Look, the Lamb of God (John 1b)*

John 1:19-51

Key Verse - “Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel."” (John 1:49).

In the introductory statement, the author, John, said that the light of life came into the world, and yet the world of darkness failed to recognize and accept him. This speaks of one thing: man's inability to see the light of life because of the darkness within them. To this inability or powerlessness of people, God gave the right to become His children, for those who believe. In this way, a pathway to the light was opened, even for those who have no power or ability to know and accept the light of life on their own. This is the summary of the entire book of John. From this, a key question can be raised: how can one who is in darkness, with no ability to accept the light of life, receive this light and become a child of God? Today's passage speaks about how this happened among the disciples’ first encounters with Jesus and teaches us how this can happen among all those who are still living in darkness.

In today's passage, four people became acquainted with Jesus: John the Baptist, Andrew, Philip, and Nathanael. After meeting Jesus, they confessed their faith and called him the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the one Moses wrote about, and finally the Son of God, as well as the King of Israel. These four titles for Jesus reflect fully who he was, why he came, and what he would do for the people of the world. In addition, through these four men, John showed his reader a glimpse of how one can fully know Jesus, in regard to his true identity, as reflected in these four titles.

What these four titles mean, as well as how one can receive the right to receive the light, will be fully revealed throughout this Gospel. These confessions of faith are remarkable. As we go through this passage, I pray that we may better understand how to know him very personally, so that we all may come to know him to the fullest extent of our belief.

God revealed Jesus, the Lamb of God, to John (19-34)

John, a voice of one calling in the desert

Luke 3:2-3 notes that John the Baptist went into all of the countryside around the Jordan River, preaching the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. However, it seems that John was actually an itinerant preacher going about all of the towns around the Jordan River. When he was in Bethany, on the other side of the Jordan River, the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was:

“He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Messiah." They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." Finally, they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'" (John 1:20-23).

Matthew recorded that people went out to John from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and from the whole Jordan region (3:4-7). Even many Pharisees and Sadducees came out to be baptized. If we take the whole Jordan region to mean the entire length of the Jordan River, then virtually all of Israel came to see him and be baptized, though it is possible that the northern regions, such as Galilee, did not yet know of Jesus' baptism and did not come to John for baptism. Because of this, the leaders of Israel were alarmed; they wanted to know who John was. When John was being asked, he first denied being a Messiah (the Anointed), but he stopped short of telling them who or what he was. The Jewish leaders were keenly interested in who John was, because he got so much attention from the people and they looked up to him as a great leader and prophet of God. When they inquired further as to who he was, he denied being the Prophet, or Elijah. All three of these references: the Messiah, the Prophet, and Elijah, were descriptions of various eschatological figures for whom Israel was waiting. John was so powerful and so influential that he could easily have been mistaken as any one of these three. Since he had denied being any of these figures, who was he that he had such a large impact?

“John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.'” (John 1:23).

Here, John identified himself to be the figure mentioned in Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 40:3).

The first part of the book of Isaiah, which ends with ch. 39, is mainly about God's judgment on Israel and Isaiah’s prophecies concerning their exile. Ch. 40 begins with the hope of God's restoration for Israel. The outset of this chapter speaks of God's comfort for Israel, which Him to send a voice to call in the desert. This voice’s role was to prepare a straight way for the Lord's coming. Therefore, the voice mentioned in the book of Isaiah was to be the herald of the Lord’s coming, signifying Israel’s salvation. By identifying himself as that voice, John helped the people of Israel pay closer attention to two things.

First, they had to pay attention to his voice or message, rather than to John as a person. When he said he was a voice, it meant that his life was like a voice; a voice is powerful in delivering a message, but it soon disappears into the air after it has being heard. John lived a very short life fulfilling his mission. If he began his ministry just before Jesus began his ministry, then John’s ministry could have been as short as six months but no longer than a year, and his life likely ended less than three years after Jesus’ baptism in Bethany. He lived a very powerful yet short life, like a powerful voice. Second, he also helped the Israelites focus on his message of repentance in preparation for the Messiah’s coming. In these two aspects, it was paramount for Israel to recognize John as the prophesied voice calling in the desert. In this regard, it was more important that he was not Messiah, Elijah, or the Prophet; he was not a substantial figure who could bring a lasting impact on Israel with power and authority. In his transient or volatile life, his voice, or the message he was given to preach, was so important. However, the Pharisees were not much interested in John's message and did not catch the full meaning and implications of what he said. Instead, they wanted to know the power and authority behind John's sweeping influence over Israel through the baptism of repentance.

"Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" (John 1:25).

To their question, John answered:

"I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." (John 1:26-27).

John introduced the coming Messiah, but this introduction was somewhat unusual – “among you stands one whom you do not know” (John 1:26b). God told John that the Messiah was in the crowd, but did not tell him who it was. John only knew that the Messiah’s presence was among them, but he did not know exactly who he was. John stood in the midst of hundreds or even thousands of people that had come to be baptized, but no one knew who he really was. While his presence was inconspicuous to human eyes, John added something remarkable in his description of the Messiah; he was so great that John was not worthy to untie his shoes. It's been said that a student should do everything for their teacher, except untying their shoes (according to Jewish custom). This was a job for a slave, not a student. John was standing among hundreds or even thousands as their spiritual leader, yet, to the one that was yet to be revealed, John was less than a slave. Why was the Messiah so great? Who was he?

“This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'” (John 1:30).

This was disclosed to John by the One who had commanded him to baptize people with water. Here, the word ‘surpass' (ἔμπροσθεν) means ‘before or present before'. Also, in the Septuagint (1 Chr. 9:20), the meaning of this word is ‘in the time past'. Therefore,  if we simplify what John was saying, it would be something like this: "He existed long before my time," alluding to eternity past. How could John compare himself with the one who existed in eternity? Who was this man? God let John know of his presence, but He left Jesus’ identity undisclosed. In this way, John informed his hearers of the presence of the One who is the Lord and of the Son of God, who existed long before John's time. But who was this? This was the question that everyone was eager to know. But that day, no one knew who the Messiah was, for God had not yet revealed Jesus. Everyone went home, wondering when they would know or see the Messiah, how great he would look, and what he would do. Though Jesus was so great and was among them, no one knew him or recognized him. Here, the most important implication or message was that no one knew who Jesus was, even though he was right there among them, while waiting for his turn to be baptized. No one knew him, because, in his outward appearance, he was the same as any other man and he had no distinctive traits as the Messiah. In other words, unless the Messiah was revealed to them, he was totally hidden from the eyes of men. No one had the ability to discern him (1:10)! This not only speaks to man's inability to discern ‘a man of the Spirit', but also in recognizing God's purpose in searching for those who would believe in Him.

Jesus, the Lamb of God, was introduced by John (35-36)

The day before, everyone went home, never knowing that the Messiah was among them, one whose sandals even John was not worthy to untie. The next day came and many minds were heightened by the hope of seeing or finding out who was the one even greater than John. Practically, all of them were hoping to see the coming Messiah, the Savior, and King of Israel. Who was this? Suddenly, John came to realize that the one he had just baptized was the one that God revealed to be the one foretold; in surprise and shock, he shouted:

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

After the first shock was over, he explained to the crowd how he had come to know the Messiah.

“I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is God's Chosen One.” (John 1:31-34).

John personally did not know him at all. John's mother was Elizabeth, and Jesus' mother was Mary; they were relatives so they knew each other. Though John might have some acquaintance with Jesus, he did not fully know who he was. Only after he had baptized Jesus, seen the Holy Spirit come upon him, and heard the voice of the One who had sent him to baptize, did he fully understand that Jesus was the Messiah and would baptize people with the Holy Spirit. In some sense, this was an even greater surprise for John now that he knew that Jesus, whom he had known his whole life, was the Messiah.

In this way, God was the one who put all of these events together in order to reveal Jesus as the Messiah. Also, it was God who put all of these within the setting of many Israelites coming to John for baptism. In this sense, both the baptism of the people and the Holy Spirit’s coming upon Jesus during his baptism bore a very powerful message from God. What was that message?

The Pharisees interrogated John intensely, as to why he baptized people, given the fact that he was not the Messiah, the Prophet, or Elijah. God told John to deliver the baptism of repentance, yet He did not reveal the purpose to him. John didn’t fully realize the significance of Jesus’ baptism or God's purpose behind it, until he baptized him. This was all orchestrated in order to reveal Jesus as God’s Son, the Lamb of God, and the true Messiah.

