As the Apostle John seeks to introduce his readers to who Jesus is, he takes us on a journey highlighting several days in the ministry of John the Baptist. It should be noted that John the Baptist was the cousin of Jesus who was appointed by God as the forerunner of Jesus. His responsibility was to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah. This historical narrative begins with John confirming that he is not the Messiah, but rather, the one who is preparing the way. The day described in John 1:35 is the third day in this narrative. It is on this third day that two disciples of John the Baptist are called to follow Jesus. It is in this calling of the first disciples of Jesus that we learn some valuable principles as to how we should follow Jesus and invite others to follow Him as well.
The Declaration. In verses 35 and 36 we read, “Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God!”[1] On multiple occasions we see John the Baptist making such a declaration that Jesus is the One. He is the Lamb of God. He is the Messiah. He is the One who is to save the world from sin. John encouraged others to follow Jesus. If you are a believer in Christ, you are called to declare who Jesus is just like John the Baptist did. It is the responsibility of every believer to declare Jesus. To make Him known. There are several ways by which we can make Jesus known. (1) We declare Jesus through believer’s baptism. It must be understood that believer’s baptism is the first act of obedience for a believer in Christ. It is symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. When one is baptized, he or she is identifying with Christ. It symbolizes death to self and a new life in Christ beginning. Believer’s baptism should be exercised as soon as possible after one receives Christ as Savior. It is the first step for a new believer to make Jesus known and declare Him as Lord. (2) We declare Jesus through the life we live. Whether you like it or not, people are watching you. They are watching to see if your declared faith is substantiated by your practical faith. Does your life show that you are a Christian? Can people see Jesus in you? One of the greatest ways to point people to Jesus is by the life that we live. Our behavior should exemplify the fruits of the Spirit and our attitudes should be positive and joyful. Such behavior and attitude comes as an outflow of a life that is filled with the Spirit and an unwavering closeness with Jesus. (3) We declare Jesus through the preaching of the Gospel. To preach is to proclaim. Every believer is called to preach or proclaim the good news of Jesus. One of the purposes of the church is to equip believers for this task. Every believer should be well-versed in the scriptures and able to confidently and without hesitation share the Gospel with others. We are called to live missional lives. Everywhere we go and in everything we do in life, we are to live with the sole purpose of telling others about Jesus. (4) We declare Jesus through our giving. God has elected the local church to be the vehicle through which His purposes are fulfilled in the world. Therefore, our entire mission effort should be operated through the ministry of the local church. Since the church has been elected by God to be the vehicle through which God’s purposes are carried out in the world, it is imperative that every believer gives of their tithes and offerings to the local church they attend. The more we give, the greater the church’s influence in the community. The more we give, the greater impact the church can have on the world. May believer’s in Christ all around the world stand boldly in declaring Jesus as the Lamb of God!
The Question. Verses 37-38 says, “The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”
They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), where are You staying?”[2] Notice the key question that Jesus asked. He asked, “What do you seek”? There is a lot to unload with that question. This was not just a simple question. Notice what the Bible Knowledge Commentary says on this point: “The first words the disciples heard from Jesus were, What do you want? In one sense Jesus was asking a simple question and the disciples responded with a request for information as to where He lived. But the author seemed to imply more. Perhaps Jesus was also asking, “What are you seeking in life?”[3] This is a question that every individual must address at some point in life. What is your purpose? What are you going to do? What are you living for? It is often said that decisions determine destiny. What you decide concerning life’s basic questions will determine the course of your life.
The Invitation. In verse 39 we see Jesus giving an invitation. Notice what it says: “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).”[4] Jesus calls John’s disciples to come and see. This was not merely an invitation to come and see where He was staying. Rather, it was an invitation to follow Jesus and to see Him. The men whom Jesus was speaking with responded to the invitation in two ways. (1) They came. They came to Jesus. There are two sides to salvation. There is the work of Christ and the responsibility of man. By God’s grace, Jesus gave Himself for us on the cross. By His blood, the sins of the world are atoned for. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. He came to us. The Gospel is initiated by God. It was His plan. However, to obtain salvation, we must also come to Jesus. We must go to the cross. We must accept His gift of salvation and place our faith and trust in Him. Have you ever done that? You see, Jesus has already come to you. The question is, will you go to Him? (2) They stayed. The men not only came to Jesus, but they also stayed with Him. The invitation does not end at salvation, however, it continues with sanctification. This is the process by which we are conformed to the image of Christ. We often refer to this as ‘discipleship.’ We must not only come to Jesus for salvation, but we must also stay with Jesus for sanctification. There are many who have come to Jesus. They have been truly saved. But, they have not stayed with Jesus. These are what Paul refers to as carnal Christians. Those who have not grown in their faith. What about you? Are you staying with Jesus? Are you walking with Him daily? Are you living a sanctified life?
