Jesus Calling!

Today we are going to continue our study of the gospel of John. We will be focusing on chapter 1, verses 35-51. As you find your place in your Bibles, let’s remind ourselves of what has been presented in the study of John’s gospel so far.

The Apostle John wrote this gospel with a very specific purpose in mind. John gives us the main truth that he wants his readers to understand by reading what he is writing in chapter 20:31.

English Standard Version Chapter 20

31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Everything John writes and everything we will read in the gospel of John has been purposely designed by the Holy Spirit to help us understand that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing the truth about Jesus, you can have life forever as children of God.

John builds a case for Jesus as he writes the gospel. With each chapter, John gives us more information… more evidence about who Jesus is that help us come to that conclusion that Jesus is the Christ… the Son of God… the Promised One of God that has come to fix our sin problem.

In John 1:1-18 we were introduced to Jesus. We were presented with theological truths proclaiming that Jesus Christ is the Light, Creator, Messiah, the Son of God... God in the flesh, full of Grace and Truth.

Verses 19-42 is a section where John the Baptizer is introduced (you studied about him last week). He is viewed as a prophet and teacher, but rather than gathering disciples to follow him, he is focused on pointing people to the coming Messiah. Three times in the first chapter of John, he points people to Christ as the Lamb of God. He is doing his prophetic job of preparing the way for the promised Messiah… the promised deliverer who would finally fix man’s sin problem and provide a way for man to be reconciled with God.

It is interesting to see the case that John is building for Jesus. John begins by helping us understand who Jesus is theologically. Then, he helps us understand who Jesus is prophetically. The idea of the Lamb of God taking away the sins of the world was made very clear by the prophet in Isaiah 52 and 53, where the promised suffering servant would lay down his life like a lamb being led to the slaughter to suffer for our sins, our griefs, to pay for our iniquities.

John is telling his readers that this man… Jesus… is somehow at the same time, God, Man, the promised redeemer, the suffering servant, and the lamb of God … and while you might not fully understand it all right now...its true!

And then, if that wasn’t enough, the text tells us that God the Father and Holy Spirit confirmed this by revealing that Jesus is the Son of God.

[Interesting fact — this moment in Scripture (baptism) is one of the only times that we see all three members of the Godhead together in the same scene. — when we talk about the trinity, this is one example where the truth of a triune God is supported from Scripture.]

After this amazing announcement that Jesus is the Son of God, the narrative continues and the main character in the narrative shifts from John the Baptizer to Jesus. John has been preparing the way for and pointing people to the Messiah his whole life. Now, as we come to verse 35 through 51 we will see that John encourages his followers to respond in faith when Jesus calls.

Let’s join the story already in progress as we read verses 35- 51 together.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 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?” 39 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. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 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).

English Standard Version Chapter 1

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 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.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 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.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 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.” 51 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.”

— Let’s pray —

There are two commands in this passage that are going to give structure to the message today. First, Jesus commands those wishing to know more about Him to “Come and See!” and then Jesus commands those people who are ready to respond in faith to “Follow me!”.

Let’s look again at verses 35-42 as the narrative shifts from John pointing people to Christ, to Jesus as the Christ. John has prepared the way for the Messiah, pointed people to Him, and now Jesus takes over the lead role in the narrative. In verses 35-42, Jesus challenges those who are interested in Him to “come and see”... This is a call for investigation. — “Come and see!”

I. Come and See!

A. A call for investigation.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

Beginning in verse 35 we are told that the next day, Jesus walked by and John again proclaims that He is the Lamb of God! Two of John’s disciples were standing nearby and heard this proclamation. The text tells us that these two men followed Jesus.

The grammar of the phrase “followed Jesus” in verse 37, tells us that they most likely did not become disciples of Jesus at this moment, but simply began to walk behind him. They were intrigued by Jesus, this man that John proclaims to be the Lamb of God… the promised Messiah.

In verse 38, Jesus begins to speak and the first question He asks is, “What are you seeking?” Notice He doesn’t ask them… ‘who are you seeking’? He asks, “What are you seeking?” Jesus wants these two men to examine their hearts and motives.

Those that were disciples of John the Baptizer most likely understood what it meant to be convicted of their sins and looked forward to the coming of the Messiah who be able to grant the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus wanted the men to be able to examine their motives and clarify in their own hearts, what they really wanted from Jesus.

