Lectionary: Epiphany 2(B)
Text: John 1:35-51 (extended reading)
Introduction
Last Sunday we celebrated the Baptism of Jesus. Today’s
gospel reading follows that. In the Synoptic gospels, Jesus faces the
wilderness temptation immediately afterward. But gospel account of John is
quite different from the other three in that the baptism of Jesus is only
tangentially alluded to[1],
the temptation account doesn’t exist, and Jesus seems to hang around the Jordan
River with John the Baptist for at least a day or so.
The narrative around the initial gathering of Jesus’
disciples is also different between the Synoptics and the gospel account in
John. In the Synoptics, Jesus seems to show up to where the disciples are and
calls them to leave behind their former lives and occupations and follow him.
In John’s gospel, it starts out with disciples of John, who have already committed
to following a master, who then seek out Jesus.
Witnesses
Let’s pick up the gospel text by starting just before where the
reading started and continuing into the first few verses that we already heard,
29 The next day John saw
Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin
of the world! 30 This is the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes
after me is really greater than me because he existed before me.’ 31
Even I didn’t recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might
be made known to Israel.” 32 John testified, “I saw the Spirit
coming down from heaven like a dove, and it rested on him. 33 Even I
didn’t recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me,
‘The one on whom you see the Spirit coming down and resting is the one who
baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and testified that
this one is God’s Son.”
35 The next day John was
standing again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus
walking along he said, “Look! The Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples
heard what he said, and they followed Jesus. (John 1:29-37 CEB)
From this text the implication is that only John saw the
Spirit come down and rest on Jesus and who heard a voice explaining the vision.
The two disciples of John who follow Jesus have only the words of John to go
on. Jesus has not yet said anything, preached anything, performed any signs or
wonders, and hadn’t had any notable interactions with anyone. There is no
tangible evidence that Jesus is anything more than an ordinary human being. The
only thing that the two disciples of John have is their trust in the words of
their current master commending Jesus as the one who is greater, and by
implication, possibly the Messiah that they are looking for.
A Web of Trust
The next verses read,
38 When Jesus turned and
saw them following, he asked, “What are you looking for?” They said, “Rabbi
(which is translated Teacher), where are you staying?” 39 He
replied, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they
remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. (John
1:38-39 CEB)
These few verses capture the essence of many thematic
materials elaborated upon in the remainder of the gospel. The first of these is
the motif of seeking. Throughout the gospel, the question of seeking for Jesus
repeatedly appears. The second is the motif of staying. It is also translated
into English as “to abide” and “to remain”. Its first occurrence is found in
the description of the Holy Spirit resting on Jesus (v. 32). Its most
well-known use is probably the parable of the vine and the branches in chapter
15. The third motif is found in Jesus’ response to these potential disciples,
“Come and see.” We will see Philip use this exact same phrase, and just a few
stories later the Samaritan woman says the same phrase to bring the rest of the
town to Jesus.
From here one of the two, identified as Andrew, goes to find
his brother Simon Peter. He tells Peter, “We have found the Messiah,” and
brings Peter to Jesus. Once again I want to note that there is no record Jesus
saying or doing anything noteworthy during the time spent with Andrew and the
other disciple. From that I think we are to understand that the mere presence
of being in (or staying in) Jesus’ presence was something unusual and
different, and that was enough to convince the two that Jesus was the Messiah.
Then Jesus goes to Galilee and the now three disciples
follow. The group encounters Philip, who is already acquainted with Andrew and
Peter. When Jesus calls to Philip to “Follow me”, there is already a web of
trust and familiarity that exists.
Can Anything Good…?
Philip immediately goes to find Nathanael. The text does not
describe any time passing of travel, so it is likely the case that the two are
in the same town and know one another well. Philip does not describe Jesus as
the Messiah, but as one whom “Moses wrote about in the Law and the Prophets”. And
then Philip adds that this person is “Jesus, Joseph’s son, from Nazareth.”
It is at this point that one of the well-known words in the
gospel are spoken by Nathanael, “Can anything from Nazareth be good?” or perhaps
more familiar to many is how you might have heard from the King James Version,
“Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?”
Various interpretations have been put forward to explain
Nathanael’s response. Among them include suggestions that Nazareth was somehow
more decadent and secular than desirable, or perhaps it was more evil and
sinful than similar towns in the area. Or perhaps Nathanael was expressing
bigotry toward Nazareth that was common in the area.
