Called, Calling, Pointed and Pointing
John 1.35-42
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).
Jesus calls disciples to follow him. But notice first that John the Baptist sends two of his disciples to follow Jesus. JtB had a good following, but his goal was always to point to someone more important. “Look, the Lamb of God!” It is more than just following that we see in our place as we look at the beginning of the gospel.
There is the pointing of one for us to go and follow Jesus as well. Think of how many people have been part of pointing us to following Jesus. Pointing us with something similar: “Look, the Lamb of God!”
Or there is one like Andrew who comes to us and tells us that we can follow the Messiah, another form of pointing for us; “Look, the Lamb of God!”
There is our place like Andrew, and one other, possibly Philip, who hear the description of Jesus: “Look, the Lamb of God!” And like them we turn and follow Jesus. Or we hear one following tell us that we should come to follow as well. So, like Andrew, Philip and Peter, we turn to follow Jesus.
A following that is set in the confession of Andrew this time. “We have found the Messiah.” A confession Peter will later state on behalf of all the disciples, after Jesus asks who the disciples say he is.
All around, we see these places of stepping in faith. Listening to the call of another, and in that the voice of Jesus calling us to follow. Not just that once, but each day. Calling to another to let them know they can follow Jesus with us. Reminding them that we have found the one who comes to save us and restore us. And in following the call we daily confess that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, who comes to save the world, and all who live in it.
This is our place in the church.