Baptism originated from God's command to cleanse the priests before they entered the tabernacle (Exodus 29:4). This was a non-negotiable process, ordained by God's command. Also, even though the physical cleansing was so thorough, the high priest must still bring a pure lamb’s blood into the Holy Place and then into the Most Holy Place, so that Israel might be accepted by the Lord. In other words, cleansing the body, such as John's baptism of water, symbolized the divine  demand for repentance, which was a necessary step toward the full revelation of the Messiah, the Lamb of God, which would provide Israel with unhindered access to the Most Holy Place. God paired the baptism of water and the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, which would bring about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, together in order to complete mankind’s salvation. In other words, baptism by water cannot be separated from knowing and receiving the Lamb of God, which would lead to Israel receiving the Holy Spirit, their ultimate salvation (cf. Luke 7:30).

Here, God's principle was entirely wrapped up in the historical event of John's baptism, both of the Israelite people and of Jesus.

God deliberately chose the place and the setting of His revelation of salvation, i.e. the Lamb of God, and He also provided a principle that resulted in the forthcoming revelation of salvation that would come to all mankind in similar manner.

Jesus being the Lamb of God was a surprise and shock to John, as well as to all who were there. Therefore, it is good to find out the full impact of this announcement.

First, a man being the Lamb of God was unknown and had never been fathomed before. God called Abraham to bless him and, through him, the world. When his faith grew enough to honor the Lord, God told him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. This was an implicit demand from God, that He was worthy to receive Isaac’s life. Believing that God would and could raise Isaac from the dead, Abraham was about to take his sword and sacrifice his son. Then God spoke from heaven:

"Do not lay a hand on him. Now I know you fear God.” (Genesis 22:12b).

However, in order for God to bless Abraham, he had to be willing to sacrifice his son. In His grace, God provided a lamb in Isaac’s place. In this way, God's blessing on Abraham endured through the next generation through Isaac’s life. This only became possible because God provided a lamb to take Isaac’s place. Isaac was Abraham’s only son and the sole ancestor of the entire nation of Israel. Israel owed their existence to the Lord who provided a lamb to save Isaac. Because of this, it was said that:

"On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided." (Genesis 22:14).

In this regard, for one of them to be the Lamb of God was unthinkable.

Second, Jesus was the lamb God provided on Israel’s behalf. God never took away His demand for a sacrificial lamb in exchange for the forgiveness of Israel’s sins. A lamb was sacrificed daily; a number of animals were mainly used for sacrifices: bulls, heifers, lambs, goats, rams, and doves. However, lambs were unique among these animals used. On the night of the Passover, all Israelite families got together to sacrifice a lamb. No other animal was used to sacrifice on Passover eve. Also, an individual sin offering was accomplished by using a lamb, not a bull, goat, or heifer. In addition to this, the daily sacrifice offered in the temple was also a lamb, one in the morning and one in the evening (Exodus 29:38). Lastly, when one wanted to keep their firstborn donkey, it must first be redeemed by sacrificing a lamb (Exodus 13:13). In these ways, God indicated that a lamb was the animal Israel needed to sacrifice in order to redeem someone or even an animal.  

Then how could Jesus, someone like them, be the lamb designated for Israel’s sacrifice? God amply hinted at this truth in Isaiah’s prophecy. In chapters 40 through 66, the prophecy’s main subject was Israel’s restoration through the Lord’s coming. As we are already well familiar with, ch. 53 is a description of the promised Messiah.

“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7).

However, this was a difficult passage for the Israelite people, because they never thought that the coming Messiah would suffer in such a way. To their eyes, the idea that the Messiah was the one who would suffer like a lamb was unthinkable. Likewise, Israel never fathomed that a man was to be literally sacrificed as a lamb for the purpose of redeeming the sins of others.

Then how could Jesus, a man among men, be the lamb Israel needed for their redemption? It was all too strange and odd that God, who had provided a lamb to take Isaac’s place, would come back to appoint someone within Israel as the lamb meant for their sacrifice. This was a surprise and shock to John and to all of Israel. No matter how strange or odd this fact seemed, that he was the Lamb of God, it was God who chose and appointed Jesus to be the lamb. Then how could they reason what God's will was in this? No one could, not even John; however, God, the one who told John to baptize and the One who sent the Holy Spirit to Jesus, revealed this truth. God also revealed one more truth to John about Jesus.

“I have seen and I testify that this is God's Chosen One.” (John 1:34; the Son of God NAS).

Though Jesus stood there among the people and was thought to be one of them, yet he was not like them; he was God's chosen one, the Son of God, not one of the sons of Israel. Just as God provided a lamb to die on Isaac’s behalf, so He also provided a lamb for the nation Israel. This lamb would not be a son of Israel. This was beyond John’s imagination. No one could fathom that God would send His own son as the lamb meant for the burnt offering to pay for Israel’s sins. This was a shocking and exhilarating revelation of God's truth and love. So, John shouted, "Look, the Lamb of God!" How amazing it was to see what Isaiah had foretold in ch. 53 ! In this way, John became the first witness of God's grace and power expressed through Jesus. That grace and power were revealed in the fact that the Lamb of God was none other than the Chosen One, the only begotten Son of God.

