Passage 📖: John 1:35–51

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👋 Introduction to Today’s Lesson

In our world, we’re taught not to move until we’re certain. Don’t commit until you understand the risks. Don’t follow until you’ve gathered the facts. Don’t step forward until you’re confident it will work out. We’re told that influence is earned through preparation, titles, and credentials — that the people worth following are the ones who’ve already proven themselves. But what if God’s Kingdom works in the exact opposite way? In today’s passage, no one has clarity yet. No one has certainty. No one has credentials. Just a few people willing to respond to an invitation before they fully understand it. This moment shows us how faith actually begins — not with knowledge, but with desire; not with control, but with trust; not with having it all figured out, but with a willingness to come and see.

Let’s Dive In. 

Last week, we explored John the Baptist’s witness to Jesus. When questioned by religious leaders, John made one thing unmistakably clear: he was not the Messiah. Instead of building his own platform, John pointed away from himself and toward Jesus, declaring, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” We saw that God’s Kingdom advances not through hype, credentials, or self-promotion, but through honest testimony. John didn’t try to explain everything — he simply spoke truthfully about what he had seen and experienced. The passage reminded us that faith grows through witness, not pressure, and that our role is not to be the answer for others, but to point them to the One who is. This set the stage for today’s passage, where that witness is finally acted upon — and ordinary people take their first steps toward following Jesus.

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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[k] 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, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter[l]). 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.”

This moment takes place along the Jordan River, likely near Bethany beyond the Jordan — a remote, rugged stretch east of Jerusalem. This is not a temple courtyard. Not a synagogue. Not the center of religious power. It’s the wilderness. John the Baptist has been baptizing here — calling Israel to repentance, confronting religious leaders, and preparing people for God’s coming action. Word has spread quickly. Delegations have traveled over a day’s journey from Jerusalem to investigate him. Crowds have gathered. Expectations are high. This moment comes immediately after John the Baptist’s public witness. When he has identified Jesus plainly: “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The crowds have heard it. The leaders have investigated it. Now the question becomes personal: What happens when someone actually responds? John 1:35–51 is not about mass movement. It’s about the first steps of discipleship. Not a revival. Not a miracle. Just a few ordinary people deciding whether they will follow the One they’ve been told about.

The First Followers: Two of John the Baptist’s disciples hear him point to Jesus and do something quietly radical: They leave John… and follow Jesus. This is important. Their faith doesn’t begin with proof. It begins with trust in testimony. They are not abandoning John. They are honoring him. Because John’s entire ministry was to point away from himself. This is how the Kingdom moves: One faithful witness → one curious response → one step forward.

Jesus’ First Words in John’s Gospel: Jesus notices them following and asks the first recorded question He ever speaks in this Gospel: “What are you seeking?” Not: “What do you believe?” Not: “Do you understand who I am?” Not: “Are you ready to commit?” But: What are you actually looking for? This question sets the tone for everything that follows in John. Discipleship begins not with answers— but with honest desire. Their response is hesitant but revealing: “Rabbi… where are you staying?” They don’t know how to ask what they really want. They just want to be near Him. And Jesus answers with an invitation that defines the Christian life: “Come and see.” Not a lecture. Not a defense.

Identity Before Achievement: One of those disciples is Andrew. He immediately goes to his brother Simon and says: “We have found the Messiah.” Notice: He doesn’t explain everything. He doesn’t argue theology. He shares what he has encountered. When Simon meets Jesus, Jesus does something unexpected. He renames him. Before Simon preaches. Before he leads. Before he fails. Before he understands anything— Jesus gives him a new identity. This sets a pattern that will repeat throughout the Gospel: Jesus does not wait for transformation to give belonging. He gives belonging, and transformation follows.

Skepticism Meets Revelation: Then comes Nathanael. He’s cautious. Suspicious. Unimpressed. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” This is not shallow doubt. It’s informed skepticism. And Jesus doesn’t shame it. Instead, He reveals insight no one else could have: “I saw you before you saw Me.” Nathanael realizes: He is not just encountering a teacher— he is being seen.This is not justice.

The Promise That Looks Forward: Jesus ends this passage by lifting everyone’s eyes beyond this moment: “You will see greater things than these… heaven opened.” This is not the climax. It’s the setup. John 1:35–51 is about beginnings: the beginning of following, the beginning of community, the beginning of revelation. The signs haven’t started yet. The public ministry hasn’t exploded yet. But the foundation is being laid. This is how the Kingdom starts: Not with spectacle. But with people responding to an invitation— “Come and see.” And everything that follows in John’s Gospel flows from this first, simple decision to follow.

