Chapter 1, PART 4: Verses 35-51

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1 The Book of JOHN Chapter 1 Chapter 1, PART 4: Verses From the first verse of this chapter to verse 34, John the writer has proclaimed the Messiah, the Word of God. He provides the testimony of John the Baptist, and now in these closing incidents of this chapter will finally announce His identity Jesus of Nazareth. He will also give us a second set of witnesses, Jesus first disciples John (the writer of this Gospel), Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael. All of these witnesses will declare and affirm that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, the entire purpose of John s Gospel. And, that so knowing and believing, the reader and recipient of John s good news will have eternal life. 35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God! 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Again, the next day,... John is providing us a careful chronology of these first days of Jesus ministry, as one teacher of God hands off his disciples to another teacher of God, the One John was pointing to, the Messiah, the Word, the Son of God Himself. BEHOLD Look!! Pay attention! There he goes! And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God! Once again John points beyond himself. This is very difficult for a human to do we want the glory, the spotlight. It is hard for us to point to someone else, but John did it repeatedly. He knew this was his mission in life. He repeats the amazing statement Behold the Lamb of God. This was definitely worth investigating to these disciples, and they were obedient to John s invitation to follow another teacher. The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Who were these two disciples? One was Andrew, as we hear in verse 40. The other is not named, but from the very earliest times it has been thought this other disciple is John, the writer of this Gospel. Remember that John did not refer to himself in this book by his name. This would make sense especially in light of the fact that the Gospel writer knew the day and the time of this event. Why did his disciples go? Because John told them to. John prepared them to be disciples of the Messiah, not of himself. The Holy Spirit also drew them to Jesus, just as He draws us to Jesus today. Andrew and John had been baptized by John the Baptist. They looked to him as their religious teacher, and now they did what John expected and urged them to do they followed Jesus. RockofAges.org 1 The Book of John, Chapter 1, Part 4: Verses 35-51

2 38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, What do you seek? Jesus knew these two men were following Him. He didn t need to turn around to see them. But they needed Him to turn around and address them. That is God s way...he comes to us first. Perhaps Andrew and John followed at a discreet distance. They weren t too sure of this new teacher yet. What do you seek? Jesus asks them the most fundamental question of life what are you looking for? Each of us will be asked that question sometime in life, but in Israel at that time, the question was relevant. In those days, people sought out various Rabbis for various reasons. They may want to have discussions about the Law, about politics, power, or even link up with those zealots who were trying to overthrow Rome. Jesus question was not unusual. What were these guys looking for? What did they want in a Rabbi? This is also a relevant question for us. What are we looking for? Do we want to know the Truth, or are we merely looking for someone to speak what our itching ears want to hear? Paul warned of this time in a letter to Timothy: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. (2 Timothy 4:2-4) Man has always lived in the time of fables and itching ears, but it has become the standard today. Do we really seek the Truth, the person of Jesus the Messiah? Or just what our itching ears want to hear? They said to Him, Rabbi (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), where are You staying? 39 He said to them, Come and see. They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). Rabbi is title of respect and acknowledges a teacher. It literally means my great one. Come and see. This was a familiar Rabbinical phrase, used often in their teaching. When students and followers would ask a question, the Rabbi would respond do you want to know the answer to this question. COME and SEE and we will learn this together. When Jesus stated this, however, He was asking for more. He was asking them to not just see, but know, and follow Him. He was inviting them to come and see the wonders that only He could reveal to them. We are reminded of an Old Testament phrase: Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:8). If we but only come and see, and taste that the Lord is good, we will never look back. These disciples were more than curious. They didn t just want to speak to him on the road in passing, they wanted to spend some time with him. Their intent was serious and committed. Their own Rabbi, John, had sent them in this direction, and they knew he would not do that unless there was something great to be learned. Indeed there was! (now it was about the tenth hour). It is interesting that the exact time is noted. This is spoken as sort of an aside, but it tells us much about John s experience as a follower of Jesus. Many of us can remember the exact time and date when we first received Jesus. John is emphasizing that day was memorable it was his first face to face with his Messiah (something to remember!!) RockofAges.org 2 The Book of John, Chapter 1, Part 4: Verses 35-51

