Title and behold 1/John 1:35-42
Contents
Subject: Come and behold 1/John 1:35-42
It is a record about the first disciples of Jesus, and it began to mark the beginning of Jesus' public life.
But in the other Gospels, when John calls his disciples,
(Matthew 4:18) As they were walking along the seashore of Galilee, they saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting their nets into the sea, and they were fishermen.
(Matthew 4:19) He said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
(Matthew 4:20) Immediately they left their nets and followed Jesus.
(Mark 1:16) As they were passing by the Sea of Galilee, they saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they are fishermen.
(Mark 1:17) Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
(Mark 1:18) Immediately they left their nets and followed.
However, John records the scene of meeting Jesus differently. Can these seemingly contradictory statements be compatible with each other? Arthur Pink explains the reason for this in his "Explanation on the Gospel of John 1", saying that John's point of view is very different from that of other synoptic gospels. I was interested in the calling of the people and saw that it was based on the point in time when I actually started walking with Jesus Christ after my vocation.
1. The role of John the Baptist
(John 1:35) And the next day John stood with two of his disciples,
The phrase “John the Baptist stood with the disciples” has a deeper meaning.
When you say "I just stood there", it means that John the Baptist was standing on the road, but in biblical terms, standing has a deeper meaning.
Just waiting, that is, standing with waiting. In the Bible book of Exodus, in the scene where Moses shows the power of God, it is said, “Stand still. It is the expression of standing in the form of quiet waiting for the Lord.
(Exodus 14:13) And Moses said to the people, Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today; for you shall see the Egyptians whom you saw today, for ever again.
So, in verse 36, Jesus used the word “walking”. John stands and waits, and Jesus walks. To go means to be active, to testify to the beginning of a new age, the activity of Jesus Christ.
(John 1:36) When they saw Jesus walking around, they said, Behold the Lamb of God!
As he said last time, it was his mission to testify of Jesus Christ.
2. Jesus' "Come and behold" ( )
After hearing the testimony of John, his disciples follow Jesus. These two disciples are, of course, Andrew and one. Most sound theologians think that perhaps this one disciple is Yoham.
It all started with the words of John when they began to follow Jesus. So we can understand the role of John the Baptist here, so we can see the importance of witnessing to Jesus Christ, that is, the importance of evangelism.
(Romans 10:14) How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed, and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard
How can they hear without a preacher?
1) "What are you looking for?"
Jesus asks the disciples who came to him for the first time, what they are asking for. What are you looking for? It is a very simple word, but in it it is still a message to us.
In the old days, there is a story that Qin Shi Huang of China sent 3,000 thousand brothers and sisters all over China, even to Jeju Island, to save eternal life. As we see the trial of the century today, there are those who deprive others of their right to life and survival in order to gain power and glory.
Past and present, the Lord asks questions to the crowd that follows him. “What do you seek?” What do you seek through Jesus Christ, and what do you want to obtain through Jesus Christ? Riches and glory, happiness and fulfillment, righteousness, holiness, and truth, eternal life, salvation, and life?
What are we looking for in Jesus Christ? Please take it seriously.
2) "Where are you, Rabbi?"
To Jesus' question, the disciples ask, "Rabbi, where are you?"
where are you posting? where do you live now? Speaking of Seoul, do you live in Gangnam now? Or do you live in Gangbuk? Do you live in the wealthy neighborhoods of Apgujeong-dong and Seocho-dong? Or do you live in Dal-dong? That's not what you're asking.
Wherever you are, the Sea of Galilee, or the Garden of Gethsemane, or the hill of Golgotha, where you are, we want to go there and we want to be there.
(John 14:3) If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, you may be also.
(John 12:26) If anyone wants to serve me, follow me; for where I am, there will be those who serve me...
I hope you will remember the hymn that wherever the Lord is, there is heaven.
3) "Come and behold"
A. and Bora
Jesus said to his disciples who asked where he was, "Come and see." If the original meaning is the same, he said, "When you come, you will see." Jesus' open invitation to salvation. How to do "Come and see" evangelism? Often among non-believers, there are those who say that when I do evangelism, I don't know the Church well and I don't know Jesus Christ. To such people, Jesus says: "Come and see" Isn't it something you have to come first to see? When you evangelize, please take them to church anyway. This is Jesus' method of evangelism.
B."We went and saw where we were"
What did you come and see? I saw you there. How many pyeong of apartment is the house, how many pyeong of detached house, how is the furniture in the house, and how many liters of refrigerator? We didn't see how many inches the TV was, we saw the person and character of Jesus Christ.
C. "It was about the tenth hour when we were together that day."
To dwell together is to fellowship. It's about being friendly. It was around 4 o'clock when they arrived at the place where Jesus was staying, and the fact that they lived together that day means that they were with the Lord at night. The Bible does not say what Jesus and his disciples were talking about that night, but if you see Andrew going straight to the next day and preaching to Peter, he must have said something of deep faith.
(Psalm 84:10) One day in the courts of the Lord is better than a thousand elsewhere, than dwelling in the tents of the wicked.
It is good to be the gatekeeper of my God
Here we think of the Lord with the two disciples on their way to Emmaus.
In the Bible, the Lord explains His work, suffering, and glory, and opens the Bible.
(Luke 24:26) Was it not that the Christ had to suffer these things and enter into his glory?
(Luke 24:27) So, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, what was written in all the scriptures about himself
explain in detail
It is a change in the hearts of the disciples.
(Luke 24:32) And they said to one another, When he spoke to us on the road and opened the scriptures to us,
Was not our heart burning within us?
Like Clopas and a disciple who heard Jesus’ words, Andrew and a disciple found a new meaning of life in deep conversation and fellowship with the Lord that night.
3. Andrew's evangelism (verses 41-42)
1) "He must first find his brother Simon."
After breaking up with Jesus, Andrew first looked for his brother Simon. of Jesus
Andrew, who received grace from the words of Jesus, was the first to evangelize his brother as soon as he left. Even today, like Andrew, when we receive grace, we have to go out and preach right away. To whom will you first share the good news of joy? We know that Hong Soo-hwan coined the buzzword "Mom, I ate the champion" when he won the World Championship in Africa. Shouldn't we be the first to share this good news with our "family"? I hope that you will become saints who visit your home and return home.
2) Saying we have found the Messiah (Messiah is translated as Christ)
Andrew testifies to Peter that we have met the Messiah, Christ. In a trial, "evidence" is not accepted as what others say. I have seen, I have heard, I have done this and I have been subjected to this. The important thing in witnessing to Jesus Christ was this Jesus Christ who was with me. The grace of God that I have been working on has to be a tangible thing.
3) "Bring them to Jesus"
Andrew's evangelism did not end with introducing Jesus Christ, but also bringing him to Jesus Christ and bringing him to the church. To bear the fruit of evangelism is to bring it to the Lord in this way.
4) “You are Simon the son of John, and you will call him Cephas.” (Cephas is translated as Peter).
Jesus not only gave Simon the names Guevara and Peter, but that Peter became Jesus' chief disciple, and that Peter became a pillar in the Lord's church. When we evangelize, we do not know whether the person whom we evangelized will become an important worker in the church and a person who can carry out the great work of the Lord.
conclusion
As disciples of the Lord who came to save sinners, we too must be witnesses of the gospel.