Sermons on John’s Gospel (3)

Jesus and His Disciples

John 1:35–51 “The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 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 next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of 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.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.” He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.””

Have you ever met someone who changed your life? There have been some famous examples such as:

John Lennon & Paul McCartney - The legendary partnership that formed The Beatles began as a chance meeting at a church garden fete in 1957. A mutual friend introduced them, McCartney impressed Lennon with his guitar skills, and Lennon invited him to join his band, The Quarrymen, an encounter that changed the course of music history.

Henry Ford & Thomas Edison - Ford, an engineer working for one of Edison's companies and a long-time admirer of the inventor. Ford had a brief but impactful conversation with Edison at a convention in 1896 where he explained his idea for a gasoline-powered quadricycle, and Edison encouraged him to "keep at it." Ford later cited this meeting as a key inspiration for his career, which ultimately led to the mass production of the Model T car.

Wallis Simpson & Prince Edward - They met at a weekend hunting event and party in 1931 when Wallis Simpson, a previously married American expat who came to England in the 1920s, a social climber eager to rub elbows with only the most elite of British society. Simpson was intrdocued to Prince Edward by Lady Thelma Furness, who was Prince Edward VIII’s mistress at the time. She perhaps could never have imagined that introducing Wallis and Prince Edward would doom her own relationship—and all because he and Wallis had a dull conversation about central heating. When Wallis allegedly called him out for essentially being a bore (a social crime of the highest degree), the prince was so enchanted by her feisty cheek that he (eventually) deemed it worthy of abdicating a throne for.

Doubtless you may have your own story - meeting someone can change your life for good or for ill and today I want to introduce you to people who met Jesus and see the change that it made!

So let me add one last story of someone you may have heard of, Actor Chris Pratt of Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy fame, tells of how he was once homeless, at aged 19, living in a van on the beach in Hawaii, waiting tables at a Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant when he had an encounter that changed his entire life. While asking someone to buy him beer because he was underaged, another man came up to him, "a guy named Henry came up and recognized something in me that needed to be saved. He asked what I was doing that night, and I was honest. I said, ‘My friend’s inside buying me alcohol.’ ‘You going to go party?’ he asked. ‘Yeah.’ ‘Drink and do drugs? Meet girls, fornication?’ I was like, ‘I hope so’ … It should’ve made me nervous but didn’t. I said, ‘Why are you asking?’ He said, ‘Jesus told me to talk to you . . .’ At that moment I was like, I think I have to go with this guy. He took me to church. Over the next few days I surprised my friends by declaring that I was going to change my life." Fast forward a decade and half, and Pratt is now one of the most popular Christian leading men in Hollywood, he said in an interview with the Christian Post, “I don't care enough about politics to take a stand one way or another at the expense of my career. But I do care enough about Jesus to take a stand, even if it costs me. If it costs me everything, I don't care. It's worth it to me because this is what I'm called to do. It's where my heart is. I'm a father of four. I want to raise my children up with an understanding that their dad was unashamed of his faith in Jesus and with a profound understanding of the power of prayer and the grace and the love and the joy that can come from a relationship with Jesus. That's something that's really important to me.  Speaking last year at the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards, Pratt took to the stage to tell the audience that, "God is real. God loves you, God wants the best for you. Believe that. I do." The actor adds that it's his job to "be a light" and focus on what's important. “What's important to me is talking about Jesus.”

And what Chris Pratt thinks is important is demonstrated in the passage before us today as people had a life-changing encounter with Jesus and learned that “What's important to me is talking about Jesus.”

“What's important to me is talking about Jesus.” - This is what the first disciples beleived as well as we shall see in John 1:11–16 John tells us that Jesus, the Word and the Incarnate Son of God “came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

These are the exception to the general rule of rejection on the part of the people of Israel.

When Jesus, “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John is telling us that His followers, began to see something glorious in Him; something that no man has nor ever will be able to show - His glory! - “It’s the glory of the only Son of God—that is, the one who is himself of the very same substance or essence of the Father, very God of very God, the image and radiance of the Father who is eternally begotten, not made, by the Father. And this glory of Jesus who is God incarnate is full of grace and truth, and we receive grace when we see his glory.”(John Piper).