Jesus reveals himself to his followers

Jesus, the Messiah (35-42)

On the first day, John told the crowd that there was one among them who was much greater than him. On the second day, he revealed Jesus, as the Lamb of God, to the crowd. The next day, John saw Jesus passing by again. When he saw Jesus, he said again, "Look, the Lamb of God." It seems that, at this time, he was saying this to his own disciples; two of his disciples decided to follow his word. They left John, their teacher, and followed Jesus. As they followed him, he asked them, "What do you want?" This was a very probing question. What do you want from Jesus? We can ask this question ourselves. I have so many wants in my mind. Almost all of them, maybe 99% of my wants, I can put aside and bury them in the bottom corner of my mind as unreasonable or unachievable goals of life. Daily, I live with a very small and practical goal; among so many wants, my ultimate need is often unrecognized, unsought, and unpursued. Since I am fully engaged in God’s work, this question is important and I must answer it daily. What do I want from Jesus today?

What did John’s disciples want from Jesus?

“They said, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?" (John 1:38b).

They wanted to follow Jesus to where he was living; they wanted to know him personally - what kind of lifestyle he had, what kind of food he ate, what kind of people he lived with, what kind of issues and concerns he talked about, and what kind of work he was doing. This was what these two disciples wanted to know. Therefore, Jesus answered them:

"Come," he replied, "and you will see." (John 1:39).

Jesus welcomed them into his personal life. He was willing to share his life with them, to reveal who he was, and to share all that he was with them. So, they went with Jesus and stayed with him quite a while. How long? To indicate how many hours they spent with Jesus, the Scriptures describe it in this way: "It was about four in the afternoon." This is a translation of ‘the tenth hour', converting  Jewish time into our time. If this was referring to Roman time, the tenth hour would be early in the morning, though we do not know exactly what time to which this corresponds. Simply, this means that they spent a number of hours with Jesus and came to know who he was. What they knew about Jesus was revealed by what one of them did. The first thing that one of them, Andrew, did was to find his brother, Simon, and tell him that "we have found the Messiah." What he understood about Jesus was that he was God's anointed, like King David, Samuel, or Elijah. He noted or sensed that ‘God’s power was in and with Jesus, as it was with all of His anointed. The evidence of that power, the kind that only God Almighty can exercise, was with Jesus, and was shown in what Jesus said to Simon.

Jesus looked at him and said,

"You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).” (John1:42).

Here, Jesus gave insight into what he was going to do with Peter. In this way, Jesus gave them insight into the power he was going to reveal in Simon Peter’s life.

Jesus, the one about whom Moses had written (43-45)

The next day, the fourth day after John had introduced Jesus as the one who was greater than him, Jesus went from the Jordan River on the other side of Bethany to Galilee. This journey was quite a distance (perhaps 30-60 miles). Yet, Jesus went there to find one person, Philip, a man from the town of Bethsaida. Also, the author noted that Peter and Andrew were also from Bethsaida, implying that these people knew each other; Jesus had gotten some insight on Philip, so he looked for him, rushing to travel such a distance in order to find him. Certainly, Andrew, and even Peter, accompanied Jesus as he went to Galilee. As soon as Jesus saw Philip, he said to him, "Follow me". Philip was ready to receive Jesus as the Messiah. As soon as Jesus invited him to follow him, Philip followed him. Why? What did Philip believe about Jesus that he followed him after one word from him? Nothing is recorded about the nature of Philip’s belief in Jesus. Just as Jesus had sought Philip, Philip also sought Nathanael, and, when he found him, he said this to him:

“Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (John 1:45).

Through this invitation, we have some understanding of Philip’s belief. To Philip, Jesus was the one about whom Moses had written and about whom the prophets had spoken. In other words, Philip came to know that what the Old Testament was saying about the Messiah was exactly fulfilled in Jesus. He saw and experienced that what he knew of the Old Testament was corroborated by the person of Jesus. All of the Old Testament prophetic messages concerning the Messiah were well attuned to the reality of who Jesus was. Who then was he?

“Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (John 1:45b).

