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More John commentaries
John 1:1-9
Snapshots of the Lord’s Life
John 1:10-18
Only One Way to Experience Salvation
John 1:19-34
John was asked “Why baptize?”
John 1:35-51
Transition Between Ministries
John 2:1-11
Changing Water into Wine
John 2:12-25
Jesus Turns Over the Tables
John 3:1-12
How to be Born Again
John 3:13-21
What does it mean to believe?
John 3:22-36
John’s Disciples are Jealous of Jesus
John 4:1-15
Jesus Meets the Samaritan Women
John 4:16-30
It is not Where You Worship But How
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Transition Between Ministries
John 1:35–51
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
Jack Cooper in Dallas is an opthalmologist. Instead of the trite, “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country” flip chart standard for eye exams, he made one that says, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” He would … More
This passage covers the transition between the ministry of John the Baptist and the ministry of Christ. We find John the Baptist with two of his disciples, Andrew and John. After he pointed to the Lamb of God (Jesus) they left and followed Jesus. John was happy when people left him to follow Jesus because his ministry focused on Jesus. These two were so impressed with Jesus that they found their brothers and brought them to Him. Andrew brought Simon (Peter) and John brought James. “We have found the Messiah” (v. 41) was the witness Andrew gave to Simon. Simon talks with Jesus and during this conversation he receives a new name.
Next Jesus brings Philip personally to Himself and tells him “Follow me” (v. 43). Then Philip goes to Nathaniel and brings him to Jesus (v. 45). (Bible scholars believe that Nathaniel and Bartholomew are the same person. John never mentions Bartholomew in his Gospel and the other three writers named Bartholomew and not Nathaniel). At first Nathaniel was a doubter because he did not believe anything good could come out of Nazareth. However, when Jesus told him what he (Nathaniel) had been doing he was convinced. It is interesting to note how Andrew and John came to Christ through the faithful preaching of John the Baptist. Peter and James came to the Lord because of the personal soul-winning of their brothers. Jesus brings Philip to Himself personally and then Philip witnesses to Nathaniel and brings him to the Lord. “Son of Man” was one of our Lord’s favorite titles for Himself and is used some 83 times in the Gospels (vv. 50-51). This speaks of Jesus deity and humanity.
Application
This is a great example of how to spot people who would like to know the Lord and how to witness to them. I also need to be an example of how to witness and encouraging others to do the same.
John 1:35-51 (English Standard Version)
The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 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?" 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. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter). The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 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." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" 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." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 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." 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."
View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway) »
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