamb of God!”

But now the story shifts to the two disciples who were with John the Baptist that day.

The command, “Behold,” was taken to mean follow him.

These two disciples heard that this man was the Lamb of God, so they decided to check him out.

If he really is the Lamb of God, then we have to follow him.

So, they approach Jesus, and Jesus says, “What are you seeking?”

You would think that the natural question might be “Why are you following me?”

But he asks a more probing question instead.

I love it when God, in his omniscience, asks questions because you know that he already knows the answer.

And he asks those questions to get people to think about what they are doing or what they are saying in that moment.

Likewise, Jesus already knows the answer to his question.

Jesus knows they were counseled by John the Baptist to follow him.

He probably heard John call him the Lamb of God both times.

Now he asks them a question designed to get them thinking about why they are following him.

They were seeking the Lamb of God, the savior from sin and death, because he is worthy to be followed.

But these disciples, rather than answering Jesus’ question, they ask another question.

“Where are you staying?”

They call him Rabbi, which John helpfully defines as Teacher.

Where are you staying?

They knew it would take longer than a simple conversation on the street to explain why they were following him…

And Jesus accepts that and tells them to come and see where he is staying so they can have a more comfortable conversation.

So they follow him to wherever he was staying at that time, and they spend the whole evening with him.

It was about 4 in the afternoon, and they spent the rest of the evening listening to Jesus, the Lamb of God.

But up until this point, these two disciples have remained nameless, and John finally identifies one of the disciples as Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

Andrew was not as well known to John’s audience as his brother Simon Peter was.

His brother was very prominent in the culture of John’s original audience.

He was also a prominent figure in the other gospel accounts that were written well before this one.

Peter’s reputation preceded him, but not necessarily Andrew’s.

The other disciple John mentions remains nameless, but was likely himself.

Throughout his gospel, John mentions himself because he was there, but he refuses to identify himself by name.

Very often he just leaves his name out like he did here, but he also identifies himself later in his gospel as the disciple whom Jesus loved.

Since he was so adamant not to focus on himself, we will also not focus on him.

We ought to focus on Jesus, instead.

But as you think about your own story…

Those who began following Jesus because a pastor or teacher counseled you can identify with Andrew here.

Those of us who grew up in the church and maybe can’t even remember the exact date of our second birth…

This is us!

One of the things a seemingly unremarkable story like this does is it shows Jesus’ glory and mercy in preserving us from some of the horrors of living life without the influence of God’s Word.

Andrew’s story, like many of ours, proclaims that Jesus is worthy to be followed because he is the Lamb of God.

He’s the sacrificial savior who died in our place and experienced God’s wrath so we wouldn’t have to.

The next disciple who sought Jesus was Simon Peter.

Peter was compelled to follow the Christ in verses 41-42.

Here we see Andrew’s excitement about seeking Jesus by John’s use of the word “First.”

As soon as Andrew figured out who Jesus was, he realized that he had something important to do.

Before Andrew stayed the night with Jesus, he made a pit-stop.

He had to tell his brother and compel him to come and see Jesus as well.

He couldn’t help but rush to his brother and relay the good news.

They found him!

The Messiah, the Christ, God’s anointed one!

The search was finally over!

And Andrew bring him along to follow Jesus as well.

When they show up, Jesus doesn’t even wait to hear if Andrew’s brother wants to follow him.

As soon as he sees him, he gives him a new name, a new identity.

No longer would he be called Simon, the flat-nose.

That’s what the name Simon means.

His new name in Aramaic is Cephas, or in Greek, Peter, the rock.

Again, as you think about your own story of beginning to follow Jesus…

Those who began following Jesus because you were compelled by a loved one can identify with Peter here.

Perhaps you came to follow Jesus because a family member told you the gospel.

And maybe like Peter, you had an incredible identity shift after encountering Jesus in the gospel.

Ultimately, all of us have an identity shift when we come to Jesus, but some more than others.

Peter’s story, like many of ours, proclaims that Jesus is worthy to be followed because he is the Christ.

He is the anointed one, specially chosen and set apart to work out God’s glorious plan of salvation.

Next, we are going to see two more disciples who weren’t necessarily seeking Jesus.

Instead, they were…

Sought by Jesus (43-51)

John 1:43–51 ESV

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

The previous day Andrew and Peter were seeking Jesus, but now Jesus is the one doing the seeking staring with Philip.

