The Gospel of John: John 1.35-42

Read and meditate on John 1.40, 41.
Count on the fact that the disciple who wasn’t Andrew in this story was John. He is always indirect about himself, and suggests his presence here and elsewhere because he insists he was an eyewitness of the events he records. John keeps adding new verbs – action words – to describe the life of following Jesus.

                    ⁴⁰One of them, who had gone out
to hear John speak, and followed Jesus to
the place of His abode, was Andrew, who
was Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹First he found
his brother, then he said to him, “We’ve found
Messiah” (that is, Christ).

- John 1.40, 41

Reflect
1.  Outline the steps by which Peter was first introduced to Jesus, beginning with “Andrew went to hear John…” Can you see how in this vignette John the apostle is repeating the template begun with John the Baptist, and now being repeated by Andrew? Explain. Complete this prayer: Am I living this pattern, Lord? Am I…

2.  John introduces yet another verb: found. He uses it twice. How does his use of found here reinforce the pattern introduced in John the Baptist and now being repeated in Andrew? What have I found of You today, O Lord? How can I share what I’ve found with…

3.  It’s not clear to what “first” refers to, but it’s probably something like, “Before Andrew and John left Jesus at the end of that day, Andrew first found Peter…” What did Andrew report to Peter? What did he mean by using that term? Why was it so important for him “first” to find Peter? Lord, who will be “first” in my life today, so that…

4.  Andrew said, “We have found the Messiah.” Does this imply that he had been looking for the Messiah? Remember what we said earlier about this being a period of expectation or expectancy. Do you think people are always looking for a “messiah”? In what sense? How can we engage this seeking or expectancy to point others, like John the Baptist, to Jesus? Do I know the people in my Personal Mission Field well enough, Lord, to know how to engage them like this? Help me today to…

5.  Andrew could not have explained all the theological nuances and implications of Messiah. He just knew he’d found Him, and that, whatever this might ultimately entail, it was important, and his brother needed to know. What does this suggest about the kind of motivation for sharing Jesus we should seek to nurture? Bring together into one your prayers from questions 1-4.

Summary
“He says that one of those who followed him was Andrew, brother of Simon, without mentioning the other. Evidently this is the blessed John himself. He always appears to pass in silence over those things that concern him. And also whenever he relates something concerning himself, he avoids subscribing his name. If those who received the gospel had not indicated the writer with the prefixed title, we would not have known about whom the text is speaking.” Theodore of Mopsuestia (ca. 350-428 AD)

John’s humility echoes that of John the Baptist, and reminds us of an important component of our message about Jesus: It’s not about us. Why do we need to keep this in mind?

Closing Prayer
When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion,
We were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us,
And we are glad.

Psalm 126.1-3

Psalm 126.1-3 (Truro: Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates)
When God restored our fortunes all,
We were like those who sweetly dream.
Our mouths with joy and laughter filled,
Made Him our constant song and theme.

Then the astonished nations said,
“The Lord has done great things for them!”
Indeed, great things our God has done,
Whose Name we praise, Amen, Amen!

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.