But to Nathanael, Nazareth was not the place from which Messiah would come, and so he expressed his serious doubt. He ascertained that the prophetic message found in the Old Testament did not mention Nazareth at all. Philip had come to find out that all that Jesus was fit the prophecies or descriptions found in the Old Testament prophecies exactly. However, in Nathanael’s mind, the knowledge he had about the Scriptures spoke against the belief that Jesus was the Messiah. I am sure that Philip was fully aware of Nathanael's argument, yet his experience with Jesus spoke more powerfully to the fact that he was the Messiah. Despite this disagreement, Philip pushed his belief and told Nathanael "Come and see!", because he believed that a personal experience with Jesus would clear all the doubts from Nathanael’s mind. Most often, a common cause of one’s ‘failure' to seek Jesus is found our preconceived ideas. Through this, we come to know that Philip's faith in Jesus was firm because he personally experienced life with Jesus.

Jesus, the Son of God, the King of Israel (46-49)

Just as Philip had asked him to do, Nathanael followed him and came to Jesus. We all have our own beliefs and preconceived ideas or understanding about Jesus or about Christianity as a whole. By now, some of you, or even all of you, have already set your heart on what you can believe and what is impossible for each of you personally. Can Jesus do something for me personally? Can I have a meaningful relationship with him? If you have any reservation regarding all possibilities that you know of or having a meaningful relationship and, in that relationship, finding true joy, meaning, and purpose in your life, then you need to pay attention to this interaction between Nathanael and Jesus.

“When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit." "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." (John 1:47-48).

Jesus saw Nathanael while he was standing under a fig tree. Long before Nathanael had any meaningful discussion with him, Jesus had already paid attention to Nathanael; he knew him, what he was doing, and what kind of person he was - a man seeking God's will with sincerity and honesty.  

Do you think Jesus is paying attention to you and knows and understands what you are thinking and going through? There is a way to find out. Like Nathanael, though you may have some doubts and reservations about any possible or meaningful relationship, get up, come to Jesus, and seek him. At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus said to his followers:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7).

Going back to Nathanael, what was Nathanael was doing? Was he praying? Was he reading the Bible? Some guessed that he might have been reading Genesis 28 about Jacob's dream at Bethel. Whatever he was doing, he was doing a godly thing, seeking something from God, or doing something else that was very commendable! Yet, he had to do one more thing; he must listen to Philip's invitation to Jesus, get up, and go to meet Jesus. How can you do this today? When I say that you need to get up and go in order to meet Jesus, I mean this figuratively; however, I am sure that you can do something practical and real today, even this week,, in order to seek Jesus. You may have prayed for various things, but in those prayers, have you sought Jesus' help? Have you got up and sought His direction or will? Have you had a listening ear to what Jesus was saying to you? If you haven't done so yet, please do it today. In, with, and through life’s practical problems, we must seek to meet with Jesus personally.

As soon as Jesus met Nathanael, he said: "Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit." Nathanael was sincerely seeking God’s help. Here, when Jesus said Nathanael had no deceit in him, what did he mean? Did he mean that Nathanael was pure in heart, in regards to him having nothing to do with ‘all evils or ungodly thoughts'? In order to understand this better, I would like to look at what Jesus said in Luke 18:9-13. In this parable, the difference between the Pharisee and the tax collector was not that one was godlier and the other was more sinful; it had to do with whether or not they had deceit in their hearts. Both of them were sinful and lived sinful lives. While the Pharisee claimed to be pure, the tax collector was honest about his condition before the Lord, as a sinner; he was not deceitful at all. He let the Lord know how sinful he was; he simply laid himself bare before God. This is what it means to have no deceit.

I want you to do so today; come before the Lord Jesus without any deceit, see what you are, present yourself to Him. If there is any sexual immorality, anger, jealousy, a grudge against someone, ungodly passions and pride, or whatever is in your heart, let him know and lay yourself bare before him, asking for his mercy and grace. For long before we confess any of these, he knew us inside and out. We cannot hide from him, and it is better to make peace with him now, rather than later.

To Nathanael, it was amazing as well as shocking that Jesus knew what was in the depths of his heart, particularly when they were so ungodly and sinful. Nathanael felt that his whole being, full of sin that he did not know what to do with, was exposed to God Almighty. His mind was overwhelmed by Jesus’ power, and he did not know how to measure up to Jesus' power and godly holiness. Out of this awe, he said this:

“Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel."” (John 1:49).

Nathaniel came face-to-face with Jesus’ full power and holiness, as the Son of God and the King of Israel. This was like Isaiah’s experience; when Isaiah saw the whole earth filled with God's glory, he said this:

"Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty." (Isaiah 6:5 NIV).

