John 1:35-51, Gospel Bridges (The Right Approach, 2)

We are considering 3 ways Jesus showed interest in those He called as disciples.

·       They believed because:

o   He made them a priority.  “Where are you staying” (v38) means they wanted some uninterrupted time with Jesus, alone.  He granted this (v39), from 4pm (the 10^th hour), apparently overnight.  For this to take place Jesus had to be living by His Father’s priorities.

o   He welcomed them without bias.  Peter acted as if he was pretty solid, and yet had serious misgivings (self-doubts).  Christ accepted him with thoughts of potential (v42, knowing what the Spirit would do in Peter’s life).  Nathanael (v47), when he asked about Galileans, was not expressing prejudice.  After all, Nathanael was from Cana of Galilee; he was a Galilean.  His bias came not from pride but humility.  As A. B. Bruce (The Training of the Twelve, p71) put it, Nathanael’s thought was, “surely the Messiah can never come from among a poor, despised people such as we are – from Nazareth or any other Galilean town or village.”  But Christ did not share this bias, as can be seen in how many of the Twelve were from Galilee.

·       They believed because they were aroused by a simple testimony to Christ (1:36,41,45). 

o   John the Baptist pointed to Jesus, calling Him “the Lamb of God” (v36).  Those of Jewish background understood this (knowing of the Passover Lamb, the “scapegoat” on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and the Suffering Lamb of Isa. 53).  

o   Andrew told Peter, “We have found the Messiah” (v41). Again, this was appropriate.  Peter would have been taught to hope for Messiah to come.

o   Philip told Nathanael of “the One Moses and the Prophets wrote about” (v45).  Jesus was the fulfillment of the Jewish Scriptures.

Apart from Jesus, these claims were made by men who, almost certainly, did not know much.  But they met Christ and came away with a simple testimony: “This is the One you’ve been looking for all along.  COME and SEE! (v46).

·       They believed because the One they came to see passed every test. 

o   He met their needs, as in the case of Peter.  This mighty man was a crumbling soul on the inside.  Christ met that need (v42).

o   More important, He satisfied the claims: that He was the Lamb, the Messiah, the One of prophecy. 

In the end, the faith of these early disciples was limited (v50-51), but adequate!  They did not fail to recognize Jesus; they did not reject Him; but they received Him.  Where are you in this?