Lesson 4: John 1:35-51 - Calling His Apostles
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples,
36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”
39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.
40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).
42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”
48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”
51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Jesus now chose the men whom He would teach for the next 3 years, teach about Himself and the kingdom of God. Two of them were John’s disciples. As soon as they heard Jesus speak, they followed Jesus instead of John. One of the two was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. Andrew told his brother they had found the Messiah. When Andrew brought Simon to Jesus, Jesus immediately changed his name to Cephas, or Peter in the Greek. Peter means a rock. Jesus immediately knew Peter’s character and gave him a new name which represented his potential. Jesus knew Peter would be a rock-like man in the early church. On the following day, Jesus called Philip to Himself while in Galilee.
Philip invites Nathanael to come and meet Jesus. Philip described Jesus as the Messiah from the prophecies and as the son of Joseph from Nazareth. Jesus, having God’s knowledge, called Nathanael a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false (deceitful). This surprised Nathanael because Jesus had never met him and so He should not know such things. But Jesus said this is just the beginning. They would see the heavens opened and the angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Now Jesus would be the divine link between heaven and earth.
*Whom have you brought to Jesus?
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples,
36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”
39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.
40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).
42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”
48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”
51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Jesus now chose the men whom He would teach for the next 3 years, teach about Himself and the kingdom of God. Two of them were John’s disciples. As soon as they heard Jesus speak, they followed Jesus instead of John. One of the two was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. Andrew told his brother they had found the Messiah. When Andrew brought Simon to Jesus, Jesus immediately changed his name to Cephas, or Peter in the Greek. Peter means a rock. Jesus immediately knew Peter’s character and gave him a new name which represented his potential. Jesus knew Peter would be a rock-like man in the early church. On the following day, Jesus called Philip to Himself while in Galilee.
Philip invites Nathanael to come and meet Jesus. Philip described Jesus as the Messiah from the prophecies and as the son of Joseph from Nazareth. Jesus, having God’s knowledge, called Nathanael a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false (deceitful). This surprised Nathanael because Jesus had never met him and so He should not know such things. But Jesus said this is just the beginning. They would see the heavens opened and the angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Now Jesus would be the divine link between heaven and earth.
*Whom have you brought to Jesus?