www.standandspeak.org
The Fourth
John 1:35-51
“So, You Want To Be a Disciple?”
I. A DISCIPLE TRAVELS IN THE PATH OF JESUS
A. The meaning of following Jesus
B. The motive for following Jesus
II. A DISCIPLE TESTIFIES TO THE PERSON OF JESUS
A. The heart of this testimony
B. The hope of this testimony
III. A DISCIPLE TRANSFORMS BY THE POWER OF JESUS
A. The authority of Jesus
B. The ability of Jesus
1. Danish Philosopher, Soren Kierkagaard once described his visit to the local
church. He wrote:
“I went into church and sat on the velvet pew. I watched as the sun came shining
through the stained glass windows. The minister dressed in a velvet robe opened
the golden gilded Bible, marked it with a silk bookmark and said, ‘If any man will
be my disciple, said Jesus, let him deny himself, take up his cross, sell what he
has, give it to the poor, and follow me.’”1
2. Kierkagaard was trying to point out the obvious disconnect between the
comfortable, cushioned Christianity of today’s church, and the costly call of Jesus
to those who were the first of His followers.
3. The modern notion of Christianity for many is little more than an affiliation –
something like a club you join.
4. You’re only required to attend a few meetings, pay your dues now and then,
and try to avoid any of the major moral blunders that might embarrass the other
club members.
5. While this level of commitment may be fine down at the Moose Lodge, or over
at the Lion’s Club, it is far removed from the call to discipleship that Jesus
actually places upon those who desire to know Him as Savior and Lord.
6. The first chapter of the fourth gospel closes with the record of how Jesus came
to meet a few of the men who would become some of His first disciples.
7. Here we find the beginning of relationships and friendships that would
ultimately change the world, and how these men first related to Jesus speaks to
us still today.
1
“Discipleship”, www.sermonillustrations.com, accessed 7/18/13
Terry Trivette 2013
www.standandspeak.org
8. For those of you that claim to be, or at least want to be a disciple of Jesus,
what we see in this text is very instructive and important.
9. So, you want to be a disciple? Then notice with me that we learn here firstly
that:
I. A DISCIPLE TRAVELS IN THE PATH OF JESUS
1. John, the writer, transitions from the ministry of John the Baptist by telling us of
how two of the Baptist’s disciples left John to follow Jesus.
2. Verse 36 says that as Jesus passed by, John the Baptist preached his familiar
sermon, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
3. Verse 37 says, “And the two disciples heard [John] speak, and they followed
Jesus.”
4. Note that word “followed” in verse 37. It is an important word in this passage,
and it is more than just a description of them walking behind Jesus.
5. Following Jesus, in this case, describes the entire direction of someone’s life.
Let me show you what I mean. Consider with me:
A. The meaning of following Jesus
1. These two men were previously disciples of John the Baptist, but after hearing
him preach this same sermon again about Jesus being the Lamb of God, they
left John to “follow” Jesus.
2. Their “following” of Jesus is the same idea we find later in this text, in verse 43.
There we read, “The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth
Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.”
3. This call to Philip, which had already been taken up by the two disciples of
John, was more than just an invitation to go somewhere temporarily. It was a
commitment to a whole life of following.
4. Leon Morris, in his strong commentary on John’s gospel, talks about the word
translated “followed” and “follow”.
5. He says it speaks of a “once-for-all action”, and indicates that they had “cast in
Terry Trivette 2013
www.standandspeak.org
their lot with Jesus”.2
6. In other words, these first disciples understood that they were leaving their old
lives behind, and setting off into a new life of living with and learning from Jesus.
7. They didn’t merely “ask Jesus to come into their hearts”, or invite Him into their
lives. No, instead they gave up their lives to be a part of His.
8. They walked in the way that Jesus was going. They set out on a path behind
Him. He was leading and naturally, as followers, they were following.
9. According to Twitter, I have a grand total of 937 so-called “followers”. Truth be
told, few of those folks even know who @Terrytarheel is, much less have any
real desire to actually follow me anywhere.
10. I fear that many of those who would call themselves followers of Jesus in this
day, follow Him about as much as my Twitter followers follow me.
11. But the real meaning of following Jesus is more than hearing a few catchy
sayings from Him. It involves pursuing Him with your whole life.
12. That is the meaning of following Jesus, but as you see these disciples
starting to travel in the path of Jesus, consider further:
B. The motive for following Jesus
1. Look with me at the first conversation that takes place between Jesus and
these two disciples that came after Him.
2. Verse 38 says that Jesus noticed these two fellows following Him, and He
turned around and asked them a simple and yet profound question. He asked,
“What seek ye?”
3. Their answer too is fairly simple, but there is also more to it. They answered in
verse 38, “Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest
thou?”
4. I love Jesus’ answer. He said, “Come and see,” and verse 39 indicates that
they spent the rest of the day with Him.
