Reflection Guide

John 1:35-51 | What It Means to Follow Jesus

Key Terms

Rabbi/Disciples – Rabbi was a title of honor meaning “teacher.” Disciple literally means “learner” and can also be translated “follower” or “apprentice.” This scene in John’s gospel shows that Jesus and his disciples will have a teacher and apprentice relationship.

Messiah/Christ – Messiah literally means “anointed one.” The term became associated with the long-awaited deliverer promised to Israel, who would
restore God’s kingdom (see Is 9:6-7 & Dan 7:13-14). Christ is a Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah.

Son of Man – A Jewish expression referring to an individual—sometimes simply meaning “a certain person,” while other times designating an individual as representative of humankind as a whole. The term is used in Daniel to refer to a transcendent, human-like figure who will usher in God’s coming kingdom, and is applied to Jesus in the NT by Jesus himself and his followers.

Synopsis

Jesus returns to the wilderness where John the Baptist is ministering and John once again identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God (v. 35-36). This declaration results in two of John’s disciples leaving John in order to follow Jesus as their new Rabbi (vv. 37-38). Andrew—one of the two—then goes and finds his brother Peter, and tells him, We have the found Messiah (v. 41). Jesus then travels to Galilee and meets Philip and Nathaniel (vv. 43-46). Nathaniel initially doubts that a man from Nazareth can be the Messiah but after Jesus reveals special knowledge about Nathaniel, he identifies Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God (v. 47-49). This scene closes with Jesus telling Nathaniel (and presumably the others who were nearby), Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man (v. 51). This statement is a reference to Genesis 28 where Jacob has a vision of a ladder from heaven to earth with angels ascending and descending. Jesus seems to be promising his disciples a divine confirmation that he is the Messiah. John’s gospel provides more interpretation with the calling of Jesus’ first disciples than the other three. The way that he highlights the theme of seeking/finding and Jesus’ identity (Rabbi, Messiah, Son of God, Son of Man) is likely an intentional way to draw readers into the story to consider who Jesus is, what they (the reader) are seeking, and whether or not it might be found in Jesus.

Did You Know?

The apostle John translates three key terms in this passage from Hebrew to Greek—Rabbi as “teacher”, Messiah as “Christ”, and Cephas as “Peter.” This reflects John’s sensitivity to a diverse audience and highlights the universal nature of Jesus’s mission.

Going Deeper

When Andrew and Philip understood that Jesus was the Messiah, they wanted to share
that good news with people they loved. Read Romans 10:14-15 and 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. What does it mean to be an ambassador for Christ? Who in your life needs to be invited to follow Jesus with you? What does he/she need to believe about Jesus in order to start following him? How can God use you in that process?