John 1: 28-51

²⁸ These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

²⁹ The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

At this point John the Baptist knows that Jesus is the Messiah. He’s been preaching to prepare people for this moment when Jesus is revealed so they can follow him. I imagine this was absolutely GLORIOUS for John the baptist, for God to show him Jesus, who he was working to prepare the people to receive.

³⁰ This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

³¹ And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

John the Baptist was called of God to make the way of Jesus before Jesus began. Like, John was preparing people to receive Jesus, the Messiah. Even though John’s mother and Jesus’s mother were cousins and knew one another, but John, until the next verse, doesn’t know that Jesus is the Messiah. So John was preaching about a Messiah that was coming BY FAITH… by faith John the Baptist did what God was leading him to do. God revealed the part of John’s calling that sent him out there as the voice of one crying in the wilderness to make way for the Messiah…. and John obeyed without seeing the Messiah first. In contrast, the Pharisees had all the teaching of the Old Testament that outlines what Jesus would look like and be like and even having seen Jesus with their own eyes, they would not believe. This is the difference between being led by the spirit and being led by the flesh.

³² And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

³³ And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

John was also looking for the Messiah… and God told him the sign to look for so, he would know. John the Baptist declared Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah that everyone was waiting for…. the very reason for his ministry.

³⁴ And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

³⁵ Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

³⁶ And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

John the Baptist once again declares that Jesus is the Lamb of God… this was what John was called by God to do… to get people ready to meet Jesus…and with that, 2 of John’s disciples started following Jesus. John had done what God had called him to do.

³⁷ And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

³⁸ Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?

³⁹ He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

⁴⁰ One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

John the Baptist had prepared the way, his disciples were now following Jesus just as planned and having had the way prepared for him, Jesus was now gathering together his disciples.

⁴¹ He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

⁴² And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

⁴³ The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.

⁴⁴ Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

⁴⁵ Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

⁴⁶ And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

⁴⁸ Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

⁴⁹ Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

⁵⁰ Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.

⁵¹ And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

Jesus goes about finding his disciples. Jesus knew exactly who they were, God had directed their paths to this moment in time when they would become the disciples of Jesus. You look at Philip going to Nathaniel, who was a righteous person, and telling him that he had found Jesus and calling Nathaniel to follow too. The excitement in these men and the absolute wonder of finding the Son of God and making friends with him, being invited to learn from him and go along with him on his journey to save mankind from their sins… wow.