3 Note, depending on whether time was reckoned by the typical Hebrew method, or the Roman method, it would either be 4 pm in the afternoon, or 10 am in the morning. Jews reckoned the day from dawn, or about 6 am. The tenth hour would have been 4 in the afternoon. The Romans based their time on a midnight changeover, so in that way it would have been 10 in the morning. Most of the time, even in the New Testament, it is the Hebrew reckoning (as we will see of the time Jesus was crucified.) COMMENTARY: At four o clock on a spring afternoon in Galilee life became a new thing for him. John s life changed forever from that moment. It is no wonder he would note the time! Cyril of Jerusalem said to new converts: You are standing in front of God and in the presence of the hosts of angels. The Holy Spirit is about to impress his seal on each of your souls. You are about to be pressed into the service of the great king. WOW! That s heavy duty! 40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, We have found the Messiah (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. We are now told that one of those who followed Jesus as John the Baptist s direction was Andrew, who was Simon Peter s brother. And the very first thing he did was to go find his brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, We have found the Messiah... The Hebrew words indicate that Andrew did this before anything else. He was so excited about finding the Messiah, he couldn t wait to tell his brother and have him come, too. Notice that he knew the one they followed was the Messiah. John the Baptist must have made this clear to his disciples. He is the One John spent his entire life pointing to. Now Andrew is so excited he wants his brother to see Him also. That is a huge lesson for us! (which is translated, the Christ). John frequently explains the Hebrew words (Rabbi, Messiah) because he is writing primarily to Greek speakers and needs to make them understand many of the Hebrew terms they would otherwise be unfamiliar with. And he brought him to Jesus. As we see Andrew throughout the Gospels, we notice that he always seemed prepared to take second place. He is repeatedly referred to as Simon Peter s brother. He must have lived under the shadow of Peter Andrew was one of first to follow, but Peter was part of inner circle. We also note that Andrew seems to be one who was always introducing others to Jesus. There are three incidents in scripture in which Andrew is featured, and all three have him bringing someone to Jesus. 1) Here where he brings his brother Peter to Jesus; 2) in 6:8-9 when he brings the boy with the sack lunch to Jesus; and 3) in 12:22 when he brings Greeks (Gentiles) to Jesus. Andrew seems always to be pointing others to Jesus not just pointing, but bringing! What a worthy mission in life. Andrew knew that whatever the need, Jesus could fill it. COMMENTARY: Dost thou live close by them, or meet them in the streets, or labour with them, or travel with them, or sit and talk with them, and say nothing to them of their souls, or the life to come? If their houses were on fire, thou wouldst run and help them; and wilt thou not help them when their souls are almost at the fire of hell? (Richard Baxter) RockofAges.org 3 The Book of John, Chapter 1, Part 4: Verses 35-51

4 Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas (which is translated, A Stone). Now when Jesus looked at him,... The Hebrew word (emblepo) for looked implies a concentrated, intent and discerning gaze. Jesus was looking beyond the physical surface into the heart. Jesus saw, He already knew, Peter beyond the physical realm. He saw beyond a rough Galilean fisherman to the one who would proclaim Him one day with the power of the Holy Spirit. This is how Jesus looks at us as well, beyond who we are, to who we are and will be in Him. You shall be called Cephas (which is translated, A Stone). In the ancient world nearly everyone had two names. Greek was the universal language. Most had names in their own language, and also in Greek. (i.e., Thomas in Aramaic, Didymus in Greek; Tabitha in Aramaic, Dorcas in Greek) Simon s name in Hebrew was probably Simeon. Now Jesus assigns Simeon a new name, Cephas in Aramaic. Cephas here is translated stone and in the original Greek, is Petros, or Peter. 43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, Follow Me. There were three main sections of Israel at this time, Judea in the south (where Jerusalem was), Samaria in the middle (where the hated Samaritans lived, the territory which was avoided by most Jews), and Galilee in the north. Here Jesus wishes to travel north to Galilee, or the Galil, as it was known then. In the ministry of Jesus, we will see Him traveling to all these places, even east to the Decapolis, the cities of the heathen and Roman settlements. He took His message throughout the land. It is interesting that Jesus found Philip... We don t know where He found him, or the circumstances. He just found him. Jesus searches for His disciples, then and now...and finds them! Follow Me. The word for follow here in Greek means to join someone as their attendant, to accompany that person, or join as a disciple. It is literally to side with that party. This is what Jesus invited His disciples to do then, and what He invites us to do today. We are siding with Jesus, joining Him in His work, following Him. It also implies that we don t follow anyone or anything else. We are not followers of any other person, and we are not followers of the world. That makes for a good status check every so often! This is the first indication of the classic statement by Jesus FOLLOW ME! Not only does this mean to join him, or side with Him, but it indicates that we will FOLLOW Jesus in all that He is and does remember Jesus is the FIRSTFRUITS of healing, ministry, resurrection, and eternal life. We follow Him into all these things. He goes first, we follow. RockofAges.org 4 The Book of John, Chapter 1, Part 4: Verses 35-51