The best and most probable explanation to my mind can be
inferred from the text. Recall that Philip said, “[We have found the one whom] Moses
wrote about in the Law and the Prophets: Jesus, Joseph’s son, from Nazareth.”
It doesn’t require much to realize that what Philip said simply doesn’t add up.
Nowhere did Moses (or any Hebrew writer) write about “Jesus, Joseph’s son.” Nor
is Nazareth ever mentioned in the Hebrew scripture. Shouldn’t someone as
important as the Messiah come from some place more well known and at least is
mentioned in scripture?
Nathanael is expressing an honest skepticism and asking a
genuine question about Philip’s statement. Philip does not try to defend his
statement or argue with Nathanael. He imitates Jesus and says to Nathanael, “Come
and see.” Nathanael trusts Philip sufficiently enough that he follows to
examine for himself Philip’s claims.
Honesty
As Jesus sees Nathanael approach, before Nathanael can say
anything, Jesus speaks and says, “Here is a genuine Israelite in whom there is
no deceit.” What did Jesus mean by this? Of the various explanations offered,
there are two that I find most convincing. The first is that Nathanael is
honest about his misgivings and doubt, and that he freely expresses his
skepticism and questions, but at the same time he is open and willing to pursue
new information and evidence that could change his mind.
The second explanation comes in light of Jesus’ final spoken
sentence in today’s narrative. It is where Jesus says, “I assure you that you
will see heaven open and God’s angels going up to heaven and down to earth on
the Human One.” This is an allusion to the dream Jacob had of a ladder
extending between earth and heaven, upon which angels were traveling up and
down. This was the night after which Jacob fled his home because he had
deceived his father to obtain the birthright blessing and was attempting to escape
his brother’s wrath.
Jacob would be renamed “Israel” some years later during his
return journey and he would become the father of all Israelites. So, Jesus’
statement to Nathanael, “Here is a genuine Israelite in whom there is no deceit,”
touches on two key moments in Jacob’s story. In this interpretation, Nathanael may
be seen as the prototype for a new kind of Israelite that Jesus is forming.
Witnessing in the Modern World
When Christians talk about effective witnessing and
evangelism, what is often discussed are methods, techniques, information and
content, and programs. What this opening portion of John’s gospel shows
includes pretty much nothing that would be recognizable in modern evangelism.
What I see as the common thread through the first four
disciples is trust. There is a thread and a web of trust. Not trust in
information, but a trust in relationships. The first two trusted John the
Baptizer. Peter trusted Andrew. Philip knew Peter and Andrew. Nathanael trusted
Philip enough to at least give Philip’s strange statement a benefit of the
doubt and check Jesus out for himself.
What is being increasingly lost in modern society is trust.[2]
People do not trust institutions. That includes government and churches and
nearly everything else in-between.
The first disciples came to Jesus and decided to join and
follow him, not because of great programming, a convincing message, or any
message. There was something about Jesus’ mere presence, of being with him,
that was different. There was something trustworthy about Jesus.
Conclusion
When so much of society can rightfully ask, “Can anything
from Christianity be good?”, perhaps our response shouldn’t be to try to defend
Christianity through appeals to the many good things that have been accomplished
historically, or to become defensive and say, “Not all Christians”, or to try
to attempt to communicate doctrines more powerfully and effectively. Rather, maybe
our response should be, “Come and see.” Come and see where trust and
trustworthiness are values that are lived out, where honest skepticism and
questions are welcomed, where care and concern is offered freely, not as a hook
to conversion and membership.
When people see us and experience our presence, may they experience Jesus Christ among us and who is the ladder that connects humanity to divinity.
Bibliography
Bartlett, D. L., & Taylor, B. B. (2008). Feasting
on the Word: Year B, Volume 1 (Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary).
Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
Britton-Purdy, J. (2024, January 8). We’ve Been
Thinking About America’s Trust Collapse All Wrong. Retrieved from The
Atlantic:
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/01/trust-democracy-liberal-government/677035/
Dunn, J. D., & Rogerson, J. W. (2003). Eerdmans
Commentary on the Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co.
Jarvis, C. A., & Johnson, E. E. (2015). Feasting
on the Gospels: John, Volume 1. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox
Press.
Lewis, K. M. (2014). Fortress Biblical Preaching
Commentaries: John. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.