People seek Jesus for all kinds of reasons. Some people seek Jesus for good health, financial stability, moral uprightness, community… others seek Jesus because they understand how broken their hearts and lives are because of sin and long to be forgiven.

Jesus asks this simple, but deeply soul searching question… “What are you seeking? What is your motivation for following me?” It seems like the two men don’t know how to respond, so they ask a question of their own. Look at verse 38, … And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” With this question the two men show respect for Jesus by calling Him “Rabbi”, but they are also revealing their desire to spend time with Jesus and see if he is the One that they want to commit their lives to as disciples.

Understanding a little bit about the Hebrew discipleship culture gives a lot of insight into this discussion going on between Jesus and those interested in Him.

Elementary level: boys and girls would be taught and memorize the Torah, the first five books of the bible.

Intermediate level: boys 12-15 would go on to study other parts of the OT (prophets, psalms, historical books).

Advanced level: By this time boys 16 and up would have the majority of the OT memorized and would be in search of a Rabbi that had a walk with God that they wanted to have. They would follow him…. until the Rabbi would turn and ask a question. How the boy answered the question would determine if the Rabbi would “call” him to be his disciple. If the boy answered the Rabbi successfully, then the Rabbi would officially “call” the boy by saying “follow me”.

It is also interest to point out that within the Jewish tradition when you became a disciple of someone, you were a disciple of that person for life. So, it is very counter cultural for John to point his disciples to Jesus.

These two men, who are interested in Jesus but not yet disciples of Jesus, are probably Andrew and John (apostle), ask Jesus where he is staying in hopes that they could spend time with him. Look at how Jesus responds in verse 39. This is one of the two commands of Jesus that we will look at today. Jesus answers the men by saying “Come and see”!

These two men were interested in Jesus, and Jesus extends them the invitation to come spend time with him and and learn more about him.

Now, the question I have is, what did these two men learn about Jesus by spending the day with him? I think the actions of Andrew in verses 40-42 give us an idea of what they learned by accepting Jesus’ call for investigation.

Let’s look at verse 40…

English Standard Version Chapter 1

40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).

By obeying Jesus’ call to come and see, these two men saw more fully that Jesus is the Christ… the promised Messiah! While the disciples did not understand fully who Jesus was, the truth is that Jesus, God Himself had become man… and was walking and talking with them.

The first thing we are told that Andrew did after getting to know Jesus, was to go and tell someone else about Him. Simon, my brother! We met someone today! We spent time with Him! And we are convinced that Jesus is the Messiah… the Christ! You have to come and see for yourself! In verse 42 we are told that Andrew...

English Standard Version Chapter 1

42 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).

It might seem a little odd that the first time Jesus meets Simon, He gives him a new name… Peter. But, it's important to understand the character of Christ that is being expressed here. Jesus’ omniscience is on display here… His all-knowing-ness.

In OT times, God frequently changed people’s names to indicate their special calling (e.g., Abraham, Jacob). Giving someone a new name demonstrated authority (2 Kings 23:34; 24:17). Rabbis in Jesus’ day likewise occasionally gave characteristic names to their disciples. Jesus’ “renaming” of Simon Peter is therefore in keeping with both biblical and rabbinic traditions.

Jesus knew the hearts of the two men that asked him where he was staying in verse 37. Jesus knew Peter’s heart the day he met him, and knew who Peter would become in the future. That is one reason why Jesus changes Simon’s name to Peter. He knew who Peter would grow into and what potential he had for the kingdom.

Jesus knows your heart too. Jesus knows if you are sincerely seeking Him. He knows the motives of our hearts. Jesus has given a command in these verses to Come and see! Come and investigate Jesus.

A question for you today… Is God calling you to “come and see” Jesus? Are you wondering who Jesus is? Would you like to know more about how you can have a relationship with Jesus? — That is what the gospel of John is all about. Helping us to know who Christ is and have a personal relationship with Him.

If you are interested in learning more about Jesus, please see me or one of the elders after the service. We would love to talk with you.

Jesus has invited those with open hearts, searching for truth to come and see… to find out more about who Jesus is. Next in verses 43-51, we will see Jesus lead specific people to point of decision when He calls them to not only “come and see”, but to “come and be with me/ be like me”. This is a call to dedication. — “Follow me!

II. Follow me!

A. A call to dedication.

So far in chapter 1 John the Baptizer, Jesus and the disciples have been in Judea in southern Israel. Next we are told that Jesus decided to go to Galilee, which is in northern Israel. As Jesus, and the men following him, traveled to Galilee they met Philip.