Philip was called to follow the fulfillment of prophecy in verses 43-45.

Jesus is getting ready to go to Galilee when he sees Philip and simply says, “Follow me.”

This is a remarkably simple command.

And we are to assume that Philip obeyed that command, but we have to wait until he talks to Nathanael later on to figure out why he decided to obey and follow Jesus.

But who is this Philip guy anyway?

Peter is pretty well known, and Andrew is known because he is Peter’s brother, but Philip is not that well known and not related to anyone in the story yet.

We had John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Christ, very well known.

Then we had two of John’s disciples, and the brother of one of those disciples… Andrew and Peter.

Now we have a random guy named Philip.

Well, the author, John, gives us the connection in a side note in verse 44.

Philip is from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.

Now we’ve got a connection…

They probably grew up together…

Maybe they wrestled each other in high school.

But after Philip decides to follow Jesus he goes and tells his friend.

Hang on… that’s what Andrew did yesterday.

Both of them, as soon as they figured out who Jesus was, they went and brought someone else to follow him.

And what Philip tells his friend reveals exactly what he understood about who had told him, “follow me.”

This is the one Moses and the prophets wrote about!

He is the center, the focus of all the Scriptures!

This man from Nazareth is the fulfillment of all of the prophecies about the Christ!

Yet again, as you think about your own story…

Those who began following Jesus because he found you, or a complete stranger led you, can identify with Philip.

Sometimes people are led to Jesus because he providentially makes himself known to them through anonymous strangers or circumstances.

I’m talking about God’s Word getting into people’s hands in miraculous ways.

People who aren’t led to Jesus by a specific person, but Jesus finds them with his Word, nonetheless.

I have heard so many testimonies from the Gideon’s that fall into this category.

People who come to the end of themselves in a hotel room and find a Bible in the side table, open it, and find Jesus, the perfect answer to their sin and suffering.

Philip’s story, like some of ours, proclaims that Jesus is worthy to be followed because he is the fulfillment of prophecy.

The one the Scriptures prophesied has finally come to save all mankind from our greatest enemies, sin and death.

Well, then Jesus seeks out Philip’s friend, Nathanael.

Nathanael was convinced to follow the King in verses 46-51.

Philip had just told his friend, Nathaniel, that this man named Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy.

But Nathaniel doubts the truth of this claim because he focuses on the fact that Jesus was from Nazareth.

Uh oh… Jesus, things aren’t going so smoothly anymore.

The first three seemed so easy, but now we’ve got a problem.

Nathaniel clearly has doubts about this Jesus guy making the claim to be the fulfillment of prophecy.

Maybe Nathaniel thought that the one to fulfill those prophecies would be from a prominent city like Jerusalem.

Or maybe he thought he would be a mystical divine being who had no earthly origin.

But certainly not a guy from Nazareth.

I mean… Nazareth of all places…

Nazareth apparently had a reputation for being a not-so-great place to live.

So much that we now make jokes about places that are less than desirable.

We take Nathanael’s words and insert whatever place we don’t like.

“Can anything good come out of Garberville?”

This was the wrong side of the tracks.

You don’t expect the long-awaited fulfilment of all your hopes and dreams from the Scriptures to come from the wrong side of the tracks.

That’s why he doubts Philip’s report.

And Philip, like a good friend, simply says, “Come and see.”

You can’t convince someone who has this kind of doubt.

They have to see it for themselves.

So, Philip gets Nathanael to come and see for himself if these claims could possibly be true.

Remember how Philip’s actions were so similar to Andrew’s?

How they both went and brought someone else to Jesus as soon as they discovered his identity.

Now Jesus’ initial interaction with Nathaniel is similar to his initial interaction with Peter.

As soon as he saw Peter, he identified him by name and gave him a new name.

Now as soon as he sees Nathaniel, he identifies him by reputation.

“Behold, an Israelite indeed in whom there is no deceit.”

What a reputation!

You can’t pull the wool over his eyes!

He’s sharp! He’s on it!

No false Messiah on his watch!

Jesus’ introduction to Nathaniel did not have the same effect as it did with the previous three disciples.

The others seemed to follow Jesus as soon as they saw him, but not Nathaniel.

Nathaniel is still doubtful and on guard.

I imagine he was sort of standoffish as he responded, “How do you know me?”

And Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

That’s a kind of confusing statement…

At first glance, Jesus’ answer doesn’t seem very remarkable and it doesn’t seem to fit the conversation.

