JOHN LESSON 4


     We will begin this lesson in John 1:35.

     V-35, "Again the next day after John stood, and two of his
disciples;"

     V-36, "And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the
Lamb of God!"

     These disciples here are speaking of John's.  This proclamation
is not the same as in the last verse.  Here Jesus is going away from
John, and John is telling his disciples, "There goes the Lamb of God".
As we said before, in the Spirit, John could see Jesus as the
sacrifice for our sins.

     V-37, "And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed
Jesus."

     These disciples had been John the Baptist's disciples, but on
hearing who Jesus is they stop following John the Baptist and follow
Jesus (The Messiah).

     V-38, "Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto
them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being
interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?"

     Jesus possibly heard their footsteps behind Him and turned to
them.  Jesus was asking them why they were following Him.  Rabbi or
Master has to do with a teacher.  It is so strange that is who so many
people of today believe He was (a great teacher).  They ask Him where
He lives, because they are drawn to Him and would follow Him.

     V-39, "He saith unto them, Come and see.  They came and saw where
he dwelt, and abode with him that day:  for it was about the tenth
hour."

     The Scripture is not explicit about where He dwelt.  In another
Scripture He says, "I have not where to lay my head".  It is to no
advantage to try to figure out where this is.  At any rate, wherever
it was, they stayed with Jesus.

     V-40, "One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him,
was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother."

     We may assume from this that John (the beloved) was one and
Andrew the other.  John would not have mentioned himself on purpose to
keep them from thinking he was conceited.  These two liked what they
heard and now are Jesus' disciples.

     V-41, "He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto
him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the
Christ."

     Simon is Peter.  This is quite a proclamation.  After several
hundred years of waiting for Messiah, Andrew has found Him.  Most
brothers would hurry with this news to their brother.  Andrew wants
Simon saved.

     V-42, "And he brought him to Jesus.  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."

     Perhaps, Simon didn't believe and Andrew took him so he would, or
perhaps, Simon was just excited and wanted to see Messiah.  The Lord
Jesus immediately tells Simon who he is and what his strength in Jesus
will be.  He says you will be like a rock.  His name also is Peter.

     V-43, "The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and
findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me."

     Jesus has now begun to gather the twelve to Him.  Just "follow
me" is enough to cause Philip to come to Jesus.  He will now quickly
gather His twelve.

     V-44, "Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and
Peter."

     These men were probably previously friends, being from the same
town.  Bethsaida means fishing house which would be appropriate since
they were fishermen.  James and John had been fishing acquaintances of
Peter and Andrew.  This makes it even more probable that the one who
was not named was John.

     V-45, "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."

     Philip wants Nathanael to know, too, and finds him to tell him of
the Messiah, the Christ.  He reminds Nathanael that the Messiah had
been promised by Moses and the prophets.  Even though Philip believes
Jesus is Messiah, he is looking at the flesh side of Jesus, because he
says Jesus is the son of Joseph of Nazareth.

     V-46, "And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come
out of Nazareth?  Philip saith unto him, Come and see."

     All of them believed before that no prophet would rise up out of
Galilee, and this is probably what he is referring to here.  They
thought Messiah would probably be from Jerusalem.  Philip will not
take no for an answer and says, "Come and see for yourself".

     V-47, "Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him,
Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!"



     Jesus, of course, knows everything about everyone.  Nathanael is
no exception.  To prove to Nathanael who He is, He greets him in this
manner.

     V-48, "Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me?  Jesus
answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou
wast under the fig tree, I saw thee."

     Nathanael is alarmed because how did Jesus know that he was an
Israelite?  Nathanael thinks this to be very strange, but wait until
he hears the rest of Jesus' answer.  Here again,  Jesus knows
everything all the time, and He knew where Philip found Nathanael.
Nathanael was under the fig tree literally and spiritually.  Israel is
the fig tree symbolically and that is the teaching Nathaniel was under
at the time.  Of course, literally Philip had found him sitting under
the fig tree, as well.

     V-49, "Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the
Son of God; thou art the King of Israel."

     Nathanael suddenly realized it is true, this is Messiah!  He
calls Him Rabbi (teacher), but quickly adds that Jesus is the Son of
God, King of Israel.  What an awakening, to be beholding with his very
own eyes the promised Messiah.  This revelation of Nathanael was
similar to the time when Jesus asked the disciples, who He was and
Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God".  This is
not a son, but the Son.  He says in essence, it is right for you to
rule.

     V-50, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto
thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou?  thou shalt see
greater things than these."

     This is probably the understatement of all time.  He would see
Jesus open blind eyes, make the lame to walk, open deaf ears, feed
5,000 men with five loaves and two little fishes, speak to the sea and
have it obey, and even raise Lazarus from the dead.  This is such a
small thing in comparison.  Jesus is pleased that just this made him
believe.

     V-51, "And he saith unto him, 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."

     Verily, verily means it will happen.  There is no question about
it.  Jesus, perhaps, is speaking here of the transfiguration and also
when Jesus was carried into heaven on the cloud.  It also means that
when you receive Jesus, you have access to t he very throne of God
through Jesus.





                          JOHN 4 QUESTIONS


1.  What does John call Jesus in verse 36?
2.  Whose disciples are these two men?
3.  Who followed Jesus?
4.  What did these disciples call Jesus?
5.  What does it mean?
6.  What question did they ask Jesus?
7.  Who was the disciple who was named?
8.  Who was his brother?
9.  What did Andrew tell his brother about Jesus?
10. Who did Jesus call Simon?
11. What does Cephas mean?
12. Who did Jesus find in Galilee?
13. What did Jesus say to him?
14. What town was he from?
15. Who did Philip go and find?
16. What did he tell him about Jesus?
17. Who does Philip believe Jesus is?
18. What makes us think he was still looking at the flesh?
19. Nathanael said, "Can there any good thing come out of _________".
20. When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, what did He say to him?
21. How did Jesus add to what He had said to Nathanael in verse 48?
22. Who is the fig tree symbolic of?
23. Nathanael said to Jesus, "Rabbi,_____________________".
24. What were some of the greater things Nathanael would see?
25. He will see heaven open and what happen?


                                 Notes