And when John the Baptist testified “concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ” John the Baptist is directing his followers to Jesus (vs 35–36) expresses his belief that the ministry of the Messiah would supersede his own (vs 26–27).

And particularly when John the Baptist pointed out to Andrew and his un-named disciple, who was almost certainly John who wrote this Gospel, “Look the Lamb of God”(John 1:29,35). They began to discover, once they had “found the Messiah”(John 1:41) that “from the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.” (John 1:16).

It is upon these encounters with Jesus that we are going to focus on today!

The initial encounters of Jesus with His first disciples, highlighting their responses to His call and the transformative impact of meeting Him.

This passage demonstrates for us the nature of discipleship, emphasising how Jesus initiates a personal relationship with each follower, leading them through a journey of faith, purpose, and transformation.

It begins with Jesus as John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.”

In this passage, Christ is revealed as the one who calls and equips His disciples.

It reflects the overarching narrative of Scripture where God pursues His people, inviting them into a relationship that transforms their lives and demanding a response that leads to a life of following and sharing His message.

And it reminds us of the glorious nature of God’s grace: John 6:37 “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

1. Jesus Calls His Disciples - John 1:35–43

There is a significant moment here when John the Baptist directs his followers to Jesus, calling Him the "Lamb of God."

In this Jesus conforms to Jewish rabbinical models where teachers were traditionally surrounded by ‘learners’, and literally followed behind their Rabbi.

‘Disciples’ are followers but what is significant here is that in Judaism, the student found the teacher, offering his loyalty and devotion, whereas here, Jesus took the initiative, repeatedly asking them to follow but not hiding the gost of following (see John 1:39;Matthew 16:24-26)

This moment marks the beginning for those first disciples who seek to know where Jesus abides, indicating a desire for relationship and understanding.

(i) Andrew (1:37–41)

We will not speak of the un-named disciple because although it is widely believed to be John we can’t be absolutely certain, so we move to Andrew.

Andrew is the first follower of Jesus to be identified by name (John 1:40). He is introduced as “Simon Peter’s brother” because John’s readers were very familiar with Peter but less knowledgeable of Andrew.

It expresses Andrew’s continuing challenge - even perhaps his irritation? - that his relationship to Peter was his means of identification. Andrew is not alone. Many lives are lived in the shadow of another - “I was always ‘little John’ because I was called after my dad; and annoyed teachers often referred to me as just being “like my brothers”! - whether a sibling, a ‘rival’, a colleague, or even a parent. However regrettable, it is a fact of daily experience for multitudes.

But what is important here is to be assured that Jesus called him by name. He valued him as much as he valued Peter. Each of his children is ‘special’ to him. - Isaiah 43:1 “But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”

Andrew’s reaction to finding Jesus has become a classic model for Christian witness over the centuries (John 1:41).

He began with his family and in particular his brother, “Simon” and he shared what he had learned, witnessed and experienced - “we have found the Messiah” reminding us that this is the true nature of personal evangelism as Peter himself said: 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” Our witness, like charity, begins at home.

And consider the impact of this sharing of witness on the part of Andrew had arguably one of the greatest impacts on the history of the Church, because Andrew’s bringing Simon to Jesus, was the beginning of something that led Jesus to say of his faith later on, Matthew 16:18–19 “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.””

And nor did Andrew’s witness stop with Simon, for John 12:22 tells us that some Greeks asked Philip and Andrew, “Sirs,we would would see Jesus” and they “brought them to Jesus”!

It is the job of those of us who witness to bring people to Jesus - not ourselves; not our Church even but to Jesus! Why? Because whilst we can witness to them only Jesus can save them. It is through Him that we “are born of God”(John 1:13) and through the release of His Spirit into hearts and lives that we are “born again”(John 3:3)

And this was the secret behind the extraordinary spread of Christianity in the early centuries, as the historian Gibbon noted, ‘it became the most sacred duty of a new convert to diffuse among his friends and relatives the inestimable blessings he had received’.

It is still the case today that statistics repeatedly demonstrate that while gospel preaching is undoubtedly important, personal witness and friendship continue to be the primary means by which people are brought to Christ.

And many of you here, are here and are now followers of Jesus because someone first invited you and that invitation led to encounter Jesus for yourself!

