040. Chapter 19 - The First Disciples

Chapter 19 - The First Disciples

John 1:29-51 The Actual Opening of Jesus’ Ministry

Elijah stepped forth from obscurity and electrified Israel with his prediction of the drought. Elisha swept up Elijah’s mantle and smote Jordan, and as he passed over on dry land, the school of young prophets at Jericho cried out that the spirit of Elijah had fallen upon Elisha. Amos and many of the other prophets leaped upon the stage with breathless and portentous revelations of coming doom. But the actual beginning of Jesus’ ministry was humble and unpretentious. It had nothing of the spectacular. The method pursued by Jesus was the very opposite of that suggested by Satan when he tempted Him to leap from the pinnacle of the temple. The crude and excited notions of the multitudes as to the appearance of the Messiah to assemble an army made necessary this quiet beginning, if He would gain opportunity to instruct the multitudes and change their ideas of what the Messiah should be before they came to rally about Him as their leader. Jesus, in the most quiet and unobtrusive manner, came from the scene of the temptations back to the Jordan and began to mingle with the crowds about the Baptist. Many of the people had doubtless returned to their homes after accepting John’s baptism, but new throngs kept coming and the most eager and zealous gradually sifted out of the changing crowds and remained with the Baptist. Christ came back to the center of John’s work, for here was the high tide of Messianic expectation; here were rallying the choicest young spirits of Israel; and here was His forerunner. The ministry of Jesus thus connects up with that of John. The First Step The first step of Jesus’ ministry was to assemble a group of personal followers. Kent notes that this is the method of a teacher and cites the example of Hillel and other rabbis. But this is also the method of all leadership. There must be a well-trained group of subordinates to carry Out any great program and lead the people in its fulfillment before the program can be fully launched. These personal followers must have meant much to Jesus during His ministry. How lonely His earthly life was and how much He needed a little group who might share some of His deeper thoughts and heavier burdens! The quiet evenings in camp or private homes with these sturdy followers gave Jesus the fellowship for which He longed and caused a new species of life to spring up in the hearts of His disciples. But these followers were gathered not merely to minister to the personal needs of Jesus. They were to become the trained messengers to carry the good news and the authorized representatives to set up His kingdom and to fulfill His work. The Method of Jesus

Something of the importance of the call of these personal disciples is seen by the division of Gospel history urged by Godet: (1) period of loose association with His disciples beginning here at the Jordan and continuing through the early Judaean ministry; (2) period of constant fellowship beginning with the definite call of the four disciples by the Sea of Galilee; (3) period of full apostleship beginning with the formal selection of His twelve apostles. During the early ministry of Jesus they were sent forth independently and trained incessantly. It is certain that in His choice of these immediate followers and the patient and tireless instruction offered to them we have one of the most fundamental and deep-set purposes of Jesus’ ministry. This training began on the very first day of His actual ministry and it was not concluded until the very last, on the Mount of Ascension.

John and Jesus

It is from the Gospel of John that we learn that Jesus did not make the first approaches in securing His first disciples. In the Synoptics we are told that Jesus walked by the seashore and called His disciples peremptorily to leave their homes and occupations and follow Him. They obeyed Him without question. It would be rather difficult to understand this startling procedure if it were not for this passage in John which describes the beginning of the association of Jesus with His disciples. Neither did John the Baptist command them to depart from his company and join themselves to the Christ. They were evidently some of his closest and most earnest followers. They came from a section which had long since been touched by the message of John, but they were still remaining at his side. John did point Christ out to his followers in very solemn and dramatic fashion. But they were left to their own resources as to what course they would pursue. What caused these first two disciples to follow Jesus? On the first day after Jesus’ return John saw Him coming and exclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.” He did not appear to speak to any one in particular, but the good seed found some soil for a hundredfold harvest. On the second day John is represented as “standing” — what a striking representation of patient waiting and overwhelming awe in the soul of the Baptist — and “looking” — a penetrating gaze full of devout ecstasy — upon Jesus as He was “walking” amid the crowd. The devout reverence of John would lead his followers to realize the supreme character of Christ. The Messianic expectations fired by the repeated predictions of John stirred these first two disciples to follow Jesus. Once in His presence they were enthralled by His personality.

John’s Testimony

Some suggest that back of John’s testimony “Behold the Lamb of God” lies the fact that the Passover was near at hand and that great flocks of lambs were probably being driven by on their way to be sacrificed at Jerusalem. But it seems impossible that so profound and significant a testimony should have arisen from such a conjunction of circumstances. The reference is, of course, to the Passover lamb: “Christ our Passover sacrificed for us.” Westcott says that the truth confessed by John has three elements. (1) The Lamb symbolizes self-surrender and redemption — “Vicarious suffering endured with perfect gentleness and meekness.” This is an ominous figure. It is like the sword that shall pierce the heart of Mary foretold by Simeon. John has a prophetic insight into a truth that the disciples were slow to understand (Matthew 16:22). (2) A peculiar relationship to God is suggested. It is not a lamb but the Lamb — not of man’s providing, but the Lamb of God. (3) The universality of Christ’s mission. The sins of the whole world are to be taken away. Here again his prophetic vision leaps forward to the world-wide extent of Christ’s mission. The First Disciples

Two disciples heard the testimony of the Baptist. One of these was Andrew and the other was evidently John or his brother James. They both followed Jesus. The frank fashion in which Jesus turned and inquired why they were following Him afforded relief to a rather embarrassing situation. “Master, where dwellest thou?” The reply, “Come and see,” is the eternal challenge of Christianity. This was about ten o’clock in the morning. They spent the day with Jesus. And where was Jesus staying? In the home of some friend? Was He camping out in some quiet spot in the mountains? And what were the topics of discussion? Did their “hearts burn within them” that day as when He opened the Scriptures to the two with whom He walked to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35)? How striking these extended conversations with two disciples at the opening and close of His ministry! And the result was the same — faith in Him and the eager desire to tell the great news to others. The decisive and vivacious statement, “We have found the Messiah,” gives the key to the conversations of the day. Here were two young men impatient for the appearance of the Christ. They had listened for days to the sensational predictions and testimony of John concerning the near approach and presence of the Messiah. And now the fellowship of the day had brought conviction to their hearts and they rushed back to tell the great news.

