From Glory to Glory
Bible Study Step 11 John 1:29-42
Last week, we talked about the temptation of Christ. This week, we see Jesus’ return to Bethabara, where John is Baptizing. John will point out Jesus as the Lamb of God, and the first disciples will begin to follow Jesus. Last week, the story of Jesus’ temptation was found in all 4 Gospels. This week, step 11 will be found primarily in the Gospel of John.
Some might think that this takes place immediately after Jesus’ baptism. But it seems that after being baptized, Jesus went into the desert, where He was tempted. Now He has returned to Bethabara, and from here He begins His ministry.
- John the Baptist introduces the Messiah
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 NKJV
- I wonder if John understood that he was answering a question that a young man asked his father many centuries earlier.
“But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Genesis 22:7 NKJV
- One by one, let’s read the following scriptures: Genesis.22:7, Exodus.12:3, Isaiah.53:7, 1Peter 1:19 and Revelation 5:6
- Now listen to the Angels in Glory;
“Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” Revelation 5:11-12 NKJV
- John 1:32-34 NKJV
John testifies about how he knows that Jesus is the Lamb of God
- Even before he was Born John testified that Jesus was Lord.
“Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” Luke 1:39-41 NKJV
- Two of John’s disciples leave him to follow Jesus. They were John, son of Zepedee and Andrew, the brother of Simon. John 1:37-39
- How did John the Baptist feel about losing his disciples to Jesus?
“John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:27-30 NKJV
If a preacher is more concerned with building his own church and following than with advancing the Kingdom of God, then he is not a man of God; he is a false prophet.
- John 1:41
Andrew finds his brother Simon Peter and brings Him to Christ. This may be the greatest thing Andrew ever done for the Kingdom. (We may think that we play a small part for God, but it is our faithfulness to share Jesus that makes us great.)
- When Andrew told Peter that they had found the Messiah, he didn’t know it but he was answering a question that Job had asked many years ago.
“Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, That I might come to His seat!”
Job 23:3 NKJV
Imagine, for thousands of years, the Jewish people have believed in God’s promise of a Messiah. Each generation expected the promise to be kept in their lifetime. Now Andrew says: We are the generation that finds the Messiah!
Think about this. For hundreds of years, Christians have believed and trusted in God’s promise that Jesus will come again. And we, like all generations before us, are praying, (Even so, Lord come quickly.)
- John 1:42 Jesus gives Simon the name of Cephas.
- Cephas is a surname meaning “rock”. Cephas is from the Hebrew language; in Greek, it is Petros, from which we get Peter.
- What is a surname and where do they come from?
- I have always heard that Jesus changed Simon’s name to Cephas. I don’t think He did, I think he just added to his name. Looking at scripture, most of the time, he would be referred to as Simon Peter.
- At times when Jesus was not happy with Peter, he would just call him Simon.
- Many times, in the Bible, we see God changing people’s names.
- “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.” Genesis 17:5
Abram= Father. Abraham= Father of many nations
- “Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.” Genesis 17:15 NKJV
Sarai= just Abrams’ wife Sarah=princes, queen, royalty
- “So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Genesis 32:27-28 NKJV
Jacob= grabber, supplanter Israel=He will rule
- “Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him”. Acts 13:9 NKJV
Saul was his name in Hebrew; Paul was his name in Greek. At the time of his name change, his ministry moved from the Jewish people to the Greeks or Gentiles.
- I think that with Peter and most others, when He changed or added to their names, He was not seeing them as they were, but as they could be.
“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.” Revelation 3:12 NKJV
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