5 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. Whatever Jesus said or did with Philip convinced Him that this man was indeed the Messiah. Now he also goes to find someone else to tell. Just like Andrew, Phillip couldn t keep good news to himself. He found Nathanael to tell him. This rapid spreading of the good news from one to another is important for us to remember. They didn t keep the news to themselves they spread it as soon as they heard it. We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote These first followers were convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, because He obviously fulfilled what had been written in the Penteteuch (five books of Moses) and in the prophets, and this was even before His ministry, and His death and resurrection. The entire Old Testament points to Jesus. That is why we cannot fully understand the New Testament without thorough knowledge of the Old Testament. His reference to the son of Joseph was not against the virgin birth. Joseph was Jesus LEGAL father, and legality is big with Jews. The genealogy of Jesus through his legal father Joseph is provided in the first part of Matthew. This genealogy, however, would not allow Jesus to be the King of Israel, as God cursed the line of Jeconiah, through which Joseph is descended. His genealogy through His mother, Mary (found in Luke), bypasses Jeconiah completely (through another son of David), giving Jesus the legal and spiritual right to be the King. Don t you just love how God works??! 46 And Nathanael said to him, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Nathanael reacts immediately with contempt. There is nothing in scripture that said the Messiah would be from Nazareth. The Jews were going on His predicted birth in Bethlehem. Nathanael came from Cana, another Galilean town. There was often rivalry between towns (like our cross town sports rivalries). Also, a Roman garrison was headquartered in Nazareth (the Jews hated the Romans) and some have said that Nazareth was known for poor morals and lazy religion. Nazarene was a synonym for DESPISED. Immediately Nathanael is ready to reject the concept of a Messiah from Nazareth. Many Jews had (still have) trouble with a Messiah known as a Nazarene. Even now, the term is still offensive to them. Also, knowing the prophecy in Micah, they could not accept a Messiah who, in their limited knowledge, was not from Bethlehem. This just showed their ignorance. He WAS from Bethlehem, and He DID fulfill the Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah s birthplace. But His hometown was Nazareth, as that is where Joseph took the family when they returned from exile in Egypt. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene." (Matthew 2:22-23) The words in the Matthew passage above, He will be called a Nazarene, are not found anywhere in scripture, except in Matthew. Some believe that Isaiah was making this reference in 11:1 when he said that the Messiah would be from Jesse s root like a branch. The Hebrew word for branch there is neser, which sounds much like Nazar-ene. RockofAges.org 5 The Book of John, Chapter 1, Part 4: Verses 35-51

6 It also carries the idea of having an insignificant beginning. It is likely an oral tradition, not written in the scriptures. It may even refer to the prophecies in Psalm 22 about Jesus: But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads (Psalm 22:6-7) The Nazarenes were mostly despised by their neighbors. You just didn t want to be from Nazareth! Come and see. It is important to note that Phillip didn t argue with him, but merely invited him to COME AND SEE. (Just like Jesus did with Andrew and John). Jesus Himself would make His anointed status obvious for anyone who was looking to find Him. There were no questions and answers to be exchanged, no tests, no grilling. It was obvious to anyone paying attention, especially to those Jews who knew the Old Testament scriptures. 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit! Jesus looked at Nathanael just like he did Peter, and saw a man with no deceit, no secret agendas, no guile. That s a pretty big compliment! Obviously His comment was overheard by Nathanael, who is already suspicious of this guy from Nazareth. This statement by Jesus was a tribute that any devout Jew would recognize. It is probably a reference to Psalm 32:2 Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. It is a statement of personal integrity, honesty, and authenticity. Can Jesus say this of us?? 48 Nathanael said to Him, How do You know me? Jesus answered and said to him, Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. How do You know me?... Nathanael couldn t believe anyone could judge him so fast. Jesus didn t know him, or at least he didn t think He did. Again, Nathanael was probably a bit defensive at first after his comment about Nazareth. Good thing it was a positive comment! Jesus answered in a way that stunned Nathanael. His response to Nathanael indicated that Jesus could see him well before they were face-toface, or even within sight. Obviously, that is not possible in our human ability. Jesus confirmed this ability by mentioning Nathanael s presence under the fig tree....under the fig tree... This is a phrase that every Jew understood. In the Old Testament, the fig tree represented personal peace, well-being. In 1 Kings we read During Solomon s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig tree. (4:25) This reference in Kings means that Israel was safe and prosperous, undisturbed, and not under the dominion of someone else. All Jews in the land were at peace, both as a nation, and as individuals. At the time of Jesus, this phrase was also commonly used to describe the custom of sitting and meditating on the Law and the Prophets (the Old Testament, Jewish Tenach). Perhaps this is what Jesus meant, that Nathanael was one who studied the scriptures, and was studying in that moment when Jesus saw him. Every Jew longed for the Messiah to come, at least those who had not yet given up hope. Nathanael is most likely one of those, searching the scriptures for better understanding. RockofAges.org 6 The Book of John, Chapter 1, Part 4: Verses 35-51

