Chapter 1:35-51 First Converts

1:35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

Two of His disciples — One of them was Andrew, John 1:40, and it is very likely that John himself was the other; in every thing in which he might receive honor he studiously endeavors to conceal his own name.

1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
He was looking upon Jesus—emblepsas; he looked stedfastly, and fixed his eyes upon Him.
Behold the Lamb of God! — By this the Baptist designed to direct the attention of his own disciples to Jesus, not only as the great sacrifice for the sin of the world, but also as the complete teacher of heavenly truth.

1:37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
And the two disciples heard him — And they perfectly understood their master's meaning; in consequence of which, they followed Jesus. Happy they who, on hearing of the salvation of Christ, immediately attach themselves to its author!

--Thus John was losing his own disciples. 

--By his testimony to the truth, he was sending them to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, and he did it well and gracefully. 

--There are many who would find it a hard task to reduce the number of their disciples; but it was not so with John.

1:38 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?

What seek ye? — These disciples might have felt some embarrassment in addressing our blessed Lord, after hearing the character which the Baptist gave of him; to remove or prevent this, he graciously accosts them, and gives them an opportunity of explaining themselves to him. Such questions, we may conceive, the blessed Jesus still puts to those who in simplicity of heart desire an acquaintance with him.
Rabbi — Teacher.
Where dwellest Thou? — That we may come and receive thy instructions.

1:39 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.

Come and see — Reader, if thou art seriously inquiring where Christ dwelleth, take the following for answer: He dwells not in the tumult of worldly affairs, nor in profane assemblies, nor in worldly pleasures, nor in the place where drunkards proclaim their shame, nor in carelessness and indolence. But He is found in His temple, wherever two or three are gathered together in His name, in secret prayer, in self-denial, in self-examination.
(1.) He invites them to come to His lodgings: the nearer we approach to Christ, the more we see of His beauty and excellency. 

Deceivers maintain their interest in their followers by keeping them at a distance, but that which Christ desired to recommend Him to the esteem and affections of His followers was that they would come and see:
(2.) He invites them to come immediately and without delay.

The tenth hour — Generally supposed to be about what we call four o'clock in the afternoon.

1:40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
Whoso looks to Christ by faith shall live.

1:41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

We have found the Messias -- Observe, he speaks humbly; not, "I have found," assuming the honor of the discovery to himself, but "We have," rejoicing that he had shared with others in it.
Andrew brought his brother Peter to Christ. If Peter had been the first-born of Christ's disciples, the papists would have made a noise with it: he did indeed afterwards come to be more eminent in gifts, but Andrew had the honor first to be acquainted with Christ, and to be the instrument of bringing Peter to him.

1:42 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.

When Jesus beheld him, He said, Thou art Simon, the son of Jona. 

*It should seem that Peter was utterly a stranger to Christ, and if so, It was a proof of Christ's omniscience that upon the first sight, without any enquiry, he could tell the name both of him and of his father.

*Some observe the signification of these names: Simon—obedient, Jona— a dove. 

An obedient dove-like spirit

 qualifies us to be the disciples of Christ.

Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. — πετρος signifies a stone, or fragment of a rock.

1:43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow Me.

Philip — This apostle was a native of Bethsaida in Galilee. Eusebius says he was a married man, and had several daughters.
Philip was called immediately by Christ himself, not as Andrew, who was directed to Christ by John, or Peter, who was invited by his brother. God has various methods of bringing his chosen ones home to himself. But, whatever means he uses, he is not tied to any.

1:44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

Bethsaida signifies the house of nets, because inhabited mostly by fishermen; thence Christ chose disciples, who were to be furnished with extraordinary gifts, and therefore needed not the ordinary advantages of learning. Bethsaida was a wicked place (Matthew  11:21), yet even there was a remnant.


1:45 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.
As Andrew before, so Philip here, having got some knowledge of Christ himself, rests not till he has made manifest the savor of that knowledge.

1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?  Here, His caution was commendable, that he did not lightly assent to every thing that was said, but took it into examination;
Come and see — No history ever published among men has so many external and internal proofs of authenticity as this has.

1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

Behold an Israelite indeed — A worthy descendant of the patriarch Jacob.
In whom is no guile! — Deceitfulness ever has been, and still is, the deeply marked characteristic. To find a man, living in the midst of so much corruption, walking in uprightness before his Maker, was a subject worthy the attention of God Himself.

1:48 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.

Whence knowest Thou me? — He was not yet acquainted with the divinity of Christ, could not conceive that he could search his heart, and therefore asks how he could acquire this knowledge of him, or who had given him that character.
Under the fig tree — Probably engaged in prayer with God, ....and the shade of this fig tree was perhaps the ordinary place of retreat for this upright man.

1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto Him, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel.
Rabbi — That is, Teacher.
Thou art the Son of God — The promised Messiah.
Thou art the King of Israel — The real descendant of David, who art to sit on that spiritual throne of which the throne of David was the type.

1:50 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.
Thou shalt see greater things than these, stronger proofs of my being the Messiah; the miracles of Christ, and His resurrection.

1:51 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. 

They shall see angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man - Through Christ we have communion with and benefit by the holy angels, and things in heaven and things on earth are reconciled and gathered together. Christ is to us as Jacob's ladder (Genesis 28:12), by whom angels continually ascend and descend for the good of the saints.