John (the gospel writer) was interested in providing evidence that Jesus was the Messiah, so he writes concerning several witnesses to this truth. First, he revealed John the Baptist who unashamedly testified to two groups of skeptical Jews that Jesus was the Messiah and Son of God (1:19-34). Next, John the Baptist presents Jesus as the Messiah to a group of his (John the Baptist) disciples. John is standing with two of his disciples, Andrew and Peter, when Jesus walks by and John the Baptist declares, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (1:35-36). When the two disciples heard John’s declaration, they followed Jesus (1:37), meaning that they believed John’s witness that He was the Messiah and decided to be His disciples (followers of His ways). As Jesus became aware that they were literally following Him, he turned to them and asked, “What do you seek?” (1:38a). Jesus’ question is more than a basic inquiry and is more likely to find out their motives in following Him. The two disciples responded to His question saying, “Rabbi [Teacher] where are You staying?” (1:38b). Both disciples were declaring that they wanted to know more about His ways and were willing to dwell with Him and learn. Jesus then gives them an invitation saying, “Come and see” (1:39a) so they went to where Jesus was staying and “remained with Him that day” (1:39b). Recounting how both of these disciples came to follow Jesus, the apostle John writes, “One of the two who heard John [the Baptist] speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus” (1:40-42a). Andrew’s belief in Jesus as the Savior led him to declare this truth to his brother, Simon Peter, who also believed that day. Upon seeing Simon the son of Jonah, Jesus knew his heart and declared that he would now be called Cephas (Aramaic name, Peter in Greek), meaning a stone (1:42b). Although we cannot grasp the full meaning of why Jesus changed Simon’s name to Peter, we can be certain that Jesus knew he would become the “rock or foundation” of the early church helping to spread the good news about Jesus Christ to all people.
The day following Jesus’ encounter with Andrew and Peter, He meets Philip and asks him to follow Him (1:43). Philip responds to Jesus’ invitation and then quickly finds his friend Nathanael nearby and says, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote–Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (1:45). Philip was declaring to his friend that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies and the promised Savior. Skeptical at first, Nathanael reacts saying, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” so Philip invites him to “come and see” (1:46). As Nathanael approaches, Jesus supernaturally recognizes that he is an honest seeker of the truth (1:47). Nathanael is shocked that this Man, Jesus, knows the thoughts of his heart (1:48) so he immediately proclaims, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (1:49). Responding to Nathanael’s proclamation, Jesus says, “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, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man’” (1:50-51). This was Jesus’ way of telling Nathanael that he would soon see even greater miracles and further proof that He was the Son of God. Truly, the disciples and all who would read John’s gospel are able to see that Jesus is the Son of God, who will bring life to all who believe in Him!
Dear God, help many believe in Jesus as the Savior and Deliverer from sin through reading the word of God.
