Manfred Diefenbach - THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS, THE CHRIST AND THE SON OF GOD, ACCORDING TO JOHN

2.1.3 “Third” 98and “Fourth/Fifth Day” 99: The Call of the First Disciples of Jesus (vv. 35–51)

- The Call of Andrew and His Brother Simon Peter (vv. 35–42)

+ The Setting (vv. 35–37)

Who:John the Baptist (vv. 35–36), his two disciples (vv. 35, 37–39), Andrew and his brother Simon Peter (vv. 40–42), Philip (vv. 43–46), Nathanael (vv. 45–51)

Where:“Bethany” (v. 28)

When:after Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan (vv. 29–34)

vv. 35–37:The Evangelist connects the “ following ” 100(cf. vv. 37b, 38b, 40c [, 43e]) of His first disciples by repeating John the Baptist’s testimony as a proclamation (cf. 1:29–34) that Jesus is “ the Lamb of God ” 101(vv. 29b, 36b) and with the help of “ two ” 102(in Greek “ d ú o ” in vv. 35, 37a, 40a and in Mark 6:7; 11:1; 14:13[; 15:27; 16:12]; Matthew 4:18, 21; 18:16, 19–20; 21:1[; 27:38]; Luke 7:18; 10:1; 19:29[; 23:32]; 24:4, 13) of his own “ disciples ” (vv. 35, 37a) who “ heard ” (cf. vv. 37a, 40b) his witness about Jesus. John the Baptist who pointed to Jesus with his eyes 103(non-verbal – cf. v. 36a) and his words (verbal – cf. vv. 36b–37a, 40a) is the reason and the guide that “ Andrew ” and another unnamed of his disciples (cf. v. 40a) followed Jesus (cf. vv. 37b, 38b, 40b) in contrast to the call of Andrew according to Mark 1:16–18 respectively Matthew 4:18–20 in which Jesus took the initiative.

+ The Following of Andrew including a Comment by the Evangelist (vv. 38–40)

v. 38:Jesus realized His “ followers ” (v. 38b) and introduced a dialogue with them with a question: “ What do you seek/look for ”? – cf. John 18:4, 7–8; 20:15. They respectfully answered with a query:

“ Rabbi, where 104are you staying 105”?) – note the Jewish title “ rabbi ” 106in verse 49b by Nathanael or in 3:2c by Nicodemus.

v. 39:Jesus replied briefly and invited them:

“Come” – note the imperative in present tense! –

“and you will see” (in future! – cf. v. 46d).

Immediately they did it because “Jesus is the answer”. Their question found an answer in their following:

“ They came and saw” (cf. v. 39b, c)

“where he was staying” – note the parallel with verse 38f.

The Fourth Evangelist comments that “ they stayed with ” Jesus (everywhere else) – it was about 4 107o’clock in the afternoon as in John 4:6; 19:14.

v. 40:The name of “ one of the two ” anonymous John the Baptist’s disciples: “ Andrew ” (in Greek “ Andr é as ” 108in vv. 40a, 44b and in John 6:8; 12:22; Mark 1:16, 29; 3:18; 13:3; Matthew 4:18; 10:2; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13), “ the brother of Simon Peter ” (v. 41a), who accepted John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus (verbal – cf. v. 37a) by “ following ” Him (non-verbal – cf. v. 37b). Who is the second anonymous (cf. John 21:2) “follower”? 109Is it Philip (cf. vv. 43–46, 48 and 6:5, 7; 12:21–22; 14:8–9), the so-called “beloved disciple” (cf. 13:23; 19:26–27; 21:7, 20–24) respectively the “other disciple” (cf. 18:15–16; 20:2–10) or somebody else (of His disciples)? Both found that what they sought (cf. v. 38c) – the “ Lamb of God ” (vv. 29b, 36b), the “ Son of God ” (v. 34b), the “ Rabbi ” (vv. 38e, 49b).