Just as Isaiah saw the Lord Almighty’s glory, so also did Nathanael see the glory of the Son, the King of Israel, as he came to realize that his whole being was revealed to Jesus. Has God not also known us? What do you think? From the beginning of His call to you, He has known you inside and out, and has been following you throughout your life. Nevertheless, we have remained distant from our Lord Jesus and have stayed away for so long that we often feel that this is in the extent of our relationship with the Lord. That is not true. Remember that this relationship remains estranged not because Jesus does not want to get close to you, but because we either fear to get close to him, do not want to do so, or are having a good time and do not feel the need for it.

God revealed Jesus to John and he confessed that Jesus was the Lamb of God, the Son of God. Andrew sought Jesus and found him to be the Messiah. Philip confessed that Jesus was the one Moses and the Prophets wrote about. Nathanael confessed that Jesus was the Son of God and the King of Israel. Here, we have four different confessions of who Jesus was and what he meant to each of them as they met him. What God revealed to John was the Lamb of God and the Son of God, while Jesus revealed himself to his followers as the Messiah, the one Moses and the Prophets wrote about, the Son of God, and the King of Israel. Each of these titles represents who Jesus is and, at the same time, these titles as a whole reveal what he was going to do. We ought to know him, the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the One whose coming was foretold, the Son of God, and our King; only then, we can say "we KNOW Him".

Jesus was the embodiment of God's will and the revealer of His grace and power (50-51)

While Nathanael was struck by awe, Jesus invited him to see something even far more amazing::

“Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that." He then added, "Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on' the Son of Man."” (John 1:50-51).

In order to understand this passage, I would like to bring your attention to what happened to Jacob when he left his home in order to go to his Uncle Laban's house.

“He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” (Genesis 28:12).

God showed Jacob what was happening then and would happen in the future. That is, from heaven to the place where he was staying, angels were ascending and descending to carry God's message to Jacob and deliver his response. What was this message about? The messages that the angels were to carry up and down were about how to carry out God's will:

“There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." (Genesis 28:13-15 NIV).

This was God's purpose and will for Jacob's life. Simply, He would be with Jacob until He fulfilled His promise, and would not take His attention off of Jacob or his descendants, because the angels were always ascending and descending from Him to Jacob and from Jacob to Him. In this way, God Himself sealed His relationship with Jacob.

Similarly, when Jesus said that Nathanael would see the heavens open and the angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man, he meant this to show how intimate Jesus’ relationship with the Father was and that all the works that he was doing were of God and from God his Father. Nathanael would personally be able to see and discern this. Jesus performed seven miracles in the book of John. In each of these, he asserted that God was with him and that he was with the Father. Seeing and appreciating this inseparable and most intimate relationship between himself and the Father is the ultimate knowledge that Jesus wanted to impart to his followers. Also, this is the utmost form of faith and knowledge that we must grow into. In this way, Jesus wanted us to have a relationship with the Father as well. I pray that we may all grow to know Jesus and also realize the Father's utmost will for us in Christ.

“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.” (John 1:18).

What does this tell us?

Jesus is the anointed (the Messiah), the one about whom Moses and the prophets had written, the Son of God, the King of Israel. Each of these three titles identified Jesus differently. They were able to confess this because they all had a profound knowledge of God’s word, and they all had had personal experiences with Jesus. Andrew had spent a substantial amount of time with Jesus. Philip also had spent time with Jesus as he followed him. In addition to this, Jesus showed his power as the Son of God, the anointed, on each of these occasions; he sought Philip, revealed what Simon would become, and showed his power to Nathanael. Each of these incidents were important, engaging events with Jesus. Each of his disciples had had a particular encounter whereby they had felt Jesus’ power. This made for a new beginning for them all. This was the beginning of man’s ability to know Jesus, as the Messiah, the one Moses wrote about, the king, and the Lamb of God. As Jesus worked with them, they all must move forward from these confessions to what God had revealed to John the Baptist; Jesus, was none other than the Son of God, the Lamb of God.  

How could Jesus carry his disciples to the point where they would all accept that he, as the Son of God, was and must also be the Lamb of God? The book of John dealt with Peter’s failure and recovery more than the other three Gospels. This was to reveal Jesus’ efforts toward this goal, which was far beyond a life-giving sacrifice on the cross. We all began a life of faith just as these four disciples did. We all must learn to follow Christ, until we fully know and accept the Son of God’s love as he became the Lamb of God.