The Disciples Follow

THE DISCIPLES FOLLOW

John 1:35-42

To begin I want to take you back to verses 29. John the author of this gospel wants everyone to believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that He is the Son of God; and to get people to believe, John gives us the eye-witness testimony of John the Baptist.

So, in vs. 29 John tells us that Jesus came to John the Baptist and John the Baptist sees Him coming and he cries out, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

When John says that he is referring to a concept that every Jew would understand. They had been to the temple; they had seen the temple priests and what they do with a lamb; they may have even offered up a lamb as a sin sacrifice for themselves.

And when John speaks of Jesus and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” he is saying, “This is the one. This is the man who fulfills everything that the Lamb of God concept in the O.T. pointed towards.” (Forgiveness; deliverance; life) ;

Now, we have no way of knowing if Jesus heard what John said but if He did it didn’t deter Jesus because when John says, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” he has just announced to Jesus and everyone there that would listen, “This man is going to die for the sin of the world.”

“This man is going to be sacrificed; his blood will be poured out on a altar before God.”
Because lambs didn’t take away sin by skipping around in a meadow.
Lambs took away sin by shedding their own blood and giving up their own life.
If Jesus heard those words, it must have reminded Him, “I must die to take away the sin of the world”; and still He came.

Now, what does it mean when John says, “He will take away the sin of the world”;

It means he “takes it away.”
He takes it up and he carries it away. He removes it. The guilt, the shame. The penalty.

And when He takes away the sin of the world it is a provision that is so big, and so generous and that is so rich that He does it for the whole world.

What Jesus did on the cross is sufficient to save anyone who trusts in Him.
There is no one who turns to Jesus and who will hear Him say, “I am sorry I can’t. I am sorry, what you did was so wrong, I am sorry, you did it for too long. I am sorry, we just ran out of the last drop of saving blood; I am sorry but what I did doesn’t cover people who live there; I am sorry but you are too poor; to old, etc.
It doesn’t happen that way.

So, John sees Jesus coming and look what he says starting in vs. 30: John says, “This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ 31 “And I did not recognize Him (John knew that there was a “Man” who ranked higher” than he did, he just didn’t know who he was.),

31 “And I did not recognize Him but in order that He might be manifested (revealed) to Israel, I came baptizing in water.”

John’s baptism had a dual purpose: to call people to repentance for the forgiveness of sin; Mark 1:4; and to “manifest the One who ranked higher than him.”

32 And John bore witness saying, “I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 “And I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 “And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

Did you count the witnesses? Those who confirmed Jesus.
I may be wrong but I counted three: John; The One who sent Him or God; and the Spirit.
That is a witness list that any attorney could and would win with if people would only accept the truth.

Again, John says, “I did not recognize Him; John may have known Jesus, they were 2^nd cousins; but when John says, “I didn’t recognize Him”, John is saying “I didn’t know that He was the Messiah, the Son of God; but when John saw the Spirit descend on Jesus and remain there, John realized who Jesus was and look at vs. 34.

John says, “And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

We sing a song and what does it say: #176 Your only Son no sin to hide…

Now, let’s go to the verses that were read. Vs. 35: Again the next day John was standing with two of his (John’s) disciples, 36 and he looked upon Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold (Look), the Lamb of God!”

Vs. 37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 And Jesus turned, and beheld them following, and said to them, “What do you seek? (What do you want?)

In John’s gospel these are the first words of Jesus that he records; the first “red letters” in the book; a question.

Why did Jesus ask this question? Did He not know the answer?

He knew the answer. He wanted them to think about the answer they were going to give.

Many times God will ask the questions and He doesn’t do that because He doesn’t know the answer.

He asks the questions so that the one He’s asking will have to think about the question, and evaluate his own situation.

In the garden after Adam sinned, God said, “Adam, where are you? God knew where Adam was. He wanted Adam to think about how far he had moved from God.

Jesus said to His disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” He knew the answer. He wanted them to answer that and consider what people were saying.