(ii) Peter (John1:42)

Peter, on meeting Jesus is addressed by his birth name and then immediately given a new name to represent the person he was to become - John 1:42 “Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas,”

Cephas, is the Aramaic form of the Greek Petros, meaning ‘rock’ (cf. Mt. 16:17–19). And this is a valuable lesson for us to get hold of - it is the same with Nathaniel - Jesus so very often received people from the perspective of their potential - what they would become by His grace, not what they are in the moment they first meet with Him! “You are Simon. You shall be called Peter.” This is now true of you, not you might be or could be!

Your life as Simon is over; you are a new man - Colossians 3:2–4 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

So, whilst it is entirely right that we preach and witness faithfully to declare what the Scripture does with regard to human sin and fallenness, we must not overlook what is possible on receiving divine grace. Yes we are by nature “evil’, Lk. 11:13 must always we need to remember that God ‘knows how to give good gifts’ (Lk. 11:13).

And crucially this serves to teach us that discipleship always leads to Transformation of character:

Encountering Jesus' leads to transformation - 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

In the Bible, a name is more than just a label of identity it is indicative of character. Israel is so called because he “wrestled with God”; Jacob is so called because his name means “supplanter” or “one who grasps”. Jesus is so called because it means “the Lord saves!”

In changing a name Jesus is indicating that the character has also changed and will change! And here is the great news, He does that for us all! - Revelation 2:17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.”

And there is no name; no identity for your life better than the one Jesus gives you. We receive grace upon grace from this fullness of authority - Revelation 22:1–4 “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.”

(iii) Philip (John 1:43–45)

Philip, is not as well known as some of the more prominent disciple, although we have mentioned him already in relation to bringing the Greeks to Jesus, and its worth noting that his name is Greek. (see Lk. 6:14).

Virtually all that we know about Philip is told us in this gospel and he usually appears in association with Andrew.

As well as introducing Nathaniel and the Greeks to Jesus, Philip found himself somewhat out of his depth, in John 6:5–7 “When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Eight months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!””

We also encounter him in John 14:6–14 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”

Philip then is certainly not presented as a hero of faith or leader in the gospel.

His flaws and failings are out there but it is encouraging to reflect that Jesus went out of his way to find this perfectly ordinary Philip and to enlist him among his Apostles!

And his witness to Nathaniel and to the Greeks showed just how committed he was to Jesus - “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.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.

Philip’s testifying to Jesus as the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote. He knows what he believes about Jesus and he is convinced that whilst his friend Nathaniel is immediately sceptical about “anything good coming from Nazareth, he does not argue with him or try to convince him, instead he brings him to Jesus - “Come and see!”

Philip’s reply to Nathanael is very wise - ‘come and see’; meet for yourself the One who says to doubters, ‘touch me and see’ (Luke 24:39;John 20:26-27.

It reminds us of the words of the Psalmist, “O taste and see that the Lord is good” and of Paul - 2 Timothy 1:12 “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.”

And so we learn something really valuable from these personal examples of discipleship:

Discipleship begins when we encounter Jesus:

Discipleship always involved transformation as Jesus changes us!

Discipleship continues as we follow Jesus

Discipleship consists in telling others about Jesus, of the things we have become convinced of :

Jesus calls His disciples and....

2. Jesus Knows His Disciples - John 1:44-51

Each of the four cases of response to Jesus detailed in this section are distinct and Jesus’ approach varies with each one, a reflection no doubt of the claim of John 2:24–25 that ‘he knew what was in a man’.

Each potential disciple is an individual to be related to in a unique and distinct way with the application must be individual in every case and this can be especially drawn out as we consider, Nathanael!

Philip finds Nathanael who is immediately sceptical but once Philip invites him to "come and see." he agrees.

We have already noted Nathanael’s scepticism and indeed his prejudice in relation to Nazareth (John 1:46).

His prejudice is probably religious and theological rather than sectarian, - he knew what he beleived and was not going to shift! - as Jesus refers to him as a man of truth, lacking duplicity and so perhaps his response is informed from Micah 5:2 ““But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”” No one expected Messiah to come from the north - neither Nazareth or Galilee (see John 7:41, 52).

a. HE KNOWS WHO WE ARE!

But once again Jesus stunned a future disciple with his first words - When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

Nathanael discovered that JESUS KNOWS him intimately, even before he had personally met him!’ He affirms Nathanael as a genuine student of the Torah—a righteous Jew taught to live in accordance with all the light he had. Interestingly the phrase under the fig tree was used in rabbinical literature to describe meditation on the law.

