John 1:29, 35–46, 49–51

Bible Studies for Life
Instructor of Church Music and Worship Leadership, School of the Arts, Samford University

Go and Tell
John 1:29, 35–46, 49–51
This week’s Bible study concludes a four-week series exploring ways to pursue balanced spiritual growth. Perhaps this week is an appropriate time to reflect on not only the topics covered but also the ways in which you have applied them to your Christian growth.  

The first week unashamedly claimed that participation in a Christian community is vital. The second week highlighted the importance of individual growth by exercising discernment, following good examples and studying Scripture. The third week, Paul called us to renew our minds and get to work exercising our gifts within the body of Christ. This week focuses on Christian witness as a component of spiritual growth.  

Why We Go (29, 35–39)
The passages in this study highlight three elements: John’s testimony of the long-awaited Messiah, the disciples’ testimony about Jesus and Christ’s testimony of Himself.  

John the Baptist announced Christ as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (29). John’s identification of Christ as the Lamb of God held significant connections to past, present and future events. First the image of Christ as the Lamb of God connected Jesus to the Passover lamb from ancient Hebrew culture (see Exodus 12). Second the image foreshadowed Christ’s death (see John 19:36), and finally the image identified that He had come to change individuals enslaved to the world’s sinful condition.  

John announced Christ as the Lamb of God a second time (35–36), and after his second announcement, the first two disciples followed Christ (37, 39). These disciples named Christ as teacher and stayed in His presence (39). The significance of these passages is the example John provides in elevating Christ above himself. As we “go and tell,” we would do well to follow John’s example, making central the good news of Christ, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

Whom to Tell (40–46)
Both Andrew and Philip spoke of Christ to close acquaintances: Andrew told his brother Simon (41), and Philip told his friend Nathanael (45). Andrew described Him as the “Messiah” (41). Philip described Him as “Jesus, son of Joseph from Nazareth,” connecting Him to Moses and the prophets. Because Nazareth lacked prestige as a city, Nathanael reacted with skepticism about Jesus’ validity. However, Philip encouraged Nathanael to “come and see” Christ for himself (46).  

John and his two disciples, Andrew and Philip, each described Christ differently. The disciples recognized and publicly acknowledged the power they believed He had within the world. This power was confirmed when Simon received a new name (42), and his renaming suggests that following Christ requires a new way of living.

What Results (49–51)
In this passage, Christ again hinted at the great things that are yet to come through Him. While Nathanael enthusiastically recognized that Christ is the “Son of God, the King of Israel,” Jesus reminded Nathanael that he was clueless about those things to come through His work. In this final claim, Christ reminds us that any attempt we make to identify Him and predict the nature of His work in the world will be both inaccurate and inadequate. Thus, while we are called to be witnesses to the glory of God seen among us (see John 1:14), we are to trust even more in the work of God, who through Christ continues to transform, call and equip disciples in the world.
As you reflect on previous lessons and engage in this week’s study, remember that growing spiritually is more about learning a process than producing a product. It is more akin to running a marathon than a sprint. Just as children do not learn to converse with adults or dress themselves overnight, we do not learn to speak and act as mature followers of Christ overnight. Rather we become spiritually mature through the cumulative power of engaging in faith practices over a long period of time. And we can never underestimate God’s power working within us to bring us to complete spiritual maturity on the day when we are made complete in Christ.