LBC Sermons & Messages

John 1:35-51

Chapter 1 introduces us to Jesus, as the eternal God, who entered into human history as a man to reveal to us who God is. John the Baptist presents him to the nation of Israel as the Lamb of God, which would imply substitution and the writer John uses sixteen different names and titles to stress who he is. This demands then a response from us and these verses in our text have a strong emphasis on the need of “discipleship”.

The first two, Andrew and John, heed John the Baptist’s identification of Jesus and “followed” after him, who asks them “what are you seeking”. The ultimate question for those seeking peace with God. In other words, make sure I am what you want because if you follow me and be my disciple your life will change. Jesus calls them with “come and see”. In effect saying come and examine me which they do and became convinced that he was the Christ. When we have good news we want to tell others and this is what Andrew did. He went and told his brother Peter.

In verses 43 thru 51, Jesus and his followers head north, when they come upon Philip. Jesus challenges him to “follow” him, again a discipleship word and Philip recognizing Jesus as the prophesied One, does so. Again good news needs to be told, so Philip witness to Nathanial “we have found him”. Nathanial is skeptical “can anything good come from Nazareth”, but Philip tells him to lay aside his prejudices and to honestly examine him. Nathanial soon recognizes the supernatural character of Jesus and he himself becomes a disciple.

The whole point of this passage is that recognition of who Jesus is, demands a response from us, and that response is discipleship. We need to become followers of Jesus. As Jesus changed the name of Simon to Peter, so will he change us to what we can be.

To become a disciple of Jesus, we recognize our need and turn by faith to Him and accept Him as our Savior. Only by coming to Jesus can we comprehend what we are seeking spiritually.