Jesus’ First Disciples
JESUS’ FIRST DISCIPLES
JOHN 1:35-51
Notice how naturally new disciples bring their family and friends to Jesus!
The evidence which John the Baptist gave, that Jesus was the Son of God and the Lamb of God, led to two of his own disciples leaving him and following Jesus. This was a literal following which was also to become a spiritual following in due course (cf. 8:12; 12:26; 21:19,22). But it was not to be simply on second-hand evidence. Jesus invites them to come and see for themselves, and to stay with him. (For a spiritual coming to Jesus, cf. 3:21; 6:35, etc.; for a spiritual seeing, cf. 14.9; for a spiritual staying or abiding, cf. 15:4-10.) Notice that John was concerned not to attach disciples to himself (unlike the leaders of many modern cults) but to Jesus. He could even rejoice in their transferred allegiance (3:29f.); an indication of his spiritual greatness.
Christ-centered testimony is infectious. Each “carrier” has a vital part to play. Andrew’s first thought is to share his new experience with his brother. Finding him was, as William Temple said, “perhaps as great a service to the Church as ever any man did.” Simon (perhaps the name has overtones of hearing and obeying) will become Cephas (Peter, the rock man). Little could either of them see what Jesus would make of him!
Andrew had found Simon for Jesus, now Jesus himself finds Philip, and Philip in turn finds Nathanael—the Israelite without any touch of the guileful Jacob (Genesis 32:28). To every misconception about his true origin (that his true home is Nazareth or that his real father is Joseph), there is the answer of experience—“Come and see.”
The titles ascribed to Jesus in this passage are probably, as Temple puts it, “rather an outburst of exalted hope than a rooted conviction of faith.” But “Rabbi” (1:38), “Messiah” (1:41), “Him of whom Moses … and the prophets wrote” (1:45), “Son of God … King of Israel” (1:49) are all inadequate because they are limited by the preconceptions of the time. Jesus prefers the cryptic title “Son of Man” (1:51). Only after he rose from the dead did true Christian faith come. Only then could Jesus be seen as Jacob’s ladder (Genesis 28:10-17), as the house of God (cf. 2:19-22) and the gate of heaven (cf. 10:7,9; 14:6).
Notes 1:35: “The next day”—suggests different days in a momentous week. 1:40: “one of the two.” The most natural assumption is that the other was John. 1:41: “first”—there are three possible meanings here: (a) that Andrew sought out Peter the very first thing on the next morning; (b) that having found Peter he then found someone else for Christ, possibly Philip (cf. 1:44); (c) that while Andrew was the first to find his brother, John the evangelist, probably the second of the two questioners, also found his brother, James. All three alternatives have something to say to us! 1:47: Nathanael is probably the same as Bartholomew (Mark 3:18). Being under the fig tree implies studying the Law. It seems likely that the preliminary meetings with the apostles recorded here were the reason for their immediate response to Jesus’ call in Mark 1:16-20. So today there may be meetings with Christ before committed discipleship.