He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). John 1:41
I continue my study of John, and today, I outline and unpack John 1:35-42 using the Sword Bible Study Method.
Main point: Jesus is the Messiah, He takes away sin, and for those who follow Him, He offers eternal fellowship and Truth.
- Jesus takes away sin - v35
- Jesus is Truth - v38
- Jesus offers eternal fellowship - v39
- Jesus is the Messiah - v41
- What do we learn from the passage about God?: Jesus is once again called by John - accurately - the Lamb of God. Jesus is the perfect spotless lamb - the final sacrifice who will atone for (take away) the sins of the world - v36 (see also v29); Jesus gains His first disciples - two who followers of Jesus now followed Him - v37; Jesus is interested in what people seek - He wants people to seek Truth (Him) - v38; the two new disciples refer to Jesus as Rabbi (Teacher) - v38; Jesus invites the two new disciples to stay with Him for the day as Jesus seeks fellowship with us - v39; Jesus is referred to as the Messiah (Christ) by Andrew - v41; Jesus calls Simon Peter (Andrew's brother) Peter - v42.
- What do we learn from the passage about people?: Two of Jesus' first disciples are former disciples of John the Baptist but now follow Jesus - vv35-37 - reinforcing that Jesus is more important (ranking before) than John (see also v30); the two new disciples of Jesus seek teaching from Jesus - v38; they stay with Jesus at His invitation, they seek fellowship with Him - v39; one of the new disciples was Andrew - who was Simon Peter's brother - v40; Andrew correctly identifies Jesus as the Messiah (Christ) - v41; Andrew brings Simon Peter to Jesus and Jesus tells him that going forward he will be called Peter - v42.
- Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We should correctly identify Jesus as the Messiah - Christ; He is also our Teacher as He is the Word (John 1:1) and Truth. We should follow Jesus and seek fellowship with Him.
My Prayer: Father God, You are the Promised Messiah who loves, saves, teaches, and stays with me until the end of the age. Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving. My sin is great and it continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.