John the Baptist Points Out Jesus at the Jordanby CBPepper
1:36John 1:36
And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
Standing with two of his disciples the day after his first proclamation at Bethabara beyond Jordan, John looked upon Jesus as He walked and repeated his testimony, turning attention away from himself to One mightier and preferred before him. By calling Him the Lamb of God he identified Him as the promised Messiah, the Saviour, the Son of God and the Light of the world who takes away the sin of the world and baptizes with the Holy Ghost. When the two disciples heard the words they left John to follow Jesus and seek to know Him, becoming the first disciples of His ministry. One was Andrew, who brought his brother Simon to Jesus, and with John, Philip and Nathanael they gathered as His first five disciples to accompany Him, receive His teachings and publish them as He entered upon the great work of His life. The verse thus shows Christ proclaimed and received individually as Saviour, beginning a chain in which disciples personally bring relatives and friends to Him that helped lay the foundation of the Christian church.
Declaration and Meaning
The declaration belongs to the preaching and baptizing at Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where the memories of Israel's crossing of the Jordan and the overthrow of Jericho stirred hopes that God would again act to deliver Israel. On the day after his first proclamation John was standing with two of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus as He walked he repeated his testimony, Behold the Lamb of God. In this he turned attention away from himself to One mightier than himself and preferred before him. Crowds and multitudes, even kings and nobles, had followed John and thought he might be the Coming One, but he cut off that hope by declaring the work and mission of Christ so exalted that he himself was unworthy to stoop to unloose His shoes.
By naming Jesus the Lamb of God he identified Him as the promised Messiah. The title marks Him as the Saviour, the Son of God, the One who takes away the sin of the world and who baptizes with the Holy Ghost. It presents Him as the true Light and Teacher, the maker of the world whom the world did not know. His identity was confirmed by the descent of the Spirit upon Him and its abiding on Him. The same declaration was made again upon His return to the Jordan, at the time He chose His disciples and entered upon the great work of His life.
The name stirred the hearts of the two disciples who heard it, though they did not understand its meaning and John had not explained it. They were left to wonder whether this was the Messiah and to seek Him for themselves. The passage itself does not explain the title.
First Disciples Follow
John stood with two of his disciples on the day after his first proclamation, looked upon Jesus as He walked, and repeated his identification of Him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, directing their attention to Him among the people. The name stirred their hearts even though they did not understand its meaning, and it had not been explained to them. When the two heard those words they left John to follow Jesus and seek to know Him, wondering whether He was the Messiah, and they became the first disciples of His ministry.
They confessed they were seeking Christ and desired to become acquainted with Him and to be instructed by Him at His home. They were charmed by His deeply impressive yet simple and practical lessons as their hearts had never been moved before. Their encounter with Him gave them faith and assurance that He is the Messiah, and He opened to them the plan of salvation. Their testimony about what they had seen and heard at the Jordan afterward helped kindle hope that God had raised up a deliverer for His people.
One of the two was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, who then sought his brother with the assurance that they had found Christ the Messiah, the Saviour of the world. Andrew brought Simon to Jesus, and the growing circle of disciples brought others to Him. Philip had heard John's announcement of Jesus as the Lamb of God before becoming a disciple himself. In this setting, upon Jesus' return to the Jordan as He entered upon the great work of His life and began His earthly work, He gathered His first five disciples, John, Andrew, Simon, Philip and Nathanael, calling them from humble occupations to accompany Him, receive His teachings, witness His miracles and publish them to the world.
At that first meeting and conference beside the Jordan, the disciple John was present when Andrew heard Jesus and went to call his brother. While Andrew hurried away, John sat silent, absorbed in contemplation of profound and remarkable themes and wanting only still nearer intimacy with Jesus. From that hour he followed the Saviour as an eager, absorbed listener, pressing close to Him, sitting by His side and leaning upon His breast, drinking in divine light and life. In adoration and love he beheld the Saviour until likeness to Christ and fellowship with Him became his one desire and his character reflected his Master's character, though by nature he was proud, ambitious and combative, a son of thunder with an ardent, sincere, loving heart beneath.
Personal Faith and Witness
John's declaration of Jesus as the Lamb of God was a recognition of him as the Saviour and a deliberate turning of attention away from himself toward Christ, and when two of his own disciples heard it they left him to follow Jesus, hear his teaching and become his disciples, beginning a personal chain in which those disciples brought others to him that laid the foundation of the Christian church. One of the two was Andrew, who sought out his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus, and from that growing circle others were added as disciples personally led one another to Christ. In this way the proclamation of Christ's identity and the response of following him are joined, with John's directing of his disciples to Jesus starting a succession of individual invitations that formed the beginning of the church.
That succession teaches the duty of direct personal effort and appeal to bring relatives, friends and acquaintances to the Saviour. As John directed his disciples to Jesus and they followed, so disciples are to make earnest, individual appeals for friends and relatives to come to Christ.
The same turning to Jesus is an individual receiving of him as Saviour, for hope of eternal life is centered in Christ. Repentant believers who so receive him find peace and receive his righteousness, and living, active faith in him sanctifies them and transforms them into his image.
