John 1:35-51

John 1:35-51 Jesus’s first disciples

In this section, John is giving us an abbreviated account of the calling of the disciples.  A disciple is a follower of Jesus.  (John never uses the word “apostles,” but he does refer to the Twelve in John 6:66-70.)  John is telescoping into just a few “days” what took a longer period of time, as seen in the other Gospels.

The reference to the “next day” in verse 35 is the first of a series of 3 days in which John shows Jesus gathering disciples and then going with them to the wedding feast at Cana (John 2:1-2), where, he says, Jesus first reveals his glory to them.

Who calls whom to follow Jesus?  Follow the linkages from person to person.  Who issues the invitation and who responds in verses 35-36, 39, 40-41, 43, and 45-47?

John the Baptist --> Andrew and someone else (could this be the Beloved Disciple?)

Jesus --> Andrew and the other disciple of John

Andrew --> his brother Simon (whom Jesus names Cephas/Peter)

Jesus --> Philip --> Nathanael

Notice the networking.  The Bethsaida network was not unlike our alumni networks, LinkedIn and Facebook networks, etc.

Notice that it is John the Baptist who first points people to Jesus.  What does this tell us about John the Baptist?

He is not possessive of his followers.  He wants what is best for people, even if it means they leave him.

What lesson might we learn from John the Baptist when we face situations where we might need to let a fellow believer move on from our circle so that he or she can go do something God wants them to do?

What caused these people to follow Jesus?  (Consider, for example, verses 31, 33, 39, 41-43.)

This abbreviated story about who the calling of the disciples shows that Jesus calls people and people call people.

What does this story suggest about our own potential role in encouraging people to become followers of Jesus?

Think about how you became someone who follows Jesus.  Who called you?  (Jesus?  Someone who was already involved in the Christian community?  Both at different times?)  What is your story of becoming a follower of Jesus?

In verse 39, what is Jesus’s invitation?

Jesus says, “Come and see.”  Note that in verse 46, Philip also says, “Come and see.”

Suppose you were there.  If Jesus said to you, “Come and see,” would you have been willing to follow along and check him out?  Why or why not?

How can “come and see” be a useful way of inviting people to get to know Jesus?

Is there someone in your life to whom you would like to say, “Come and see,” as a way of introducing them to your faith?  If so, what would you invite them to “come and see”?  Your Sunday worship?  Your Bible Study?  A service ministry you are involved in with other Christians?  Something else?

As our faith grows and develops, Jesus often has new things he wants us to “come and see.”  In what ways is Jesus saying to you, “Come and see,” in your life today?

In verse 41, Andrew tells his brother Simon Peter, “We have found the Messiah.”  Earlier, in verse 21, John the evangelist (i.e., the Gospel writer) used the Greek word Christos for Messiah, but here he is quoting Andrew so he uses the Aramaic word for Messiah that Andrew would have used; and then, since he is writing in Greek, he explains by providing the corresponding Greek word Christos.  The fact that John uses the Aramaic word here suggests that this story was preserved from the way the original eyewitness told the story orally – which appears to be John telling us what he himself actually heard – whereas in the earlier passage he was passing on the testimony of John the Baptist.

In verse 42, Cephas and Peter are the Aramaic and Greek forms, respectively, of the name Jesus gives to Simon.

In verses 45-46, John’s first mention of Nazareth is part of a derogatory comment Nathanael makes about Jesus’s hometown.  How do we sometimes dismiss things without a fair consideration?

Notice that Nathanael goes from skeptical (verse 46) to questioning (verse 48) to faith (verse 49).  How does his transformation model the typical process of becoming a follower of Jesus?

How can we honor the fact that coming to faith is usually a process in order to be effective in trying to help people come to faith in Jesus?

Look at verses 50-51 and the “greater things” Jesus says they will see.  The reference to angels ascending and descending comes from Genesis 28:10-17.

Read Genesis 28:10-17.

What happens in this story about Jacob, and what does it say about the angels?

When Jacob, in his dream, sees angels going back and forth between heaven and earth, he concludes that this place where he slept is the “gateway to heaven” (Gen. 3:17) – what people in our day might call a “portal.”  In John 1:51, Jesus says that he is the portal, the staircase, the gateway to heaven.  In what ways is Jesus a gateway to heaven?

The reference to the “Son of Man” comes from Daniel 7:13-14.

Read Daniel 7:13-14.

What does Daniel say, and who did the Jews think it was referring to?

The Messiah.

When you put it all together, what is Jesus saying about himself in John 1:51?

In John 1:50-51, the first time Jesus uses the word “you,” the word is singular – i.e., spoken directly to Nathanael.  But the other two times he uses the word “you” in these verses, it is in the plural: “you all” – i.e., everyone who is listening.  Jesus’s claims about himself are not some kind of private revelation.  They are meant for everyone, for every follower of his to hear – including you and me.  How can we incorporate this understanding of Jesus into our lives?

The Prologue (John 1:1-18) gave us many descriptions of Jesus.  These passages add more:

• Verse 38: Rabbi, which is Hebrew for “teacher” (literally, great one or master).

• Verse 41: Messiah, which is Hebrew for “anointed one” – the word that in Greek is Christos or “Christ.”

• Verse 49: King of Israel.  (And also, Son of God, but we already saw that in the Prologue.)

• Verse 51: Son of Man.

Which of the descriptions of Jesus in verses 38-51 is most significant for you right now in your life?  (Teacher?  Messiah/Christ?  King?  Son of Man?)  Explain.

How are John 1:1-18 and John 1:19-51 different?  How are they similar?

What can you take away from these passages that might affect how you live your live this week or this year?

Take a step back and consider this:

In verse 47, Jesus says that Nathanael is a person in whom there is no “deceit” (NRSV) or “duplicity” (NABRE) or “guile” (RSV).  Nathanael is genuine: What he shows you is really who he is.  Let’s consider what this means on 2 levels:

Spiritually, being genuine is a necessary component of coming to faith.  We need to face up to who we are relative to who God is and be honest with God about our need for him.  A lack of genuineness can hinder our growth in the faith.  If we try to play games with God, pretend that we are holier or more faithful than we are, or put on an act of piousness, if what we reveal to God on the surface does not reflect what is underneath (of course, God see it all!), then spiritual growth is difficult if not impossible.

And in our relationships, one of the things that most undermines a romantic relationship or a friendship or the opportunity to do good in the workplace is an unwillingness to be honest and transparent – to rely on deceit or guile to try to get what we want.

When Jesus says that Nathanael is a person without deceit or duplicity, what does that tell you about the way he relates to other people?

Why is Nathanael’s approach important for relationships?

Jesus is also describing Nathanael’s lack of guile in his approach to God.  How is that important?

Would you like to be known as a person in whom there is no deceit?  Explain.

Nathanael was so honest that he even spoke aloud his negative opinion of Nazareth.  Is it necessary to be brutally honest at all times in order to be a person with no deceit, or are there ways to keep some of our critical thoughts to ourselves and still be genuine?  How do we find a balance that involves living without deceit but still being kind?