5. A writer by the name of D.A. Carson points out that while this seems like a
Morris, Leon, The Gospel According to John: Revised, (William B. Eerdmans, Grand
Rapids, MI, 1995) Amazon Kindle edition
2
Terry Trivette 2013
www.standandspeak.org
simple conversation, John the writer wants us as readers to think carefully about
this scene. He writes:
“The…Messiah confronts those who make any show of beginning to follow him
and demands that they articulate what they really want in life.”3
6. Jesus asks them, “What is it you want?” Their answer is as powerful as His
question, for their answer essentially is this: “We just want to be wherever you
are.”
7. You see; the purest motive for following Jesus is not to get to anywhere else,
or to get to anyone else.
8. The real motive for following Jesus is just to get to be with Him. He is enough
reason to leave everything behind and go wherever He is going.
9. When I was a boy, my dad traveled a good bit, preaching revival meetings in
other churches. I can remember what a thrill it was to get to go with him,
especially if it was just I, and not my two brothers.
10. Now I wish I could tell you that I liked going with my dad because I loved
being in church so much, but truth be told, what I really loved was just being with
my dad, wherever he went.
11. So, you want to be a disciple? Do you really want to go where He is going?
Do you really want to just be with Him, wherever that might be?
12. In this passage, we find not only that a disciple travels in the path of Jesus,
but notice secondly that we also find here that:
II. A DISCIPLE TESTIFIES TO THE PERSON OF JESUS
1. While the identity of one of these first two disciples is not given to us, John
tells us in verse 40 that, “One of the two which heard John speak, and followed
him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.”
2. John is connecting some dots for those who have read the other gospels.
While we know a lot more about the famous figure of Simon Peter than we do
Andrew, our text indicates that without Andrew, we might never have even met
Peter.
Carson, D.A., The Gospel According to John, (William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids,
MI, 1991) Amazon Kindle edition
3
Terry Trivette 2013
www.standandspeak.org
3. You see; verse 41 says that Andrew first went and found his brother Simon
Peter, and verse 42 says, “And he brought him to Jesus…”
4. This is a pattern we find repeated in this same passage, and one that reminds
us that real disciples of Jesus tell other people about Him.
5. Notice how this plays out in the text. For one thing, notice:
A. The heart of this testimony
1. Again, verse 41 says that Andrew first went and talked to his brother, Simon,
and his testimony was this: “…We have found the [Messiah]…”
2. John tells us that “Messiah” is another title for the Christ, or “the Anointed
One”. This was the divine figure that the Jews believed the Old Testament had
predicted would come, and they were watching closely for Him.
3. We find a similar testimony coming from another disciple in this text, the man
named Philip that Jesus had called to follow Him in verse 43.
4. Look at his testimony in verse 45. It says, “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.”
5. Both of these men who had met Jesus went to someone they knew and told
them about the One they had met.
6. This is still the way real evangelism works today. Somebody has an authentic
encounter with Jesus, and they can’t help but tell somebody else about it.
7. And what they told was this: “We have met the One! He is the One God sent.
He is the One the Bible is all about! He is the Messiah and the Christ!” The heart
of their testimony was the truth of who Jesus is.
8. What about you? Do you talk to anyone else about Jesus? And when you do,
what is the heart of your testimony?
9. Some testimonies sound more like spiritual autobiographies: “I’ve been a
Christian all my life…” Others sound like denominational promotions: “I’m a
Baptist and I believe…”
10. A real testimony, however, is not about the kind of Christian you are, or the
church you attend. It is all about the Savior you have met!
Terry Trivette 2013
www.standandspeak.org
11. With that, notice not only the heart of the testimony we find coming from
these first disciples, but consider also:
B. The hope of this testimony
1. Why did Andrew go to his brother Simon and tell him about Jesus? Why did
Philip go and find Nathanael and share His testimony about his meeting the
Messiah?
2. Well, they wanted them to meet Him too. In the case of Simon, verse 42 says,
“And he brought him to Jesus…”
3. I love the sound of that. Imagine Andrew taking Peter by the arm and saying,
“Come on, I’ll take you to Him!”
4. In the case of Nathanael, we find a bit of skepticism. Notice verse 46. It says,
“And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”
5. Apparently, Nathanael, a devout and sincere Jew, couldn’t imagine that the
Messiah would come from a backwater, “Podunk” village like Nazareth.
6. I love Philip’s response to Nathanael’s doubts. He simply said, “Come and
see.” “Check Him out. See for yourself,” was his answer.
7. Don’t miss this. Our hope as disciples that testify of Jesus in this world is
simply that folks will interact with Him for themselves.
8. We can’t save anybody, but we can open the Scriptures and point them to Him
who died on the cross and rose from the dead to save them and us!
9. We can’t convict or convince anybody, but we can invite them to investigate
our Lord for themselves!
10. “Come and see for yourself,” is our plea, and we are confident that once they
see Him, they will see in Him what we have seen in Him – that He is the One, the
Messiah that God has sent into this world!
11. As we learn from these first disciples in John 1, we find not only that a
disciple travels in the path of Jesus, and a disciple testifies to the person of
Jesus, but notice with me also that:
III. A DISCIPLE TRANSFORMS BY THE POWER OF JESUS
Terry Trivette 2013
www.standandspeak.org
1. There is a sense in which the lives of all five of these first followers of Jesus
were obviously changed by their meeting with Him.