His greeting of Nathanael is designed not only to capture his attention but also, by its penetrating insight, to throw him off guard. Because when Jesus goes on to say, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that.” He then added, “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”” It is highly likely that Jesus knew that Nathanael had either been just reading Genesis 28, that or else meditating on it - that passage in which Jacob, at Bethel “had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the LORD.”(Genesis 28:12-13)

And Jesus blows his mind by saying, ““Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” - unlike Jacob the supplanter and deceiver who was full of guile, Nathanael is “a true Israelite” (Jacob’s new name) the quality with which Jesus sees Nathanael as most richly endowed, guilelessness, is the one most clearly lacking in Jacob.

And Nathaniel’s mind must have been buzzing even more when Jesus says to him: “I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.””

Jesus is Jacob’s ladder and He becomes THE WAY of open access between Heaven and earth so that believers may find a way back to the Father through Him!

b. HE KNOWS WHERE WE ARE!

Nathanael’s admiring surprise is deepened by Jesus’ further insight, I saw you while you were still under the fig-tree (48).

Nathanael discovered that JESUS not only KNOWS who he is is but also where he is - even before he had personally met him!

Upon learning about the Lord’s omniscience—having known his exact location even before Philip found him—Nathanael, like John the Baptist, declared Jesus the Son of God and added, “You are the King of Israel.”

This display of a miraculous knowledge of Nathanael’s whereabout evokes his profession of faith - John 1:49 “Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”” The term, “Son of God” has messianic implications (Ps. 2:7). Jesus as one uniquely related to the Father, as “the one and only who is at the Father’s side” (John 1:18) is the focus of his new-found faith!

Jesus concludes by assuring Nathanael that there is a richer basis for his faith, yet to be disclosed, through his developing association with Him. He does not use the phrase here, “Son of God” but prefers “Son of Man”, a term he used more than eighty times. This title emphasised his humanity and suffering as well as the perfection of his human nature. It occurs frequently in the synoptic gospels as a common Hebraism for ‘man’. It also occurs in the very important passage in Daniel 7:13–14 ““In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Jesus’ use of the definite article when using the title of himself, as here, indicates that this is consistently the background to his understanding of it.

All of this is not of course as yet known to Nathanael, but in time his eyes will see “greater things” as Heaven and earth opens and Jesus, as the Word of God made flesh, is seen as the new and supreme point at which God and humanity intersect.

is also serves as a future prophecy? Tenney suggests that “he himself was to be the new medium of revelation, a surer link between heaven and earth than the ladder which for the errant Jacob meant a way to God”.

Jesus’ promise of greater revelations to Nathanael underscores that discipleship is a journey of deeper revelation and growing faith.

Our faith in Jesus is a growing and maturing thing!

All of this shows that Jesus knows His disciples intimately and He knows you intimately - WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU ARE?

This is a truth taught us in Psalm 139

Every disciple of Jesus needs to be aware of this that they are in a personal relationship with Jesus, who reveals intimate knowledge of him.

APPLICATION:

John 1 describes five men who met the Lord and the Lamb. All different. All believers. All models to us of discipleship in their own unique way.

And this is both an encouragement and a challenge to us today!

In John 1:37, Jesus asked his enquiring, would be followers, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” This was both his invitation to meet them at their point of need and their opportunity to commit to BE WITH JESUS so that they could BECOME LIKE JESUS and learn to DO WHAT JESUS DID!

Some people seek Jesus for the wrong reasons - John 6:26 “Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.”

So, we need to examine our motives here “What do you want?” Its question that each of us needs to ask when it comes to Jesus! It is not enough to want our spiritual questions answered; or to acquire some kind of serenity or as it were to discover the meaning of life. We need to be all in as followers of Jesus - “to whom else shall we go, you have the words of eternal life”(John 6:68).

When they reply, “Where are you staying?”—they are clearly intending to follow Him as his disciples - not merely to hang out but to stay with and make your home with Jesus!

“Come…and you will see.”(John 1:39). If you will make your home with me, you will see a spiritual reality and find a spiritual satisfaction that you have never known before.

Matthew 11:28–29 ““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Revelation 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”