Jesus and the Disciples: The ministry of Jesus included calling men and women to become his disciples. In fact, everything that follows in John’s gospel must be seen through the lens of discipleship — of learning to follow Jesus and helping others do the same. But as we see in this passage, the journey of faith often starts when someone says, “Come and see.” Recorded on Jul 16, 2023, on John 1:35-51 by Pastor David Parks.
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Finding Life in Jesus’ Name is a sermon series on the gospel according to John in the Bible. Have you ever felt unsatisfied with your life? Or, even when things were going well, something was still missing? Many people sense there must be something more. But what?? John, one of the closest friends of Jesus, believed that Jesus came into the world so that we may have life and have it to the full. Jesus turned John’s life upside down, and John claims this new life — marked by God’s power, presence, and purpose — is available for all who believe.
Sermon Transcript
So this month, we’ve started a new annual theme for our preaching ministry, that is: Finding Life in Jesus’ Name. And normally, we’d have a selection of sermon series under this theme from various parts of the Bible throughout the year. But this year we’re doing something a little different. For almost the whole next year, we’re going slowly, chapter by chapter and verse by verse, through the gospel according to John. We started this series/theme by meeting two different men named John. First, we met John the Apostle, the author of this gospel account of the life and ministry of Jesus. John was an ambitious and hot-tempered young man with the nickname Son of Thunder. But John found a new life with Jesus and was changed so much that by the end of his long life, he was known as the Apostle of love. Second, last week, we met John the Baptist, who was a wild man. John lived in the desert wilderness and dressed and ate like it, too. But John was sent by God to prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. And he did that very effectively. Today, we’ll move from the ministry of John the Baptist, preparing us for the coming of Jesus, to the very start of the ministry of Jesus. And the author introduces the ministry of Jesus in his gospel by showing how Jesus would call people to follow him. Last year, we spent the whole year focusing on learning to follow the unique way of Jesus. If you missed either of those sermons, you can always go back and watch online or listen to the audio podcast if you’d like. But today, we’ll see the start of the journey for several of the first followers of Jesus. And what we learn from this passage will not only help us see how to follow Jesus but also how we might help our friends or loved ones follow him, too. If you have a Bible/app, please take it and open it to John 1:35. Let’s jump in.
John 1:35-39 (NIV), “35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.” Ok, let’s pause here. So John the author/apostle says the day after John the baptist (the John mentioned here) testified that it was Jesus was the Messiah, and the one he was sent by God to prepare the way for — the next day, John was there again, meaning in the wilderness to the east of the Jordan River, with two of his disciples. At this time in Judea, the model of a rabbi and their disciples was common, but it wasn’t common everywhere in the Roman Empire. This is why the author tells us that Rabbi means “Teacher.” As we saw in our last series, the Apostle Paul received an education under one of the most well-respected Rabbis of his time, a member of the Jewish ruling council named Gamaliel. The Greek word for disciple means follower or learner. So, a disciple would follow the way of a rabbi and learn from them. A good modern equivalent might be the relationship between a master tradesman and their apprentice. The apprentice’s job is to assist the master and learn a set of skills from them. A good master should have both the wisdom of experience and some ability to teach or pass on what they know. Back in the first century AD, John the Baptist had disciples who were hoping to learn from him, not a trade necessarily, but a spiritual way of life. And perhaps, to meet the Messiah John said was coming. So when two of John’s disciples heard his testimony about Jesus, they started following Jesus. In this context, the author means this both literally and metaphorically. They literally started following Jesus around as he was walking around. But from the later perspective of when John was writing much later in life, this was the point in time when these men started following Jesus as their Rabbi/Teacher/Master/Lord. Their physical following foreshadowed their future better than they could have known at the time. But then there’s this funny little interaction between the disciples of John and Jesus. Jesus turns around and sees these (probably) younger men following him, and he says, “What do you want?” Now, this is the first example of how Jesus asks questions. Jesus never asks questions to gain information. It’ll be clear in a moment that in his divine nature, Jesus has divine knowledge. But instead, Jesus asks questions to reveal what’s going on in the heart of someone interacting with him. And the question, “What do you want?” is a profound question; it’s a discipleship question. Because if Jesus is the Messiah and God’s Chosen One, what do these men think he will do for them? What do they want out of a relationship with Jesus? Have you ever thought about that question for your relationship with God? What do you want? Do you want God to fix a problem in your life? Do you want to know what is true about the nature of reality? Do you want God’s blessing on your life? Do you want salvation? redemption? justice? glory? Do you want a more secure identity? Life after death? What do you want? Do you see how powerful this question is? Well, how do these first followers respond to Jesus? It doesn’t seem like they know what to say! “Um, I don’t really know what I want Jesus, but, um…where are you staying?” They might as well have asked him about the weather. Now, maybe they were nervous or a little self-conscious, or maybe they just weren’t used to the depth of Jesus’ questions, but Jesus responded to them very graciously and with an invitation. And here, I want you to see the heart of God. Come,” Jesus replied, “and you will see.” He basically says, “You want to see where I’m staying? No problem. Come and see. Come and be with me.” John says, “they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him.” Nothing more is said. No big sermons. No great miracles to report. Just spending time together, getting to know and trust one another, hanging out. This is the heart of God for you that you would dwell with him and be with him because he loves you and isn’t annoyed or embarrassed by you, even when you aren’t sure how to speak or act around him. But the final detail of this passage, that it was about four in the afternoon, seems to be a detail shared by someone who was there. So, most likely, John the author was one of the two disciples of John the Baptist who followed Jesus that day. Let’s continue with v. 40. What happened next?