The Witness. Notice what John reveals in verses 40-42: “One of the two who heard John 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. 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).”[5] As a side note it is interesting that one of the disciples mentioned is not identified. Some say the one not identified is Philip while others suggest that he is the beloved disciple, John the Apostle himself. These arguments are really circumstantial and do not have any consequence on the application of this passage. The main thing to understand here is how Andrew told his brother about Jesus. The Holman Commentary says, “The calling of Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was the direct result of John the Baptist’s testimony concerning Jesus as the Lamb of God. Andrew immediately sought his brother, Simon Peter, and proclaimed that the Messiah had been found.”[6] Those who follow Jesus are changed in such a way that they cannot help but to tell others about Him. There are three interesting principles seen in Andrew’s witness to his brother. (1) He sought him. When Andrew came to understand and believe that Jesus is truly the Messiah, he did not hesitate. He immediately went to look for his brother, Peter. Here we see the intentionality of Andrew’s witness. Being a witness for Jesus should be intentional. We should actively and intentionally seek people to tell about Jesus. We cannot just expect or wait for people to come to us. We must go and look for people. As believers in Christ, we should start every day with the purpose and goal of sharing the Gospel with others. (2) He told him. When Andrew found Peter, he proceeded to tell him about Jesus. The manner in which Andrew shared the news with Peter was very enthusiastically. As Matthew Henry points out, “He speaks exultingly, and with triumph.”[7] Andrew tells Peter that they have found the Messiah. He did not proudly make a claim that it was he who discovered who Jesus was. He gives credence to his discovery by implying that others have come to the same conclusion. As we seek out people, we must open our mouths and unashamedly tell those we find about Jesus. There is no greater news worth sharing. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not something that we should keep to ourselves. Rather, it is such life-changing news that we must tell everyone. Imagine learning a simple cure for cancer that will completely eradicate all cancers from the world and not telling a single soul. Of course, you would never keep such a thing to yourself. You would call every news agency. You would contact the doctors and hospitals. You would inform the governments of the world that you have found a cure for all cancer. If you would share such amazing news with the world, why would there be any hesitation to tell your neighbors and friends about Jesus? (3) He brought him. Andrew took his witness a step further. He did not just seek Peter and tell Peter about Jesus, but he also took Peter to Jesus. He physically brought his brother to Jesus. It was obvious that Andrew’s life was changed. He would not stop until all those he loved was brought to Jesus. Matthew Henry wrote, “An instance of true love to his brother, his own brother, so he is called here, because he was very dear to him. Note, We ought with a particular concern and application to seek the spiritual welfare of those that are related to us; for their relation to us adds both to the obligation and to the opportunity of doing good to their souls.”[8] Henry goes on to say, Hereby it appeared that Andrew had been with Jesus that he was so full of him, that he had been in the mount, for his face shone. He knew there was enough in Christ for all; and, having tasted that he is gracious, he could not rest till those he loved had tasted it too. True grace hates monopolies, and loves not to eat its morsels alone.”[9] Oh my friend, may I ask you a very convicting question: how many people have you brought to Jesus? Has your life been so changed by the Lord Jesus Christ that you do everything in your power to bring others to Him?
“Come and See.” These words should continually be on our lips. We are so blessed to know Jesus. We are so blessed to be gloriously saved and our lives forever changed. There is only one thing that we should live for and that is to tell others to Come and See!
[1] The New King James Version (Jn 1:35–36). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[2] The New King James Version (Jn 1:37–38). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[3] Blum, E. A. (1985). John. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 275). Victor Books.
[4] The New King James Version (Jn 1:39). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[5] The New King James Version (Jn 1:40–42). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[6] White, J. E. (1998). John. In D. S. Dockery (Ed.), Holman concise Bible commentary (p. 467). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[7] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1922). Hendrickson.
[8] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1922). Hendrickson.
[9] Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume (p. 1922). Hendrickson.
Pastor Chris Noland 