Jesus’ first recorded words in John’s Gospel are not a command or a declaration. They are a question: “What are you seeking?” Not: What do you believe? What do you know?What have you figured out? But: What do you actually want? This reframes discipleship entirely. Following Jesus does not begin with correct theology, spiritual clarity, or confident answers. It begins with honest desire. The first disciples don’t even know how to explain what they’re seeking. So they ask a relational question instead: “Where are you staying?” In other words: Can we be near You? Can we spend time with You? Can we see for ourselves? They don’t ask for explanations. They ask for proximity. And Jesus doesn’t correct them. He doesn’t demand clarity. He doesn’t require certainty. He simply says: “Come and see.” This is the posture of the Christian life. Not having it all together — but being willing to come close. Not arriving with answers — but showing up with openness. If your faith feels messy… if your questions feel unresolved… if your desire is stronger than your certainty… You are not behind. You are at the starting line. And here is the invitation for you: You don’t need to understand what you’re looking for. You don’t need to have it figured out. You only need to come. To spend time with Him. To stay close. And as you do — You’ll find that all that you’ve been seeking is found in Him.

In the world then — and in the world now — identity is something you build. You make a name for yourself. You prove your worth. You earn belonging through success, performance, reputation, and achievement. In the first century, that meant lineage, education, status, and religious standing. In our world, it looks like careers, platforms, influence, productivity, and approval. Either way, the message is the same: Become someone — then you’ll belong. But Jesus does the opposite. When Simon meets Jesus, there is no evaluation period. No testing phase. No résumé review. Jesus looks at him and says, in essence: “This is who you are now.” Before Simon: preaches, leads, understands, fails, denies, repents, or ever proves himself… Jesus gives him a new name. A new identity. A new future. A new place of belonging. This is not accidental — it’s the logic of the Kingdom. The world says: change, then you belong. Jesus says: you belong, and that’s what will change you. Simon is not renamed because of what he will accomplish. He will accomplish what he does because he has been renamed. And this matters deeply for us. So many of us are exhausted because we’re trying to become worthy of belonging — with God, with others, with ourselves. We think we need to fix ourselves first. Clean ourselves up. Become more consistent. More faithful. More impressive. But Jesus does not wait for transformation to offer belonging. He offers belonging — and transformation grows from it. You are not invited into the Kingdom because you’ve changed. You are changed because you’ve been invited. Jesus does not define you by your past, your failure, or your potential. He calls you by who you are becoming — long before you can see it yourself. And that identity — given, not earned — is what lifts you into a life you could never build on your own.

Nathanael is not impressed. He’s not hostile — just unconvinced. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” This is not rebellion. It’s honesty. It’s informed doubt. It’s someone refusing to pretend. And Jesus does not shame him. He does not correct his tone. He does not demand blind belief. He reveals. “I saw you before you saw Me.” In that moment, Nathanael realizes something deeper: This is not just a teacher he’s evaluating — this is Someone who already knows him. This shows us something essential about the way God works: Jesus is not threatened by honest doubt. He does not meet skepticism with rejection — He meets it with revelation. But notice this: Nathanael’s doubt does not disappear through argument. It disappears through encounter. Philip doesn’t try to win him over. He doesn’t explain everything. He simply offers an invitation: “Come and see.” And Nathanael is curious enough to take the step. This is where the application lands for us: You don’t have to silence your questions. You don’t have to pretend certainty. You don’t have to force belief. But you do have to be willing to explore the invitation. Doubt that refuses to look will stay closed. Doubt that is curious enough to “come and see” can be transformed. So if you’re questioning… if you’re hesitant… if faith has felt complicated or unresolved… Be honest. Be thoughtful. Be critical if you must. Just don’t stop short of the invitation. Because Jesus does not reveal Himself at a distance. He reveals Himself in the encounter. And like Nathanael, you may discover that while you were evaluating Him — He already fully knows and understands you.

✉️ Final Word

Every movement of faith begins the same way — not with certainty, not with answers, not with confidence — but with a simple willingness to respond. In this passage, no one has it figured out. They aren’t theologians. They aren’t leaders. They aren’t sure what they’re looking for. They just take a step. They follow a voice. They ask an honest question. They stay close. They come and see. And in that closeness, everything begins to change. Jesus does not demand belief before relationship. He does not require clarity before commitment. He does not wait for transformation before offering belonging. He meets people exactly where they are — curious, skeptical, uncertain, unfinished — and invites them forward anyway. He gives identity before achievement. He gives belonging before behavior. He gives revelation to those willing to come near. This is the quiet miracle of the Kingdom: God does not reveal Himself to the impressive. He reveals Himself to the responsive. To the ones who are honest enough to admit they’re searching. To the ones brave enough to ask real questions. To the ones willing to take a step before they feel ready. So if your faith feels incomplete… if your certainty feels thin… if your questions are louder than your answers… You are not disqualified. You are exactly where this story begins. You don’t need to have the right words. You don’t need to resolve every doubt. You don’t need to become someone else first. You only need to come. To stay close. To be willing to see. Because the Kingdom still advances the same way it always has: Someone points. Someone follows. Someone encounters Jesus. And everything changes from there. So take the next step. Lean into the invitation. Come and see. That is where faith begins.

Blessings,

Michael

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