The Gospel of John: John 1.35-42

Read and meditate on John 1.40, 41.
Find Jesus, the find someone to tell about Him. John the Baptist did it. Andrew did it. John the apostle is doing it in his gospel. How about us?

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.  If someone were to ask you what you’d found in Jesus, what would you say? Complete this prayer: Jesus, I have found in You…

2.  To find Peter, Andrew probably had to go looking for him. Jesus said He had come to seek the lost (Lk. 19.10), much like Andrew did in seeking Peter. Jesus said He has sent us to the world – we who have found Him – in the same way He was sent – to seek the lost. What does this involve? Lord, how can I seek people today, to tell them that in You I’ve found…

3.  Andrew’s “finding” of Jesus and Peter won’t be the last of these reports John will share with us. This is a major theme of the Gospel of John (see John’s own words in Jn. 20.30, 31). “Found,” “go find.” In what ways should this describe the lifestyle of one who follows Jesus? Lord, teach me how to find in You all I need to…

4.  John is conscious of writing to two audiences, as we see by his translating certain Hebrew words into Greek. Greek-speaking people who would read his gospel would understand Christ, but they would not understand Messiah, although his Jewish readers would. Sometimes we need to translate key ideas related to following Jesus from our Christian language into the lengua franca of the lost world. Can you think of any Christian terms that might need “translating” for unbelieving people in your Personal Mission Field? Lord, I want to be sensitive to others, to where they are in their understanding. Help me to…

5.  Review all the verbs we’ve examined thus far in this week’s passage (Jn. 1.35-41). In one sentence, describe your life as a follower of Jesus, using all these verbs. Bring together your prayers from questions 1-4 into one prayer.

Summary
“Andrew, after having stayed with Jesus and after having learned what he did, did not keep the treasure to himself but hurries and races to his brother in order to let him know the good things Jesus has shared with him. But why hasn’t John mentioned what they talked about? How do we know this is why they ‘stayed with him’?… Observe what Andrew says to his brother, ‘We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.’ You see how, in a short time, he demonstrates not only the persuasiveness of the wise teacher but also his own longing that he had from the beginning. For this word, ‘we have found,’ is the expression of a soul that longs for his presence, looking for his coming from above, and is so ecstatic when what he is looking for happens that he hurries to tell others the good news. This is what brotherly affection, natural friendship, is all about when someone is eager to extend a hand to another when it comes to spiritual matters.” John Chrysostom (ca. 344-407 AD)

Love is the motive for witness-bearing. When we love our neighbors the way Andrew loved his brother, we won’t wait until we have all the answers, or even until we’re asked. We will want to share as much as we know of Christ with as many people as we can. Having been found by Jesus, and having found Him, we’ll find others to tell about His love. How can you nurture more of that love in your soul?

Closing Prayer
Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in the land of uprightness.
Revive me, O LORD, for Your name's sake!
For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

Psalm 143.10, 11

Psalm 143.1, 2, 7, 8 (Divinum Mysterium: Of the Father’s Love Begotten)
Hear my earnest prayer, O Lord! Give ear to my pleas for grace!
In Your faithfulness and righteousness, look upon me with Your face!
Enter not to judgment with Your servant, Lord, with Your loving servant, Lord:
None can stand before Your word.

Answer quickly, O my Lord! Do not hide from me Your face!
For my spirit fails and I am like those who do not know Your grace.
In the morning let me hear Your steadfast love; Lord, I trust You, show my way!
I lift up my soul and pray!

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.