Bible Study Series: John 1:35-42. Andrew brought his brother Peter to Jesus. How do we witness to our family and lead them to Jesus?
Friendly greetings and a warm welcome to this Bible study! I write to learn, so let’s learn together how to apply these truths to our lives.
I also translate to learn. The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click here:
For the Greek text, click here:
At that link, I provide a lot more commentary.
In this post, links are provided for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: John 1:35-42
35 The next day, John was standing again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Look! The lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him speaking and followed Jesus. 38 But Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi (which means Teacher), where are you staying? 39 He said to them, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he was staying and stayed with him on that day. (It was the tenth hour.)
40 Andrew, one of the two disciples who had heard John and followed Jesus, was the brother of Simon. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. When Jesus saw him, he said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which means Peter). (John 1:35-42)
Commentary
Let’s clarify an historical matter. In v. 39, it was the tenth hour. If it was Jewish timing (from sunrise, it was 4:00 p.m. or 16:00h). If it was Roman timing (from midnight and noon), the hour was 10:00 a.m. It is probably the Jewish timing. The reason John mentions it is the Sabbath. They were remining within the bounds of the Sabbath, which began at sunset, by not traveling too far, which would be considered working on the Sabbath (Mounce, comment on v. 39).
This is a pericope or unit of Scripture about following Jesus, instead of a righteous and gifted man (John).
Jesus Calls Certain Disciples in Four Gospels. Do the Accounts Contradict?
35:
Commentator Klink will add up these days and count six days, which relates to the six days of creation (pp. 160-62). Please note that these days are not just whimsical and serve no purpose.
36-37:
Once again John saw Jesus and proclaimed him as he was—the lamb of God. See John 1:29 for fuller comments.
Two of John’s disciples left John behind to follow Jesus, yet John did not become insecure about their decision, but let them go. John will later proclaim that he will decrease or diminish and even fade away, while Jesus will increase (3:27-30). It takes a lot of inner strength to recognize that the end is near for one’s ministry and even for a career.
“disciple”: the noun is used 261 times in the NT, though many of them are duplicates in the three synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. BDAG, a thick Greek lexicon, says of the noun (1) “one who engages in learning through instruction from another, pupil, apprentice”; (2) “one who is rather constantly associated with someone who has a pedagogical reputation or a particular set of views, disciple, adherent.”
Ten Characteristics of a Healthy Disciple
John seems to use the term less officially than do the Synoptics, where their introduction to the readers in their narratives is formal. John seems to mean, at this early time, “followers” and more loosely “those who were intrigued by Jesus.” But how deep do their beliefs about him go? Not very deep, for they will waver later on.
38:
Then Jesus asked the profoundest question for all of humanity. People have heard of Jesus, and he asks them, even today, “What are you looking for?” Or “What are you seeking?”
What are people looking for? They are looking for deep satisfaction or fulfillment. They are looking for a way to numb the pain and disappointment. But how do they find deep satisfaction and the way to numb the pain? Relationships? This may help a little bit. But relationships can go bad at any time. Smoking cannabis or taking other drugs like alcohol? No, that is not the way. Ingesting chemicals tweaks and twists the brain, but then the “high” or effects of the chemicals wears off. None of this works in the long run. These religious and other systems are for the toughminded, and they offer some insights, like taming desires and not stealing.
However, they offer no loving Father and life in the Spirit, who is sent by the resurrected King of kings and Lord of lords. These systems do not make room for the divine nature, from the true God, to live in people (1 Pet. 1:4), by the indwelling of the Spirit. Without life in the Spirit, under the Lordship of Jesus, people have to struggle to juggle all these complications.
See the fuller comments for a quick overview of other religions. I also have many posts on world religions at this website:
Then Andrew does the one thing we should all do. We first find our family members and bring them to Jesus. He is not on earth, so we have to proclaim his Lordship and bring them to church, when they are ready. We don’t have to become missionaries to a remote part of the globe (unless God calls you); we can go to our families and pray for them. Pray that they will have a hunger for the things of God.
Ten Big Differences between Christianity and Other Religions
So What’s Wrong with Socialism, Anyway?
For fuller comments on the two synonym titles Messiah and Christ, see John 1:20.
In effect they are asking him: ‘To where will you be leading us?’” (Klink, comment on v. 38). The fact that he used the word “Rabbi” or “Teacher” confirms the intention of these two followers.
1. Titles of Jesus: Rabbi and Teacher
39-41:
“where are you staying?” is not avoiding the question from Jesus, “what are you looking for?” Instead, they are telling him exactly what they are looking for: they are looking for someone to follow. They want to go where he was ‘staying’ because he was now their leader, their teacher.
See more comments for the title “Christ” in John 1:20.
42:
Jesus saw him (the Greek verb means to “gaze intently”) and, with his intense gaze, Jesus gave him his second name after Simon, and Simon was an extremely common name: Cephas, an Aramaic name meaning Rock, which means Peter, because Peter in Greek means “Rock.” So, humorously, but accurately, his name means “Rocky.” Later in Peter’s life of discipleship, Jesus reaffirms this new name, in a more public setting (Matt. 16:18). Here the name change is private. Peter was the lead apostle, in all the Gospels and in the first fifteen chapters of Acts. By God’s grace, he lived up to his name change, after Pentecost (Acts 2).
Peter’s full name was Simon bar-Yoḥanan (Jonathan), which can come into Greek abridged as John (v. 42) or Jonah (Matt. 16:17).
On the title Messiah, see John 1:19-20.
To conclude ….
So what are you looking for? Look for your answer in God through Christ—not a god by any other means or names. Only in surrendering to him can people find deep satisfaction which lasts.
Grow App for John 1:35-42
1. Andrew found his brother Peter and brought him to Jesus. What is your outreach like to your family and friends?
1. Jesus baptizes or immerses people in the Spirit. When and how did this happen for you?
RELATED
14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels
12. Eyewitness Testimony in John’s Gospel
4. Church Fathers and John’s Gospel
3. Archaeology and John’s Gospel
SOURCES
For the bibliography, click on this link and scroll down to the very bottom:
Dr. Jim's Essential Bible Teaching 