THE GOSPELS: LESSON 10:

THE FIRST DISCIPLES

TEXT: JOHN 1: 35 - 51

          Let’s set the scene first. John’s gospel does not talk about the birth or baptism or temptation of Jesus, except very indirectly. John (the writer) first takes up his narrative of Jesus here in John 1 where John the Baptizer was preaching and baptizing – somewhere at the Jordan, either near the Jericho or Jabbok crossings (halfway between the Dead Sea and Galilee). This is obviously after Jesus’ baptism. Since we are told that “immediately” after the baptism Jesus was led out into the wilderness, this episode takes place after Jesus returned from his 40-day fast, probably as he was resting up and feeding to gain strength for the return trip to Nazareth (in Galilee).

VERSES 35 - 39: TWO FOLLOW JESUS

Verse 35: “Again the next day . . .” In other words “the day after the next day”. The third day. After what? After the priests and the Levites had gone out to see who John was. (Verse 19) John was there (at the Jordan where he preached) with two of his disciples close at hand.

Verse 36: “Behold the lamb of God!” Which lamb of God? The one who “taketh away the sins of the world.” (Verse 29) This he commented to Andrew (Peter’s brother) and an unstated second disciple. Many believe this other disciple was John, the writer of this gospel.

Verse 37: When the two disciples of John heard this, they left him to follow Jesus. The time of following John was ended. By John’s own mouth someone greater than he had arrived, so why not follow the greater master?

Verse 38: They were following behind Jesus and he turned to talk to them. His question is surely one of the greatest questions in all of scripture: What do you seek? Not WHO do you seek, but WHAT? They sought the Messiah. Here we have the first instance of how Jesus often asked leading questions, not because he needed to know, but rather to engage the mind of the other person. This Aristotelean/Socratic approach was commonly used to teach in those days.

          They called him Rabbi (Master or Teacher) a term that was just coming into widespread use among Jews. It meant master, especially in the sense of one who was a master teacher (doctor) of the Torah (Hebrew Bible). John’s explanation, “which means teacher,” uses the same term that was used for the “Doctors of the Law” that Jesus was conversing with at the temple when he was 12 years old.

What did they want to know? Where are you staying?

Why such a question? They wanted to talk to him at length.

Verse 39: They went to where Jesus was staying, for it was the tenth hour. This must be by Jewish time (4:00 PM) for it was about time to retire for the evening. Obviously Jesus was not very near Nazareth or Capernaum, for in verse 43 it says “The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee.” He was obviously staying at an inn or a relative’s house, most likely at Amathus or Scythopolis. Others speculate he was much farther north, maybe as far as Bethsaida, near the Sea of Galilee. (Consult a map.)

VERSES 40 - 42: PETER FIRST MEETS JESUS

Verse 40: Andrew, Peter’s brother, was the first to follow Jesus. The “other” was most likely John, the gospel writer. Until fairly recent times it was considered poor form to insert yourself in any written work.

Verse 41: Notice that Andrew was already convinced that Jesus was the Messiah! Who convinced him? John the Baptizer! (Verse 34: “I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”) Andrew ran to his older brother Peter to tell him the good news! (Was Andrew the first gospel preacher? No, the shepherds who proclaimed the Good News of Jesus’ birth were! Gospel=good news.)

Verse 42: Jesus meets Peter: “So, you are Simon BarJonah!” This what Gill’s commentary says of this verse:

“. . . thy name is Simon, and thy father's name is Jona: he knew both their names, though he might have never seen their faces, nor heard of them: this he said to give Simon a testimony of his omniscience; and which, no doubt, must strike him at once.”

Notice all Peter’s names:

Simon – (Hebrew Shimone) “to hear intelligently; to pay attention.”

Barjona – “the son of John.”

Cephas (Aramaic) – “the rock.”

Peter (Greek)– “a big rock.” [A stone or pebble is the Greek word lithos.]

VERSES 43 - 51: THE CALLING OF PHILIP AND NATHANAEL

Verse 43: The next day after meeting John, Andrew, and Peter, Jesus decides it is time to go back to Galilee. He met Philip and says, “Follow me.” In other words, leave off what you are doing and become my disciple.

Verse 44: Philip, Andrew, and Peter were all from Bethsaida, a fishing village. Bethsaida means “house of fish.” This is not the same Philip who was “one of the seven” called in Acts 6.

Verses 45, 46: Philip finds Nathanael. Nathanael is never mentioned anywhere else in scripture. It is believed by many that Nathanael is another name for Bartholomew, since in the other gospels Bartholomew is always mentioned with Philip. This seems most likely. His Full name would have been: Nathanael Bartholomew: Nathanael, son of Tholomew or Tholomy (Ptolomy).

          Andrew declares Christ to be the Messiah of scripture, but when Nathanael finds out he is from Nazareth, he has his doubts. “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Nazareth, a Roman-built town where a garrison of Roman soldiers were quartered, was despised by other Jews. Jews of other cities suspected them of collusion with the Romans.

          Notice Philip’s wise reply, “Come and see.” No arguing or coercing, just a simple invitation to find out for himself.

Verse 47: though Nathanael doubted, he was honest enough to investigate. Jesus calls him a “true Israelite”, that is to say one who was both Jewish by birth and by adherence to the Law. “In whom is no guile.” What is guile? It means craftiness or deceit. In other words, Nathanael was an open and honest man, not like so many whom Jesus would meet later who smiled at him while secretly plotting to kill him.

Verse 48: This verse always amuses me. Nathanael was so guileless that he doesn’t even feign false modesty!

Verses 49, 50: “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” This is one of the strangest and most obscure references in the NT. It may mean, as was common practice in those days, that Jesus had once seen him reading scripture or praying under the shade of a fig tree. This would indicate his humility and sincerity, since the self-righteous loved to pray “on the street corners.” It may also refer to a very old and possibly true story of Nathanael. Among the Syrian Christians of the early centuries there was a story that Nathanael was also born in Bethlehem and his mother saved him from Herod’s slaughter by hiding him under a small fig tree. If so, it is no wonder he found Jesus’ words convincing proof that Jesus was, indeed the “King of Israel,” another name for the promised Messiah. Notice that Nathanael testifies to the three parts of Jesus’ mission: Rabbi (teacher), Son of God, and King of Israel (Messiah). Messiah means “one who has been anointed.” Anointed for what purpose? To be king. (See John 18: 37.)

Verse 50: Jesus considered such proof of his power a little thing. Nathanael would indeed see greater things! He would see Jesus raise the dead and feed five thousand with two loves and a few fishes.

Verse 51: This vision of the heavens opened that Christ referred to seems most likely to refer to the incident of Acts 1 where the apostles are witnesses to the ascension of Jesus. There are other explanations offered, but I find them unconvincing and generally strained. Acts 1: 13, mentioning those who had witnessed the ascension, mentions Bartholomew, but not Nathanael. When coupled with Verse 51 here in John 1, I think the evidence is pretty good that Bartholomew was indeed the same one as Nathanael.

          So we end this episode with Jesus going toward Galilee to his home. He now has five disciples: Andrew, John (most likely), Peter, Philip, and Nathanael (Bartholomew).

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