Jesus may have seen him as he was walking along on his way to Philip, or something like that.

But Jesus’ answer reveals something important.

It reveals that he had been seeking Nathaniel even before Nathaniel knew he existed.

We don’t get to know exactly what Jesus’ answer meant to Nathaniel.

All we get to know is that Jesus was seeking Nathaniel before Nathaniel could even think about seeking Jesus.

And with Jesus’ answer all of Nathaniel’s doubts about him vanish instantly.

We can’t understand exactly what went through Nathaniel’s head when he heard Jesus’ answer,

but the result was a complete change of heart from doubt to belief.

Nathaniel understood at once that this man from Nazareth was God in the flesh, the King of Israel.

One last time, as you think about your own story…

Those who began following Jesus because a friend loved you, and your doubts were demolished as they revealed to you who Jesus really is can identify with Nathaniel.

Maybe you came to Jesus because of a friend as well.

And maybe, like Nathaniel, you resisted believing in Jesus because you had doubts about the truth of who Jesus is and what he did on the cross for you.

Nathaniel’s testimony, like some of ours, proclaims that Jesus is worthy to be followed because he is…

The King of Israel, the almighty ruler to whom we all owe our allegiance.

And he is the Son of God, God in the flesh, who made heaven and earth, and who made you and me.

But we’re not quite done yet…

Jesus makes two more statements at the end of this chapter to sort of put a frame of reference around these events as he called his disciples to follow him.

The first statement is a comparison.

He looks at the present circumstances that led to Nathanael’s belief and he compares that with future experiences that will confirm Jesus’ divinity and lordship in an even greater way.

The second statement is an example of one of those amazing experiences that the disciples will have.

The point that Jesus is making with these two statements is that the circumstances that cause you to believe are nothing compared to the glory of Jesus himself.

It’s not about how you come to believe, it’s about who you believe in.

The circumstances are not the point, Jesus is.

As awesome or mundane as our circumstances might seem, Jesus is greater.

Conclusion

We tend to focus on the differences in how we began following Jesus.

Ultimately God seeks us first,

but some of us may feel like we are the ones who did the seeking before finding Jesus,

and others may feel like we weren’t seeking God at all, but Jesus chased us down anyway.

Some began following Jesus because a pastor or teacher counseled you to follow him, like Andrew.

Some began following Jesus because a family member compelled you to follow him, like Peter.

Some began following Jesus because Jesus himself called you, like Philip, though now it was likely through an anonymously placed Bible.

And Some began following Jesus because you were convinced to turn from your doubt to belief, like Nathanael.

There are as many different ways to begin following Jesus as there are people in God’s kingdom.

The differences can be interesting, but the real glory comes in the one similarity in all of our stories.

The similarity of who we all began to follow.

These four disciples saw four different aspects of the same glorious person of Jesus Christ.

He is the Lamb of God.

He is the Christ.

He is the fulfillment of prophecy.

And he is the King of Israel, and the Son of God.

All four of these disciples prove by their testimony that Jesus is worthy to be followed.

And that’s also what your testimony is meant to do.

Remember, how you began following can be interesting or not, but your testimony is really about who you are following.

Don’t worry about whether your story of beginning to follow Jesus is spectacular or not.

The one who you follow is infinitely more glorious than the circumstances by which you began following him.

If your story is dynamic and interesting, great!

I love hearing interesting stories like that, but Jesus is much more interesting.

If your story is bland and boring, great!

I love hearing those stories too because it’s about Jesus.

Your story is more about Jesus than it is about you, and he’s amazing.

Now, if you haven’t yet begun to follow Jesus, then right now your story IS about how you begin following him.

And how you begin is by believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, because only by believing will you have life in his name.

If you’re still trusting your own goodness to be right with God…

Then remember Andrew.

He proved that Jesus is worth following because Jesus is the Lamb of God who died in your place so that you could be right with God through faith in him.

If you’re still believing in your own understanding of the world…

Then remember Peter.

He proved that Jesus is worth following because Jesus is the Christ, the one set apart for God’s special purpose, to save mankind from the wrath of God against sin.

If you are still trying to fulfill your own self-made destiny…

Then remember Philip.

He proved that Jesus is worth following because Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy, the one all of the Scriptures looked forward to for the deliverance of mankind from our greatest enemies, sin and death.