As Jesus talks with Philip, we see the Jesus’ second command. Let’s look at verse 43.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”

The phrase “follow me” is a command that expresses the idea, “keep on following me!” … with the idea that after following me, you will learn to become like me. This is a different command than Jesus gave back in verse 39. In verse 39, Jesus called the two disciples to “come and see!” It was a call of casual investigation to learn about Jesus. Here in verse 43, Jesus is calling Philip to “Follow me”… this is a call to dedication.

The word that Jesus uses here in verse 43 is the same word that He uses in the other gospels when He calls His disciples.

Matthew 4:20/ Mark 1:18… Jesus calls Peter and Andrew…

Matthew 9:9/ Mark 2:14 … Jesus called Matthew (Levi)

Matthew 16:24 … Jesus said to his disciples…If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Matthew 19:28… Jesus said to them, Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Jesus is not merely calling the disciples to come and see… He is not merely calling the disciples to merely walk behind him as they traveled from town to town… No! He is calling them to come and be with Him… to come and learn to be like Him.

What is Jesus doing here? —> In some aspects, Jesus is beginning the first stage of His leadership development plan.

Think about it. In God’s divinely timed plan Jesus had a little over 3 years to reproduce Himself in the lives of his disciples. Here in John 1, Jesus is beginning the first stage of his leadership development plan… Come and be with me… Come and learn to be like me. At this stage Jesus was calling the disciples to come and watch Him do the ministry. You’ll see this illustrated next week when you study John 2. At this point, Jesus was calling the disciples to dedication. Follow me! (I do — you watch).

Verse 44 tells us some background information about Philip, Andrew and Peter. They were from a place called Bethsaida, which was normal small town on the northern side of the sea of Galilee.

Notice what Philip does in verse 45.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

45 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.”

Isn’t it interesting to see the response of someone who has just met Jesus? Jesus meets Philip and calls him to become one of His disciples… Jesus calls Philip to dedicate his life to Christ and learn to be like Him. What is the first thing we are told that Philip did? — He went and told someone about the treasure he had found.

So, in our imaginations we can see Philip running and tripping over himself to find Nathaniel and tell him the good news!

Do you remember when I told you about culture of discipleship during this time period? Rabbi’s calling young boys to “follow them”. This usually happened by the time that a boy was 15 or so. Now, the other side of this is that if boys were not “called” by a Rabbi, then they usually went to work in their families trade business.

So, culturally speaking, all of these young men that Jesus is talking with and calling should have already had a Rabbi to follow or had been not chosen and somewhat rejected so they went to work in the family trade business.

Andrew and John (apostle) were disciples of John the Baptizer. John the Baptizer basically releases them to become disciples of Christ. If you read about when Jesus called Peter in the book of Matthew, what was Peter doing? He was working as a fisherman. So that probably meant that he had been not been called by a Rabbi and was then sent to work in the family business. When you read about the time when Jesus calls Levi (Matthew). What was he doing? Tax collector. Interesting. Makes you wonder if he had attempted to follow a Rabbi, but had been rejected.

Jesus is calling together a band of unlikely disciples that He will pour Himself into and through them, do extraordinary things!

Philip has been able to put the pieces together and has at least a basic understanding that Jesus is the One that has been promised… the Anointed One of God… the Promised Deliverer that had been prophecies about by Moses and the Prophets. He’s finally here! And so, Philip goes to tell someone. He tells Nathaniel.

How does Nathaniel respond? Look at verse 46.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Nathaniel gives Philip some push back, (illustration - Mentor, OH) but accepted Philips invitation to come and investigate Jesus… to “come and see”.

Verses 47 - 51 record an interesting interchange between Nathaniel and Jesus that teach us about the character of Jesus, but also helps us understand more about the ministry and mission of Jesus.

Let’s read these last few verses together

English Standard Version Chapter 1

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 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.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 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.” 51 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.”

Jesus sees Nathaniel coming and says, “Behold, an Israelite indeed ( A true Israelite), in whom there is no deceit!”

Jesus makes this statement because He is looking into the heart of Nathaniel and telling him, ‘Nathaniel, I know who you are… I know your heart… I know your thoughts… I know all about you.’

It is interesting that Jesus uses the term “Israelite indeed/ a true Israelite” when describing Nathaniel.