Personal Evangelism The passionate evangelism of Christianity has here its first moving example. How many times the word “find” occurs in this first chapter of John! “What seek ye?” This reminds us of “Seek and ye shall find.” “He findeth first his own brother.” This is the very method and spirit of Christianity. Such a search leads in ever-widening circles to the ends of the world. “We have found the Messiah.” This is the substance of the Christian message. “He brought him to Jesus.” And what a man was this whom Andrew brought to Jesus! Jesus read the soul of each of the men He met in this chapter. He saw the latent possibilities in Simon and traced the course of the future with His prophecy that he “shall be called Cephas or Peter” (a rock). “He findeth Philip Follow me.” Christ allowed His first disciples to seek Him, but on this third day He encouraged a fifth disciple to follow by a direct invitation. “The Lord saw each man’s most secret heart, whether, being too forward, he required warning of the cost, or too backward, he required to be summoned or encouraged (Matthew 8:19-22)” (Sadler on John 1:43). Here as elsewhere the consummate tact of Jesus is evident. The Method of Philip

John explains how it happened that Philip accepted the invitation of Jesus. He was from Bethsaida which was also the home of Andrew and Peter, James and John. Doubtless these four had discussed with him their remarkable experience of the preceding day. “Philip findeth Nathanael….We have found him….Jesus of Nazareth.” This chapter is full of the zeal of those who seek and the joy of those who find. Again the challenge “Come and see” is issued. This saying is the key to this chapter. “One has said that the best thing in the world came out of Nazareth.” But Bethlehem was the place where the Christ should have been born. Philip is as yet ill-informed. He calls Jesus the “Son of Joseph.” He evidently does not know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem instead of Nazareth. After a while he will be able to preach a full gospel with convincing power, but he cannot now answer the objections of Nathanael. He knows one thing, however, that if Nathanael ever comes into the presence of Jesus and realizes His personality, then further argument will be unnecessary. It is essential for us to understand and believe the historic facts concerning Jesus Christ, but when we come to “know Him whom we have believed,” our faith cannot be shaken. The disciples were brought to Jesus by personal evangelism. They were finally won as His followers by their actual experience of His love and power and His divine personality. The Winning of Nathanael The presentation of Nathanael to Jesus brings forth some beautiful, hidden references to Jacob. “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” Jacob’s name had been changed to Israel on the night he struggled with the angel. Were these disciples and their Master standing near the Ford Jabbok just now? “Here is a young Israelite — a descendant of Jacob — but his heart is free from the duplicity and deceit which was Jacob’s in his youth” is the gracious fashion in which Jesus welcomed Nathanael. The quick, impulsive reply, “Whence knowest thou me?” parallels his doubting query to Philip, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” The answer, “I saw thee under the fig tree” overcomes his doubts. If Nathanael had been full of guile himself, he might have suspected deceit in Jesus’ reply. Jesus might have secured the information by chance or deliberate purpose and now used it as if He had actually seen him under the fig tree before Philip called him. But Nathanael is convinced and hails Jesus as “Son of God and King of Israel.” It is not likely that Nathanael got this conception from Psalms 2:1-12 where the Messiah is called a “King set upon the holy hill of Zion” and where are found the famous words: “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.” For John’s Gospel has at considerable length outlined the fact that John the Baptist had testified to his disciples concerning the dove and the voice from heaven: “Thou art my beloved Son.” He must have talked these matters over continually with his immediate disciples during the period that Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness. All this was a preparation for this recognition by Nathanael. But the disciples did not at this time realize the full significance of the term “Son of God” (cf. Matthew 16:13-23). The Angels and the Son of Man

Jesus commends Nathanael for believing on such slight evidence and calls Himself the Son of man. This emphasizes His human nature and His fellowship with all mankind as the title given by Nathanael had pointed out His divine nature. Nathanael’s phrase “King of Israel” seems to voice the current Messianic hopes for a temporal ruler. But Jesus pictures His future as full of spiritual rather than temporal glory: “The angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” This is a plain reference to Jacob’s ladder and his vision at Bethel. In what sense did Nathanael witness the fulfillment of this prophecy? The angels sang at Jesus’ birth and ministered to Him in the wilderness, but these were of the past. They came again in Gethsemane and at His resurrection, but these appearances hardly seem to satisfy the prophecy of Jesus. Perhaps He means to suggest the whole work of His saving ministry rather than a single visitation. Christ has reconciled man to God and by His death has opened heaven so that the very angels of God ascend and descend upon Christ as the ladder or means of communication in their errands of mercy. This record of the actual opening of Jesus’ ministry is full of victory. He does not declare Himself in spectacular fashion to the multitude, but a little group of select and eager men begin to have an insight into His glorious personality. They recognize Him as the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the Son of God and the King of Israel. He declares Himself the Son of man and opens up an absorbing vista of His coming ministry.