Standing with two of his disciples the day after his first proclamation at Bethabara beyond Jordan, John looked upon Jesus as He walked and repeated his testimony, turning attention away from himself to One mightier and preferred before him. By calling Him the Lamb of God he identified Him as the promised Messiah, the Saviour, the Son of God and the Light of the world who takes away the sin of the world and baptizes with the Holy Ghost. When the two disciples heard the words they left John to follow Jesus and seek to know Him, becoming the first disciples of His ministry. One was Andrew, who brought his brother Simon to Jesus, and with John, Philip and Nathanael they gathered as His first five disciples to accompany Him, receive His teachings and publish them as He entered upon the great work of His life. The verse thus shows Christ proclaimed and received individually as Saviour, beginning a chain in which disciples personally bring relatives and friends to Him that helped lay the foundation of the Christian church.
Declaration and Meaning
The declaration belongs to the preaching and baptizing at Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where the memories of Israel's crossing of the Jordan and the overthrow of Jericho stirred hopes that God would again act to deliver Israel. On the day after his first proclamation John was standing with two of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus as He walked he repeated his testimony, Behold the Lamb of God. In this he turned attention away from himself to One mightier than himself and preferred before him. Crowds and multitudes, even kings and nobles, had followed John and thought he might be the Coming One, but he cut off that hope by declaring the work and mission of Christ so exalted that he himself was unworthy to stoop to unloose His shoes.
By naming Jesus the Lamb of God he identified Him as the promised Messiah. The title marks Him as the Saviour, the Son of God, the One who takes away the sin of the world and who baptizes with the Holy Ghost. It presents Him as the true Light and Teacher, the maker of the world whom the world did not know. His identity was confirmed by the descent of the Spirit upon Him and its abiding on Him. The same declaration was made again upon His return to the Jordan, at the time He chose His disciples and entered upon the great work of His life.
The name stirred the hearts of the two disciples who heard it, though they did not understand its meaning and John had not explained it. They were left to wonder whether this was the Messiah and to seek Him for themselves. The passage itself does not explain the title.
First Disciples Follow
John stood with two of his disciples on the day after his first proclamation, looked upon Jesus as He walked, and repeated his identification of Him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, directing their attention to Him among the people. The name stirred their hearts even though they did not understand its meaning, and it had not been explained to them. When the two heard those words they left John to follow Jesus and seek to know Him, wondering whether He was the Messiah, and they became the first disciples of His ministry.
They confessed they were seeking Christ and desired to become acquainted with Him and to be instructed by Him at His home. They were charmed by His deeply impressive yet simple and practical lessons as their hearts had never been moved before. Their encounter with Him gave them faith and assurance that He is the Messiah, and He opened to them the plan of salvation. Their testimony about what they had seen and heard at the Jordan afterward helped kindle hope that God had raised up a deliverer for His people.
One of the two was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, who then sought his brother with the assurance that they had found Christ the Messiah, the Saviour of the world. Andrew brought Simon to Jesus, and the growing circle of disciples brought others to Him. Philip had heard John's announcement of Jesus as the Lamb of God before becoming a disciple himself. In this setting, upon Jesus' return to the Jordan as He entered upon the great work of His life and began His earthly work, He gathered His first five disciples, John, Andrew, Simon, Philip and Nathanael, calling them from humble occupations to accompany Him, receive His teachings, witness His miracles and publish them to the world.
At that first meeting and conference beside the Jordan, the disciple John was present when Andrew heard Jesus and went to call his brother. While Andrew hurried away, John sat silent, absorbed in contemplation of profound and remarkable themes and wanting only still nearer intimacy with Jesus. From that hour he followed the Saviour as an eager, absorbed listener, pressing close to Him, sitting by His side and leaning upon His breast, drinking in divine light and life. In adoration and love he beheld the Saviour until likeness to Christ and fellowship with Him became his one desire and his character reflected his Master's character, though by nature he was proud, ambitious and combative, a son of thunder with an ardent, sincere, loving heart beneath.
Personal Faith and Witness
John's declaration of Jesus as the Lamb of God was a recognition of him as the Saviour and a deliberate turning of attention away from himself toward Christ, and when two of his own disciples heard it they left him to follow Jesus, hear his teaching and become his disciples, beginning a personal chain in which those disciples brought others to him that laid the foundation of the Christian church. One of the two was Andrew, who sought out his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus, and from that growing circle others were added as disciples personally led one another to Christ. In this way the proclamation of Christ's identity and the response of following him are joined, with John's directing of his disciples to Jesus starting a succession of individual invitations that formed the beginning of the church.
That succession teaches the duty of direct personal effort and appeal to bring relatives, friends and acquaintances to the Saviour. As John directed his disciples to Jesus and they followed, so disciples are to make earnest, individual appeals for friends and relatives to come to Christ.
The same turning to Jesus is an individual receiving of him as Saviour, for hope of eternal life is centered in Christ. Repentant believers who so receive him find peace and receive his righteousness, and living, active faith in him sanctifies them and transforms them into his image.