The phrase “a true Israelite” or an “Israelite indeed” is probably a reference to Jacob, who you might remember from Genesis. God changed his name from Jacob to Israel (Gen. 32:28). Jesus said that Nathaniel was a “true Israelite… in whom was no deceit”. Some scholars have said that that verse could also be translated as “a true Israelite in whom there is no Jacob!”.

Jacob was a deceiver… his name literally meant heel grabber/ trickster. Jesus says this about Nathaniel because he knew his heart and saw a character that was upright and truly seeking the truth of God, in contrast to his forefather Jacob. —> ( Romans — spiritual family of Abraham).

Nathaniel responds in verse 48.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

48 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.”

What was Nathaniel doing under the fig tree? We don’t know. But, based on the context I think that there is a very good chance that Nathaniel was meditating about the coming Messiah, the coming Kingdom, and somehow contemplating the promises that God had given to the nation of Israel. Nathaniel could have possibly been asking God to allow him to see the Messiah come sometime during his lifetime. Then… Philip runs up and says… Hey Nathaniel.. We found the Messiah! Come and See!

Jesus’ words definitely strike a chord with Nathanael… Look at verse 49.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Nathanael accepted the call to investigate Jesus… and when He met Jesus, he responds in faith by proclaiming the fact that Jesus is the Son of God! The Anointed One… the promised Messiah!

Here is a person that was truly searching for God’s truth… truly praying for God to reveal Himself to him… and when he is confronted with the truth of Christ, he responds in faith.

That is how the writer of this gospel wants us to respond to the truth of the gospel. In faith believing the truth about who Jesus is and then taking the next step by dedicating our lives to following Him and becoming like Him.

Jesus responds to Nathanaels faith response by making a profound proclamation. Look with me at verse 51.

English Standard Version Chapter 1

51 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.”

At first glance, it might seem odd that Jesus makes this prophetic sounding statement somewhat out of the blue. But, it does not seem strange at all if you connect it with the context of his conversation with Nathaniel.

Jesus said that Nathaniel was a “true Israelite”, we talked about how this could have been a connection with Jacob back in Genesis. That connection may continue to verse 51 because the image Jesus describes about angels ascending and descending sounds a lot like how Jacob described his dream of a ladder that angels were going up and down on in Genesis 28:12.

English Standard Version Chapter 28

12 And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!

The main idea of Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28 was to show God’s personal involvement with the fulfillment of His Covenant promises. God’s hand selected messengers (angels) were being used by Him to carry out His will and plans on earth.

Now Jesus says that the angels of God are ascending and descending on the Son of Man… thats Jesus! The idea is that God is still personally involved in the fulfillment of His promises in the world. But, now instead of angels carrying out God’s will on earth, Jesus, the Son of God, the promised Messiah was here, in the flesh, to carry out God’s will.. God’s plan of redemption. This is Jesus’ mission.

Verse 51 is the first time the term “Son of Man” is used in the gospel of John. Jesus calls Himself the Son of Man. This is a reference to the Son of Man revealed in Daniel 7 , who is the One who is seated on the throne who is given dominion over all things forever and who will have a kingdom that will never be destroyed.

Jesus is the mediator between God and man. Jesus is the way to God… Jesus is the Son of Man who will reign on the throne and whose kingdom will last forever.... and Jesus is the Savior who is calling you and me to respond to Him in faith.

Conclusion: Jesus is calling! These men, Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael responded in faith.

Jesus first call us to Come and See!. Come and investigate who He is. As the Spirit of God opens our hearts to the truth of God’s Word, we are invited to learn about who Jesus is.

Then, Jesus calls those whose hearts are open and are truly seeking Him, “Follow Me!”. This is a call of dedication where we respond in faith to the truth of who Jesus is and begin the process of constantly being changed and sanctified so that we become more like Him.

Based on today’s study, what is Jesus calling you to do?

Jesus is calling each and every one of us to:

- Know who He is by spending time with Him.

- Respond in obedience when He calls…

- Understand that following Jesus is a lifelong pursuit where we are dedicated to being disciple that make disciples.

If you have questions about Jesus, we would love to talk with you today before you leave.

There are so many lessons we can learn from this passage of Scripture.

Just a thought for today: No matter where you are in your spiritual journey. You need to wrestle with this question

When Jesus calls, how will you respond?

- Will you respond in rejection and disbelief?

- Or, will you respond with an open heart and desire to know Christ?

Here is a truth to remember:

The investigation of Christ leads to a Dedication to Christ.

When we truly seek to know Christ, God will give us the desire to become like Christ.

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