And then He asks, “Who do you say that I am?

In John 5, Jesus asks the paralyzed man, “Do you wish to get well?’ IF people didn’t understand what was going on they would think that is a very cruel question to ask.

But the question was meant to make the man think. “Are you sure you want to get better? It is going to mean a life change for you. You have been living off of the graces of people who are giving you things and giving you money and sustaining you. Are you sure you are ready for a lifestyle change that means you will have go to back to work and struggle? Are you sure you want to get well?”

So, sometimes God will ask the question to get us to think about our motives.

“What do you want?” “What are you seeking?”
And that is a question that each one of us should think about this morning: What do you want? Why are you here?

So, Jesus asks the disciples, “What do you seek?” or “What do you want?”; and look at what they say, “Where are you staying?”

They don’t say, “Perform a miracle for us.” Or “We want some food.”
They ask, “Where are you staying because that is where we want to be?”
“We just want to be where you are.”

And look at vs. 39. Jesus doesn’t give them information. Instead He gives them an invitation: “Come and you will see.”

Vs. 39 They came therefore 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 Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He found first his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus.

This is how most conversions to Christ take place and this is a sign of a true disciple.
A true disciple is not content with going to heaven alone.

Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

The name “Simon” means “listen or hear.” Cephas means “rock.”
Before Jesus is through with Simon, Simon will be transformed into a “Rock” of stability for Christ.
I wonder, what Jesus would call me?

43 The next day He purposed to go forth into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.”

That is what Jesus has always wanted: Followers-disciples; people who are going to “follow” Him.
Jesus never told anyone “to accept Him into their heart”; and He never called anyone a Christian; but He did invite everyone to “follow Him.”
He wants people who will “die to self, take up the cross, and follow Him.”

44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of 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 And Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

Nathanael responds to Philip’s announcement with prejudice.
Nathanael was ready to dismiss Jesus because he was from Nazareth.

Well, instead of arguing with Nathanael, Philip simply says, “Come and see. ”

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!”

This is significant in that Nathanael said what was on his mind. In vs. 46 Nathanael expresses his prejudice; he is outspoken and straight forward.
And here in vs. 47 Jesus recognizes that in Nathanael’s character.
There is no deceit, no trickery in Nathanael! He says what He thinks.
And so, as a witness for Jesus you can believe what Nathanael says.
So look at what Nathanael says in vs. 49:

49 Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.”

50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you shall see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

In vs. 48 Nathanael wanted to know how it was that Jesus knew him.
And Jesus him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
And here in vs. 51 Jesus tells Philip, “If you thought Me seeing you under the “fig tree” was cool, just stick around, because there is so much more to come.

So, let me ask, “Are the testimonies of these witnesses important? Sure they are! In fact, they are vital and let me give you two reasons why their testimony is so important.

One, remember why John is writing this gospel; John 20:30-31.

30 Many other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

If you and I fail to believe the testimony of John the Baptist; God, and the Holy Spirit, and these disciples and what they say about Jesus; there will be no “life” for us.

And here is the second reason why the testimony of these three witnesses is so important.

There are a lot of people, several right here in Brady who will tell you, “You know, Jesus was a good man, a good teacher, a good example, and we will even say that he worked a few miracles. But the Son of God, he is not! The Lamb of God, he is not! God in human form, he is not!”

And they will be very sincere; but if you or I let them or anyone else convince us that Jesus is not (human), is not the Messiah (sent from God) and is not the Son of God you and I will forfeit our eternal salvation.
The testimony of these witnesses is important in bringing us to Christ and to keep us from falling away.

So, who do you say Jesus is? Is He the Lamb of God who can take away your sin? Is He the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed One sent from God; is He the Son of God who is to be followed and obeyed?

Or is He nothing more than a good man; and is all of this just a fairy tale and myth?

As you think about this let me encourage you to remember the testimony of John the Baptist; God, and the Holy Spirit.