And if you are still trying to be the king of your life…

Then remember Nathanael.

He proved that Jesus is worth following because Jesus is the King, the Son of God, the ruler of everything.

If you have not yet begun to follow Jesus, then I beg you to stop trusting in yourself and turn to Jesus.

Believe in him and submit to him, because…

he is the only way to be right with God,

he is the only way to be saved from your sin and the wrath of God because of your sin,

he is the only way to truly have eternal life.

You don’t know when you will be called to give an account of your life… it could be today!

What will you say in your defense?

Ultimately nothing you could say will justify you…

Only faith in Jesus can do that because only Jesus can justify you before the Father

So, All of us who follow Jesus must focus on him instead of focusing on ourselves.

Because the glory of Christ in our story is lost when we get out of focus.

And all of you who are not following Jesus must follow him instead of rebelling against him.

Because there is no eternal life, no salvation from sin and death without following Christ.

And remember, it’s not about how you begin following, it’s about who you follow.

And the testimonies of these four disciples, along with all of our testimonies, prove that Jesus is the only one worth following.

Pray

Father, you have exalted your Son before us in your Word.

He is the one we must follow.

He is the one we must believe in.

He is the one through whom you made all things.

He is the one who died in our place so that we could be reconciled to you.

He is the one who rules and reigns at your right hand.

He is the one who is interceding for us right now.

He is the one who perfectly answers all our sins and sorrows.

And He is the one who is coming back to make all things new.

Father I pray that you would strengthen our faith that Jesus is sufficient to save us from sin and death.

I pray that you would work in us through your Spirit to transform us into the likeness of Christ.

I pray that we would love each other like he loved us.

And I pray that we would have hope that he is coming back.

It’s in his glorious name we pray, Amen.

Communion

Well, it’s time to celebrate communion together!

The men can come forward now to pass out the elements.

If you are visiting with us today, and you are a believer in good standing with your home church then you’re welcome to join us as we celebrate our new life in Christ.

When the elements come to you, just hold onto them and we’ll eat and drink together once we all have them.

We just looked at the different ways people begin following Jesus.

More importantly, we saw how much more awesome Jesus is compared to our different circumstances of following him.

One of the most amazing aspects of who Jesus is…

I think it’s the most compelling reason to follow him…

Is that he is God who became man to bring in the new covenant by giving his body and shedding his blood on the cross.

He is worthy to be followed because of who he is, and because of what he has done.

He is God.

And He brought us salvation through his loving sacrifice and resurrection.

God knew that we would need to be reminded about how worthy Jesus is to be followed.

That’s why we have the Lord’s supper.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 11 that it’s a proclamation of Jesus’ death until he comes.

A proclamation as a reminder to us and a call to the world to follow him.

Let’s read that passage together… it’s 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

I’ll give you some time to turn there in your Bible.

And as you’re turning there, I’ll just give you some context for this passage.

The Corinthian church had some problems that Paul was addressing in this letter.

One of those problems was their unloving and divisive attitude regarding the Lord’s supper.

So, Paul rebuked them for this attitude, and then he reminded them in this passage about the heart behind this ordinance.

The heart of remembrance of Christ and unity in Christ.

Follow along as I read…

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

The point of this table is to remind each other of the hope we all have in Christ together.

He paid the price for our sin.

He defeated death.

He’s interceding on our behalf right now.

And he’s coming back again…

to right all the wrongs and rule in righteousness forever.

And we all get to be a part of that, so we all remember together everything God has given us in Christ through his death and resurrection on our behalf.

Pray

Father, thank you so much for your love for us.

You love us so much that you sent your best, you sent your own Son to reconcile us back to you.

You poured out your wrath on him… instead of me… the wrath that I deserve.

And Father, thank you for your grace that you pour out on us in stead of your wrath.

You’ve provided the perfect sacrifice to make us right with you, to be justified before you in the righteousness of Christ.

You’ve given us the new covenant!

Now we have hearts of flesh instead of hearts of stone, and we have your Spirit living inside of us.

And on top of all of that, you’ve adopted us into your family.

Now we can boldly approach your throne to fine grace to help in our time of need.

We can cry out to you, “Abba, Father… Daddy!”

And we look forward to when your Son comes back to make all things new.

We look forward to that day in hopeful expectation.

Please bless us now as we celebrate the new covenant looking forward in hope to when Jesus comes back.

It’s in his name we pray. Amen.