John 1:40–42 (NIV), “40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 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).“ Let’s pause here. So here, we meet the other disciple who spent the afternoon with Jesus, a man named Andrew. And I love this. The first thing Andrew did after meeting Jesus was to go get his brother, Simon. This is significant for two reasons. First, it shows what Andrew thought about Jesus, even after spending just one day with him. Andrew was convinced; he was a believer, saying in effect, “Simon! Come and see! We found the Messiah!” Again, John provides a Greek translation for his Roman audience that the title of Messiah means the Christ, the Anointed One or Chosen One of God. The second reason this is significant is because Simon Peter would go on to become the leader of the Apostles of Jesus and one of the pillars of the early church. But Jesus looked at Simon, and he really saw him, so he gave Simon a new name. “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).“ Jesus spoke Aramaic, but the language most of John’s audience would’ve spoken was Greek. So Cephas is the Aramaic word for rock, while Peter is the Greek word. But before there’s a word between them, Jesus gives Simon a new name, which seems to represent a new identity; he would be the rock. I wonder what Peter would’ve been thinking. Did he feel very rock-like? Was he curious about this Jesus, or was he nervous? I’d guess he’d have lots of questions. Who is this man? What will he do? What does he mean that I’ll be the Rock? Is it time for us to fight the Romans and win our freedom? What will come of my fishing business? What will my wife think?? And maybe a million other questions. Of course, we’ll have much more time with Peter over the course of this year. But for now, this was the start of his relationship with Jesus. Let’s continue with v. 43. What happened next?
John 1:43–51 (NIV), “43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 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.” 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” 50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.” Ok! So, we’ve added a few more disciples to the group. Jesus was heading back from the southern region of Judea to the north to Galilee, where he grew up in the small town of Nazareth. In a few days, he would attend a wedding in Cana. But first, he wanted to find Philip and called him to follow. Is Jesus intentional about his relationships? Yes. Before he left, Jesus made sure to find Philip. He didn’t want to leave without him. Now, Philip, John says, was from Bethsaida just like Andrew and Peter. After Jesus called Philip, Philip went and found his friend, Nathanael, just as Andrew did with Peter. And Philip says something similar to Andrew. “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.” In other words, we have found the one that God promised would come in the Hebrew bible. Now, initially, Nathanael is skeptical. “Nazareth?” Nathanael says, “Can anything good come from there?” Maybe Bethsaida and Nazareth had rival high school football teams or something, but Nathanael is unconvinced by Philip’s testimony. But then, Nathanael meets Jesus, and Jesus gives him a little demonstration of his divine insight. Once Nathanael sees that Jesus saw him and knew him even before they had met, he believes and makes this sweeping confession: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” Our passage ends by Jesus basically saying, just you wait. Do you think that was impressive? You will see greater things than that. And then Jesus refers to Genesis 28 where Jacob, who also received a name change to Israel, had a vision where he saw heaven open and he saw God. But Jesus says that Nathanael will have a similar vision, except that someone called the Son of Man will take the place of Jacob/Israel. And I can’t imagine a more provocative and compelling promise of Jesus to his new disciples. If you follow me, you’ll be part of a new work of God, including a new covenant, a new people, and a new Israel. You’ll see heaven open, and you’ll see God in a new way here and now. And what an invitation! What an opportunity! Because if Jesus is who John the Baptist says he is, and if Jesus is who Andrew and Philip believe him to be, and if Jesus is who Nathanael confesses him to be, then God only knows what will happen next in their journey of following Jesus.
But what does this mean for us today? How do we apply this to our lives? I’d like to close with two thoughts for you. Next week, in the start of chapter 2 we’ll see the first seven signs that Jesus is the Messiah in the miracle of turning water into wine. But here, in chapter 1, in this extended introduction to the life and ministry of Jesus, the Apostle John wants us to know first: Everything that follows must be seen through the lens of discipleship. Ultimately, this is an invitation for us not just to meet Jesus or start to believe true things about him (although those are certainly good things), but to become his disciples, that he would be our Rabbi/Teacher and we would be his students. This is an opportunity/called for all people to learn from Jesus a new spiritual way of life in relationship with him. Even if we have questions or doubts, like Nathanael, we must bring those questions and doubts to Jesus. If he truly is who he claimed to be, he’ll hold up under the weight of our questions. But how do we do this? Or, if we’re already a Christian, how does a friend or loved one of ours become a disciple of Jesus? Well, the second thing that John describes in this passage is still the way that men and women become disciples of Jesus, what we might call the start of the journey. The journey of faith often starts when someone says, “Come and see.” I’ve met someone named Jesus. I’ve met someone I think might be the Savior and the Lord of all. I’ve heard one who seems to know things and do things that only God could know and do. Come and see. If you have questions, just come and see. If you have doubts, just come and see. Come and spend time with him and see what you think. This is the invitation. It might be a parent bringing their child to church. It might be inviting a friend to read the bible with you. It might be taking a risk and inviting a neighbor or coworker to come and see what this Jesus is all about. But this is the most common start to becoming a follower of Jesus. This might seem risky, but it’s worth the risk. Because when people see Jesus for who he truly is, they’ll realize that Jesus sees them as he saw Peter. And Jesus knows them as he knew Nathanael. And if they heed the call of Jesus and start to follow him, they’ll see that he gives them a new way/character/destiny. They’ll see heaven open and will see God do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. And they’ll see that Jesus brings such a disruptive change in the best way that they might as well have a new name, too. This is what finding life in Jesus’ name is all about. So today, are you ready to come and see? Will you accept the invitation to follow? Will you keep learning and following as a disciple of Jesus? Let us pray.