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The Testimony of John, Andrew, Philip and Nathaniel (John 1: 35-51).
A | 35. The next day. John and the two disciples. They followed Him.
B1 | 36-39. JOHN'S TESTIMONY. |
a | 36. The Lamb of God.
b | 38. Rabbi.
c | 39. Come and see.
B2 | 40-42. ANDREW'S TESTIMONY. |
d | 41. Findeth Simon.
e | 41. We have found the Messiah.
A | 43. The next day. Jesus and Philip. Follow Me.
B2 | 43-46. PHILIP'S TESTIMONY. |
d | 45. Findeth Nathaniel.
e | 45. We have found Him.
B1 | 46-51. NATHANIEL'S TESTIMONY. |
c | 46. Come and see.
b | 49. Rabbi.
a | 49-51. Son of God. Son of Man. King of Israel.
The keen speaker or preacher, desirous of giving out the best that the Lord has given
him, is often sensitive about repeating himself. We speak feelingly on this matter for we
have several times hesitated to go over the ground already traversed, yet, for the sake of
some new-comer, we have risked incurring the censure of mere repetition, only to find
afterwards that the help directed towards the one was welcome to not a few. Paul has
given his testimony to this same thing in Phil. 3: 1, and John the Baptist exemplifies it
in the following passage:--
"The next day after John stood, and two of his disciples, and looking upon Jesus as He
walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him speak, and
they followed Jesus" (John 1: 35-37).
We do not know whether or not these two disciples had been present the previous day,
but if they had the repetition of the testimony seems to have been blessed to them, and if
they had not they now had the opportunity of heeding it. John knew that he must
decrease, and the movement of his two disciples was for him the beginning of the end.
But what a glorious end, to preach away one's disciples so that they become followers of
Christ. It seems that our Saviour, seeing them following Him, encouraged them by the
enquiry, "What seek ye?" It is salutary that we should be met with this question at the
beginning of our discipleship. What are we seeking? What is our quest? What are our
motives? Their reply was simple, almost naïve, "Rabbi, where dwellest Thou?" It will
be observed that the Apostle here feels called upon parenthetically to interpret for his
reader the title of "Rabbi". This, of itself, indicates the writer's anticipation of his Gospel
having a Gentile audience, and a Gentile audience far removed from Jewish influence.
Any synagogue-goer would know the meaning of "Rabbi" and even those Gentiles to
whom Paul spoke in the synagogue at Antioch would have no need of John's
interpretation. When, however, we observe that in this Gospel interpretation of Hebrew
or Aramaic terms is customary, it becomes evident that the audience John envisaged