+ The Call of Simon Peter (vv. 41–42)

v. 41:“ First ” Andrew “found” 110(vv. 41a, c, 43c, 45a, d) his “ brother ” (v. 40a and John 6:8; Mark 1:16; Matthew 4:18; 10:2; Luke 6:14) and he informed him (cf., for example, John 4:28; 20:24–29; Acts 4:20; Romans 10:17) about the “find ing ” of “ the Messiah ” (Hebrew – in Greek “ ho Chr ɩ st ó s ” – cf. vv. 17b, 20c, 25c, 41c) that means “ the anointed ” (v. 41d and John 4:25).

v. 42:Andrew led his brother “ Simon ” 111(in Greek “ S í mon ” in vv. 40a, 41a 2, 42c) to “ Jesus ” who “ looked at ” (v. 36a) the “newcomer” and welcomed him, saying: “ Simon , the son of” (cf. v. 45e) “ John ” (cf. 21:15b, 16b, 17b). Then He directly gave him the new (nick-)name “ Keph ã s ” (in Hebrew for “rock” – cf. 1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:22; 9:5; 15:5; Galatians 1:18; 2:9, 11, 14) respectively “ P é tros ” 112(in Greek in vv. 40a, 42e and cf. Mark 3:16/Luke 6:14; Matthew 16:18). So we have a double way to identify two very important persons ( VIP) of the Fourth Gospel in verses 41–42: First, Andrew titled Jesus with the messianic title “ Messiah ”/“Christ”, however Jesus named Simon “ Cephas ”/“ Peter ”.

The call of the first three disciples (Andrew, the other unnamed disciple, Simon Peter) is like a “domino effect” 113or a “wild fire”:

John the Baptist → Andrew and a second one (cf. vv. 35–37) –

Jesus → Andrew and the unnamed one (cf. vv. 38–39/40) –

Andrew → Simon (cf. vv. 41–42a) –

Jesus → Simon (cf. v. 42b–d).

- The Call of Philip and Nathanael (vv. 43–51)

In the same way, Jesus first “found” (vv. 41a, c, 43c, 45a, d) Philip (cf. v. 43) who “found” and informed “ Nathana e l ” about Jesus (cf. v. 45) so that both became His disciples:

Jesus → Philip (v. 43 [– if the unnamed second man is Philip 114then also vv. 35–37; John the Baptist → Andrew and Philip]) –

Jesus → Andrew and the unnamed one (vv. 38–39) –

Philip → Nathanael (vv. 45–46) –

Jesus → Nathanael (vv. 47–51).

As in verses 39 (as an order), 42, Jesus called His disciples after His seeing 115(cf. vv. 38b, 42b, 48e, 50c and Mark 1:16, 19/Matthew 4:18, 21; Mark 2:14; Matthew 9:9) by His word (cf. vv. 43 [as an order], 47–51).

+ The Call of Philip (vv. 43–44)

v. 43:As in verses 29a, 35a, the phrase “ the next day ” (in Greek “ t ẽ epa ú r ɩ on ”) introduces the call of “ Philip ” 116(cf. vv. 43e, 44a, 45a, 46c, 48d and John 6:5, 7; 12:21–22; 14:8–9) on His way to “ Galilee ” 117(cf. 2:1; 4:3, 43, 54; 7:1, 9). “ Jesus ” “found” (vv. 41a, c, 43c, 45a, d) Philip there and called upon him (cf., for example, 1 Kings 19:19): “Follow me ” – note also the imperativein John 21:19, 22; Mark 2:14; 8:34; 10:21; Matthew 8:22; 9:9; 16:24; 19:21, 28; Luke 5:27; 9:23, 59; 18:22[; Acts 12:8]. To follow Jesus means going behind Jesus as the leader and acting according to His will – then and now.

v. 44:The Fourth Evangelist has linked Jesus’ call of “ Philip ” and His first call of the two brothers “ Andrew ” (cf. vv. 40–41) and Simon “ Peter ” (cf. vv. 40–42) with the remark that these three disciples were citizens of the same Galilean “ town ” 118“ Bethsaida ” 119(= “House of Fish”). According to Mark 1:16–18/Matthew 4:18–20; Luke 5:1–11, Simon Peter and Andrew were fishermen there.

+ The Call of Nathanael (vv. 45–51)