Meditations On the Gospel of John 1:35-42

---

John 1:35–37

35Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said*, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

---

Two of John’s disciples saw and heard Jesus; they left John (they were his disciples) and followed Jesus. They must have recognized what John had been preaching: Jesus was the greater and John was the lesser. The disciples leaving John to follow Jesus was not an act of unfaithfulness to John, but truly an act of faithfulness to both John and Jesus. The very nature of John’s ministry and his hearts desire for all of his disciples was for them to recognize Jesus as the Messiah and to become His disciples. John knew that once Jesus came onto the scene, Jesus would become the greater and he would become the lesser. This was the goal for which John strove. John never tried to hang onto his disciples or his ministry for his own glory. The very nature of John’s ministry involved a handoff to the Savior of all who followed him.

---

John 1:38–49

38And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said* to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” 39He 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.

---

Without identifying Himself to them, the two disciples (just by hearing Him speak) recognized Jesus as a teacher. There is a two-fold statement being made in these verses. First, Jesus taught by the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Second, when the spirit speaks, all recognize His authority, even those who do not follow Him. The wicked try to hide from Him and even try to convince themselves that they don’t believe in him, but all recognize Him. We see this when Jesus sailed with His disciples to Gerasenes (near Galilee) and was approached by the man possessed by a legion of demons; the demons recognized Jesus and called Him the Son of the most high God (Luke 8:27-28). We also see this when we are told that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth (Philippians 2:9-10).

---

John 1:40–42

40One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He found* first his own brother Simon and said* to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). 42He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

---

After being with Jesus for just one day, Andrew recognized Him as the Messiah.

Jesus once again demonstrates His deity in knowing Simon without being introduced. Jesus did not merely know who he was but He knew him; this is indicated by the way Jesus renamed Simon, Cephas (Peter). Before even speaking to him, Jesus knew that it was upon this man Cephas (Peter, which means rock) that He would build His church.

Matthew 16:18 (18) And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

This was not a lucky guess on Jesus’ part; this was not a hunch based upon Simon’s physical appearance; this was foreknowledge that only God Himself possesses. It is this same foreknowledge that God has regarding each one of His elect.

Ephesians 2:10 (10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Meditations On the Gospel of John 1:29-34

---

John 1:29

29The next day he saw* Jesus coming to him and said*, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

---

Jesus came to us when He was born a human and accomplished our salvation on the cross. He comes to us at the moment of our salvation for it is He who seeks us not us who seek Him. Jesus also comes to us and is truly with us every second of every day in His Holy Spirit. Do we constantly “see” Him in our lives and acknowledge Him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world?

---

John 1:30

30“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.’

---

John continues to speak of Jesus’ deity in saying that “He existed before me.” John reiterates confirmation that Jesus is God at many times and in many ways throughout this book. Anyone who refutes the deity of Jesus Christ will have a very difficult time explaining the many passages John has given us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

---

John 1:31-34

31“I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” 32John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33“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“I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

---

John states here that he did not recognize the Lord prior to His baptism and the Holy Spirit descending upon Him as a dove. In Matthew 3:13-17, John is clear that he did recognize Jesus as the Lord before His baptism.

Matthew 3:13-17 (13) Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. (14) John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" (15) But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. (16) And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; (17) and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."

This is not a contradiction. John received his assignment from God, as we all do. He did not arbitrarily decide on an assignment himself. He was given the grace (spiritual gift) by God to recognize the messiah before he was even born. When Mary (pregnant with Jesus) came to visit her cousin Elizabeth (pregnant with John), John leapt within Elizabeth’s womb when he was in the presence of the unborn messiah. God gives confirmation of the authenticity of Jesus as messiah through John’s declaration. John declares to his disciples, that it is not by his own testimony that they should believe Jesus is the Christ, but by the declaration of God Himself. God declared that Jesus is His son by having a dove descend upon Him at His baptism and by speaking the words “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” In the same way God gave John his assignment and the grace to perform it, He gives us all the ability, through our spiritual gifts, to perform the assignments He gives us.