Observation and Principles

Today’s Bible Study: John 1:43-51

Baptism should always mark the beginning of your ministry.  It is a death to the old life and the life of a new life. Jesus began his ministry with his baptism, and immediately people began to follow Him.

Jesus’s first two disciples were originally followers of John the Baptist.  Even though they recognized Jesus as the Messiah, they didn’t really “get” what Jesus was about until after He had been crucified, resurrected, and taken back into heaven.  Even without “getting” Jesus’ mission, these first disciples were compelled to follow Jesus.  When it comes down to it, Jesus must have been a fun guy to hang around–great storyteller, incredible sense of humor, and an out-of-this-world understanding of human nature.  I mean, let’s be honest, if Jesus was boring, how would he have gotten 12 guys to follow Him around for 3 years straight?

Within 2 days, Jesus had picked up 5 disciples, and been recognized as the Messiah–this was before He had even performed any miracles!  In spite of popular views of Jesus, he wasn’t a boring guy who went around preaching all the time and condemning people for their sins.  He was (and is) a cool dude.  Better get used to the idea.

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Today’s Reading: John 1:35-42

It is two days after John the Baptist was questioned by the Priests, Levites, and Pharisees and the day after he first saw Jesus.

To be honest, I don’t know if these are literally “the next day” or if they are John (the author’s) way of saying “The next thing that happened.” I don’t think that it really matters either way, and for the purpose of this blog, I am going to assume that they are referring to literal days.

I must decrease.

In two days, John the Baptist has seen Jesus twice. Both times, John proclaims, “The Son of God,” and “The Lamb of God!”

By this time, John the Baptist had a pretty good following of disciples. Most people, when they get in some position of power, do everything within their power to hold on to that power. Upon seeing Jesus, John the Baptist didn’t hesitate to say, “Hey guys, stop following me. This Jesus, He’s the one you should be paying attention to. He’s the one with the answers. He’s the one I’ve been talking about all along.”

John the Baptist gave up his own power (over his disciples) to proclaim the truth of Jesus. One of the hardest things that we have to face as Christians is stepping aside, giving up self, so that Jesus can be glorified. The truth is, that God deserves all the glory, and we deserve none of it. I have a hard time with getting that idea switched around backwards and taking all the glory for myself.

The excitement of a new believer

Jesus’s first two disciples had originally been followers of John the Baptist (v. 35-36). Andrew and an unnamed disciple (probably John, the author of the gospel), saw Jesus, heard John the Baptist’s proclamation, and left to follow the Messiah.

“The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah.’” (v. 41)

Do you remember the enthusiasm and passion you felt as a new believer? For me, it has been a long time since I was a “baby Christian”, but sometimes I find that passion welling up inside of me, and I cannot contain my delight and thankfulness. I want to laugh, dance, and tell the world–all at the same time.

The Jews has been waiting for the Messiah for hundreds of years. When Andrew started following Jesus, he probably wanted to laugh, and dance, and tell everyone around him. We do know that the first thing he did was go invite his brother Simon (Peter) to the celebration.

What would Jesus Name you?

The last scene in today’s Bible reading is Jesus’ first meeting with Peter. I always laugh when I imagine the scene.

In Bible times, a person’s name was very significant. If you think back to Old Testament stories, God often renamed the Bible fathers at a time when they began to follow him. Some examples of people whose names were changed: Abram/Abraham–exalted father/father of many, Jacob/Israel–the Deceiver/wrestles with God.

The name, “Simon” means “One who hears” or “obedient.” Jesus met Simon and recognized his impulsive nature and hot temper. Jesus says, “Simon, you are rocky. You name will be Cephas (Peter) which means rock.”

I imagine that Andrew was laughing in the background thinking, “You could say that again.” and Jesus sat back with a smile knowing that Simon Peter would truly become a rock who hears from God and obeys. After Jesus’s death and resurrection, Peter became rock solid in his faith and mission of building the Church.

I wonder what name Jesus would give me? What secret story does He hold for my future?

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Today’s Reading John 1:29-34

The day after John the Baptist was questioned by the Priests, Levites, and Pharisees, John saw Jesus coming and recognized Him immediately.

John recognized Jesus in the womb, and he recognized Jesus immediately when he saw him later. It’s interesting that before the siting in John 1:31, John did not know who he was preparing the way for. I am guessing that they didn’t hang out as kids even though Jesus and John would have been cousins.

In both cases (pre-birth, and as an adult) John recognized Jesus because he heard from God. I am always amazed that in the Bible, the people recognized the voice of God and knew exactly what to do. This goes against the modern idea that God is difficult to hear or understand.

Finally, in verse 33, John speaks of Jesus baptizing with the Holy Spirit. He puts baptism by water side by side with baptism with the Holy Spirit. In this case, I think we see that one (water baptism) is incomplete without the other (Spirit baptism).

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