7 It is true that Jesus could literally see Nathanael long before he came to Jesus. But in His comment about a man without deceit, Nathanael understands that Jesus can also see his heart. He knew every dream and desire, every hurt and disappointment. He really knew Nathanael, who had a hard time understanding this. Do we understand that Jesus really knows us, too? Everything. There is nothing hidden to Him. This is either a great comfort, or a great fear, depending on our relationship with Him. WHO WAS NATHANAEL? Some question his identity, because he does not appear in any of the other three gospels. Some suggest he is Matthew (remember two names Hebrew or Aramaic and Greek), because Matthew (mattithyâhû) and Nathanael both mean gift from God. However, both Matthew and Nathanael are Jewish names, so this is speculation. We don t know too much about this disciple. It would not seem likely that he is also the tax collector we know as Matthew, who had an entirely different first encounter with Jesus. There is a simpler and better answer about Nathanael s identity. He was brought by Phillip to the Lord. In the other three Gospels, Nathanael s name is never mentioned, but in this Gospel Bartholomew s name is never mentioned. In the lists of disciples in Matthew and Mark, Phillip and Bartholomew are mentioned together. Also, Bartholomew is really a second name it means son of Tholmai or Ptolemy. It is probable that Nathanael and Bartholomew are the same person, with two names. In Jesus comments to Nathanael, and Nathanael s immediate reaction, it is clear he represents one who saw Jesus and had his longing satisfied he had a waiting, watching and seeking heart. The Holy Spirit gave him the ability to recognize his Messiah. 49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel! Nathanael was an easy sell! Immediately he recognizes that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Son of God, and the King of Israel. While inhumanly possible to see someone without being with or near them, it certainly didn t take much for Nathanael to realize he was in the presence of the Messiah. The Holy Spirit nudged his heart. God draws each of us to Himself. It is not our natural response!...you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel! In this response, Nathanael is referring to Jesus by two of His Messianic names: the Son of God, and King of Israel. Perhaps he was remembering Psalm 2:6-7 that also uses both these titles: "I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill." I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my Son; today I have become your Father. With these words, there is no mistaking what Nathanael meant in his address. 50 Jesus answered and said to him, Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these. Even Jesus acknowledged that Nathanael believed He was the Messiah with very little evidence or convincing. Jesus replied that Nathanael would see far more than this simple indication of His identity. Perhaps he even laughed at Nathanael s quick response. But it would be a laugh of joy if only everyone responded this quickly! What an amazing turn around from the contempt he showed toward a Nazarene, to total acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah. RockofAges.org 7 The Book of John, Chapter 1, Part 4: Verses 35-51

8 Jesus knew that Nathanael would indeed follow Him, and as a disciple would be an eye witness to the signs and miracles He would perform, the same signs John presents in this Gospel as evidence of the Messiah. 51 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....hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. This should sound very familiar to us, if we have even a little understanding of the Old Testament. It is a direct reference to Genesis 28:10-15: Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you. The Jews immediately recognized this, and knew this story. This is the confirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant with Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, son of Isaac, the son of the Covenant. In a dream Jacob, who was running away from home for fear Esau would kill him at the time, saw almost exactly what Jesus describes here....upon the Son of Man. The interesting thing to note is that Jacob saw a ladder on which the angels of God were ascending and descending... However, Jesus references HIMSELF as the ladder! HE is the One on whom the angels of God are ascending and descending. Jesus is the ladder to heaven, the only stairway that will get us to God. He meant this allusion. HE IS THE ONLY WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE, the only path to the Father (John 14:6)....the Son of Man. Jesus refers to Himself here with another of His Messianic titles: Son of Man. This seems to have been His favorite title for Himself, and He used it often. This is also a title the Jews would have recognized, from Daniel 7: "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. In this small portion of scripture, a simple and short dialogue, we have three distinct titles for Jesus: Son of God, King of Israel, Son of Man. With these events, the ministry of Jesus begins. And it starts with a powerful recognition of exactly who He really is the long awaited and promised Savior of the world, not just for the Jews but for everyone. It seemed like forever, but God waited until the perfect time to send His Son to deliver us all. Imagine the excitement of these Jewish men when they realized that indeed He was here, and living (tabernacling!) among them. The greatest adventure of their lives was just beginning. It seems like forever today also, as we wait and watch for Him again. He came the first time, just in time, just in the way God said He would, and He will surely come the second time in the perfection of God s ultimate plan. RockofAges.org 8 The Book of John, Chapter 1, Part 4: Verses 35-51