2. And yet, you see an even clearer transformation take place in the cases of
Simon and Nathanael.
3. Their encounter with Jesus was transformative, and impacted their lives from
that moment on.
4. Their stories remind us that a true disciple of Jesus is, as Paul puts it in II
Corinthians 5, “…a new creature, old things are passed away; behold all things
are become new.”
5. How does this transformation take place? Well, according to our text, it is
based on:
A. The authority of Jesus
1. Look again at the meeting between Jesus and Simon, Andrew’s brother. Verse
42 says, “…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.”
2. In our day, our names are usually given to us based purely on the preference
of our parents. They like the way a particular name sounds, or they simply want
to name us after someone else.
3. But in the first-century world, and throughout the Bible, someone’s name was
often descriptive of his or her personality, and when God gave someone a name
it was a prophecy about the nature of their character.
4. So, Jesus looks at this fellow who had his whole life been known as Simon,
and says, “From now on, you are Peter. That is your new identity.”
5. The name, “Peter”, literally means “rock, or stone”, and it had some bearing on
who Peter would eventually become.
6. The point is that Jesus knew what He could make of Peter, and He had to
authority to give Him a whole new identity.
7. As disciples today, we must recognize that Jesus still has this kind of authority.
He can simply say the word, and your whole identity can be changed!
8. He can say, “Forgiven,” and a sinner will instantly become a saint. He can say,
“Mine,” and a child of the devil can be born again into the family of God.
Terry Trivette 2013
www.standandspeak.org
9. Has Jesus ever used His authority to change your identity? The songwriter
said:
My name once stood with sinners lost,
And bore a painful record,
But by His blood the Savior crossed,
And placed it on His roll!
10. The transformative power of Jesus in the life of His disciples comes not only
from the authority of Jesus, but also from:
B. The ability of Jesus
1. With Peter, Jesus just spoke the word, and His very identity was changed.
With Nathanael, the transformation came as Jesus demonstrated His ability.
2. Remember, Nathanael was the one who wondered if it were possible for
Nazareth to produce anything worthwhile, much less the Messiah.
3. And yet, while Nathanael was unsure about Jesus, Jesus knew all about
Nathanael. When He saw Nathanael coming toward Him, Jesus said in verse 47,
“Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!”
4. Jesus said, “You are a Israelite, truly, who is sincere and real.” In other words,
Jesus looked into Nathanael’s heart.
5. Of course, Nathanael, a bit surprised by this kind of declaration from a
stranger, asked, “How do you know me?”
6. In verse 48, Jesus answered, “…Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast
under the fig tree, I saw thee.”
7. Apparently, this referred to some kind of prior and private moment when Philip
had been alone. For Jesus to know about this was an indication to Philip that He
must have been supernatural.
8. Suddenly, the skeptic becomes the cleric! In verse 49, it says, “Nathanael
answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of
Israel.”
9. Instantly, by the unique ability of Jesus, Nathanael was transformed from a
man who was only slightly curious about Jesus, to a man firmly convinced that
Jesus was the Son of God and the King sent to rule over Israel.
10. I wonder; have you ever had this kind of experience with Christ? Have you
met Him for yourself, heard Him speak your name, and had Him do a work in you
Terry Trivette 2013
www.standandspeak.org
that only God could do?
11. A real disciple has at some point and in some way been transformed by a
personal encounter with Jesus.
1. So, you want to be a disciple? Will you follow Him? Will you set out after Him
and go where He goes?
2. Will you testify of Him? Will you tell anyone who will listen and take anyone
that will go to the feet of Him that you believe to be none other than the Lamb of
God, Son of God, and Savior of man?
3. Have you been transformed by Him? Has His Word touched you and changed
you?
4. If so, there is a wonderful promise at the close of this passage. After
Nathanael’s confession, Jesus offered this promise to His new and excited
disciple: Verse 50 and 51 says:
“…thou shalt see greater things than these…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.”
5. For Nathanael, this would have been a clear reminder of His ancestor, Jacob,
and the vision he had of God and the angels in Genesis 28.
6. For a sincere Israelite, like Nathanael, the prospect of seeing God as Jacob
had would have been the greatest privilege and prospect one could ever hope
for.
7. For those of us who are seeking to be disciples of Jesus today, is there a
prospect of greater things for us?
8. Oh yes, there is! The Jesus we have seen in Scriptures and known by the
Spirit, this same Jesus that spoke to Andrew and Peter, Philip and Nathanael,
the very same Jesus who died on the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended
back into heaven; this same Jesus will one day break through the clouds of this
earth’s atmosphere, set His feet upon this planet again, and we will see Him!
9. The real disciples today can look forward to the greater things of a Kingdom
that is to come, and a day when we will look upon His face and see His glory
forever and ever!
10. So, you want to be a disciple? I sure do!
Terry Trivette 2013