John. Jey J. Kanagaraj
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next day after the Baptist unveiled who Jesus is, two of his disciples followed Jesus and came into fellowship with him. This initiates the dawn of the new covenant community around Jesus. The Baptist introduced Jesus, who was walking by, to these disciples saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God” (1:36). The name of one of the two is mentioned as Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, but the name of the other is hidden (1:40). Their immediate response of following Jesus proves the convincing effect of the Baptist’s testimony, which enabled his disciples finally to accept Jesus as the Christ. In John’s Gospel, a genuine “seeing” of Jesus is often preceded by “hearing” about Jesus and followed by “believing” and “witnessing.”33 Jesus, on seeing the two walking behind him, questioned them, “What are you seeking?” (1:38). On the surface, Jesus’ question asks what they really want from him, but at a deeper level it means whether they are seeking the life that quench their spiritual thirst.34
The two disciples, instead of answering the question directly, asked Jesus, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” The question shows that the two wanted to know Jesus more and have intimate friendship with him. The Greek word used for “staying” (menein) in John denotes intimacy with Jesus. The knowledge they had gained through the Baptist that Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away human sin and who empowers believers with the Holy Spirit, could have created a spiritual longing within them. Therefore they wanted to remain with him and learn from him the Law, which was normally taught by Jewish rabbis even until late at night.35 This explains why they called him “Rabbi,” which means “my great one” or “teacher.”
Jesus’ answer, “Come and you will see,” invites the seekers not only to come and stay with him but also to perceive him as the Messiah to whom the OT points (cf. John 6:37; Matt 11:28). Responding to Jesus’ invitation, the two disciples went with him. The time of their stay with Jesus is specified as the “tenth hour,” which, as per Jewish reckoning, would be 4:00 p.m. Does it denote the time when the disciples came to Jesus or the time when they left him? The statement “they stayed with him that day” (1:39b) implies that the two stayed with Jesus until 4.00 p.m. If the disciples’ stay had fallen on a Friday, as Brown has calculated,36 then the followers would have left Jesus before the Sabbath started, at 6.00 p.m.37 In his dialogue with them throughout the day, Jesus convinced them through the Scriptures that he is the Messiah (cf. John 1:41, 45; Luke 24:25–27, 32). The disciples got new revelation about God and the Messiah, which marked a turning point in their lives.
Their joy and new knowledge of Scripture inspired the two disciples to tell others that they found the Messiah.38 Andrew shares this good news first to his brother Simon (1:41), who was inspired to see Jesus. Therefore Andrew brought him to Jesus to be a part of Jesus’ community. With the Baptist as the origin, the two disciples became the pioneers of Christ’s community, the church.
The Greek word emblepsas (“having looked at”) in 1:42 implies Jesus’ deep insight and inner perception into the life of Simon. Jesus had already known Peter by the name “Simon” and his father, John, for he foreknew each human being by name, background, and future destination (1:48; 2:24–25; 4:16–18; 13:38; 20:25, 27; 21:6). Simon will be called “Cephas” (petros in Greek), meaning “rock,” because at his meeting with Jesus, Simon must have perceived him as the Christ. By changing his name, Jesus hints at a change in Peter’s life and ministry thereafter.
Jesus takes the initiative (“Jesus decided”) to shift the place of his ministry from the eastern side of Jordan to the western side of the Sea of Galilee, where he finds Philip of Bethsaida (cf. 12:21), a disciple who attains importance in John’s Gospel (12:21–22; 14:8–9). Bethsaida is mentioned as the “city of Andrew and Peter” (1:44), whereas according to the Synoptic Gospels Andrew and Peter came from Capernaum (Matt 8:5, 14; Mark 1:21, 29; Luke 4:31, 38). However, both Bethsaida and Capernaum were situated in Galilee and after 70 CE the whole region around the Sea of Galilee was called “Galilee,”39 and therefore John is not incorrect in mentioning the native place of Philip. He is the only disciple whom Jesus commands in John, “Follow me” (1:43), a command given to other disciples in the Synoptic Gospels (Matt 4:19–22; 8:22; 9:9; Mark 1:17, 20; 2:14). Philip decided to follow Jesus, and this led him to identify Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ to whom the Law of Moses and the OT prophets (the whole of OT) testify (John 1:45).
Philip immediately shared his conviction with Nathanael by witnessing, “We have found him . . .” Thus the circle of God’s new community became bigger by the addition of those who believed Jesus as the Christ and bore witness to him enthusiastically. Since the foundation of this new community is faith in Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus, in John, is revealed and confessed as the Messiah in the initial stage of his ministry, whereas in other Gospels it is divulged later (Matt 16:16, 20 par.).
Nathanael’s immediate question, “Can any good thing be from Nazareth?” (1:46), reflects perhaps the civic rivalry between Cana, Nathanael’s native place (21:2), and the neighboring Nazareth.40 Philip’s response, “Come and see,” looks back to the same invitation given by Jesus to the two disciples (1:39). As Nathanael was approaching Jesus, Jesus called him an Israelite in whom there is no craftiness, because Jesus knew his inner thirst to see the Messiah (1:47), and this explains Jesus’ foreknowledge of Nathanael even before Philip called him, because Jesus had seen him when Nathanael was under the fig tree (1:48). The statement “I saw you . . . when you were under the fig tree” indicates that Nathanael was looking for the Messiah to come and was, therefore, meditating on the Law under the fig tree to search for the Messiah and his activities. Some rabbinic texts claim that the more one studies the words of Law the more relish one finds in them, just like the one who searches on the fig tree finds more fruits on it (e.g., b. `Erub. 54a).41 Nathanael’s action is in line with the Jewish rabbis who studied under fig trees.42 Jesus’ foreknowledge of Philip’s meeting with Nathanael and of Nathanel’s expectation of the Messiah proves that Jesus was divine even while he was a human.
In his first encounter with Jesus, Nathanael confesses that Jesus is the “Son of God” and the “King of Israel” (1:49). His search of the Scriptures had led him to identify both titles as denoting the Messiah, who will subdue the enemies of Israel and establish his kingdom. That Christ will come as King in the family of David in order to rule over Israelites with justice and peace is an OT concept (Isa 11:1–5; 35:4; Zeph 3:14–17; Zech 9:9–10). Christ is also portrayed as the Son begotten by God (2 Sam 7:14; Ps 2:7). The messianic title “King of Israel,” in conjunction with “Son of God,” alludes to these OT passages.
Nevertheless, Jesus questioned Nathanael’s faith, for he had believed in Jesus as the Christ only by seeing his supernatural knowledge (1:50; cf. 2:23–25; 12:37; 20:29). In John, believing in Jesus just by seeing his supernatural deeds causes only an embryonic faith, and genuine faith comes by hearing his words. After pointing out his faith as based on seeing, Jesus gives him a promise that he will see greater things than Jesus’ supernatural knowledge. This promise is given also for all Jesus’ followers, as the plural “you [will see]” in 1:51 shows.
The community of disciples will see greater things throughout Jesus’ life and ministry. Jesus’ promise is introduced with his solemn declaration, “Truly, truly I say to you,” which appears twenty-five times in the Johnnine sayings of Jesus. This implies that Jesus pronounces a heavenly truth that is confirmed and unchangeable. He promises a vision that will be seen collectively by all those who believe in Jesus.
God’s new community, emerged around Jesus, will