The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” 37 The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon. 40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42 Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
John the Baptist is standing with two of his disciples when Jesus walks by. John does not try to hold them to himself. He points away from himself and toward Jesus: “Behold, the Lamb of God” (v. 36). In John’s Gospel, that is what true witness does. It directs attention to Jesus, so that others can begin to follow him.
The two disciples respond at once. They follow Jesus, and Jesus turns and asks, “What are you looking for?” (v. 38). It is a simple question, but it is also a searching one. They answer with respect and call him “Rabbi,” and John pauses to explain the title for readers who may not know Hebrew. John does not tell us what they expected. He only shows what they do. They follow Jesus and ask where he is staying (vv. 37-38). Jesus invites them into something deeper: “Come, and you will see” (v. 39). They go, they see where he is staying, and they remain with him that day. John also preserves the time: it was about four in the afternoon, literally the “tenth hour” counted from sunrise (v. 39). Following Jesus is not only agreeing with an idea. It is staying close enough to learn from Him and to learn who he is.
This is also where John’s larger theme begins to show. John repeats the word ‘staying’: the disciples ask Jesus, ‘Where are you staying?’ and then John says, ‘they stayed with him that day’ (vv. 38-39). That repeated language matters later in this Gospel, because John will return to the same idea to describe a lasting bond of discipleship—life that does not just pass by Jesus, but stays with him and lives from what he gives (Jn. 6:56; 14:17; 15:4-7). So this first day of ‘staying’ is more than a travel note. It is the beginning of a relationship meant to endure.
John then identifies one of the two disciples: “Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus” (v. 40). After time with Jesus, Andrew moves outward. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (v. 41). John again explains the term for his readers: Messiah means “Anointed One” (v. 41). Andrew’s confession is real, but it is also early. He is speaking truly, even if he does not yet grasp all that the title will mean as the story unfolds. What matters next is what Andrew does: he brings Simon to Jesus (v. 42). The Gospel is already showing a pattern that will repeat: one person comes to Jesus, and then another comes through him. Faith spreads by witness and introduction, often beginning within the most ordinary human bonds—one brother speaking to another.
When Simon is brought, Jesus takes the lead. “Jesus looked at him” (v. 42). He gives him a new name: “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas” (v. 42). John translates again: Jesus says Simon will be called ‘Cephas,’ which John tells us is translated ‘Peter’ (v. 42). ‘Cephas’ is an Aramaic name that means ‘rock,’ and ‘Peter’ is the related Greek form. In Scripture, naming is never only a label. It signals identity and mission. Jesus is not only receiving Simon; he is beginning to shape him.
This passage also links well with yesterday’s Gospel about Levi. In Mark, Jesus calls a man from his work and says, “Follow me,” and Levi follows (Mk. 2:14). In John, the first disciples follow by coming close enough to stay, and then the new disciple becomes a witness who brings another person to Jesus (Jn. 1:39-42). Discipleship begins with a direct call, and it grows into a life that draws others toward him.
Lord Jesus, teach us what to seek, draw us close enough to remain with you, and make our following faithful and true.
––––––––––––––––––
Sources and References
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, commentary on Jn. 1:35-42, p. 163.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre, The Navarre Bible: St. John, p. 368.
- José Enrique Aguilar Chiu et al., eds., The Paulist Biblical Commentary (2018), pp. 1120-1121.
- Raymond E. Brown et al., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (1990), pp. 952-953, paras. 33-34.
- The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century, 3rd fully revised ed. (2020), pp. 1389-1390.
Comments