Finding the Christ

JOHN 1:35-49

TOWARD the close of Jesus’ ministry, he inquired of his disciples, “Whom say ye that I am?” Peter replied, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matt. 16:15,16) Jesus then explained that Peter could not have thus testified unless that information had been given to him by God. This helps to emphasize that God took a definite hand in the selection of all the apostles; for apparently they became followers of the Master in the belief that he was the Christ.

In today’s lesson we are told how Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael became acquainted with Jesus. Andrew said to Peter, “We have found the Messiah.” (vs. 41) Philip said to Nathanael, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the Law, and the prophets, did write.” (vs. 45) While Philip explained that this One whom he had found was known in the community as “Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph,” he had become convinced that Jesus was more than this—indeed, that he was the One of whom the prophets wrote; that is, the Messiah.

Nathanael raised the question, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip’s reply was, “Come and see.” (vs. 46) When Nathanael, “an Israelite indeed,” in whom was “no guile,” observed Jesus, and noted his marvelous power of perception, he said to him, “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.”—vs. 49

Jesus gave Simon a new name; that is, Cephas, or Peter. Thus from the very beginning he seems to have been chosen for a special service. Jesus reminded Peter of this new name when he gave that wonderful confession, “Thou art the Christ.” “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona,” the Master said, addressing the apostle by his old name, and then added, “Thou art Peter,” or, the new name I gave you signifies that you are a “rock” (Greek petros, a piece of rock) and “upon this rock” (Greek petra, a mass of rock) “I will build my church.”

Jesus himself is the great rock foundation upon which the church is built, and Peter indirectly had called attention to this in his testimony that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus began the building of his church with the selection of the apostles, and it was important that in their acceptance of him as their Master and Leader, they recognize that he was the promised Messiah, the Christ, the “Son of the living God,” and as Nathanael added, “the King of Israel.”

There is a special significance, we think, in the coupling of the two titles, “Christ” and “the Son of the living God.” “Christ,” or “Messiah,” means “anointed”—in this case, of course, the anointed of the Lord. The thought is, one whom God would authorize, or send, to accomplish his purposes toward the human race. When this title is associated with the Son of God, the fact is emphasized that the One whom the Lord would thus anoint, or authorize, would not be a member of the sin-cursed and dying race, but none other than his own dearly beloved Son.

Until after Pentecost there was much that the disciples did not understand concerning Jesus and the divine purpose which he had come to fulfill, but they did grasp the fact, and accepted it wholeheartedly, that he was the “sent” of God, the One whom the prophets had foretold was to come and deliver Israel and the world. Just as Peter received this information from God, so it was with the others, for they seem to have been given no special instruction along this line from human sources.

One of the facts concerning Jesus which they did not grasp clearly until they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was the necessity of his death as man’s Redeemer. Oddly enough, when John the Baptist presented Jesus to his disciples, he used a title which suggested this: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29,36) Andrew was one to whom John made this announcement, yet when he told his brother about him, he did not say we have found “the Lamb of God,” but “We have found the Messiah.”

Had they grasped the significance of the title, “Lamb of God,” they would have been prepared for Jesus’ death, knowing that before he could be the “King of Israel” he would have to be “led as a lamb to the slaughter.” But to this great truth their eyes remained closed until later. After his resurrection Jesus said to two of them that they were “slow of heart to believe” all that had been written concerning him by the prophets. They rejoiced in the fact that he was their Messiah and King, but had to learn through trial, and by the revealing power of the Holy Spirit, that he was also the “Lamb” of God, although this had been told them by one of God’s prophets.—Isa. 53:7

QUESTIONS

How many of the apostles, when chosen, believed that Jesus was the Christ of promise?

What may have been Jesus’ reason for giving Simon a new name? Cite a later reference to this name by Jesus.

What important part of Jesus’ earthly ministry did the apostles fail to understand fully until Pentecost?

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