Calling Is a Process
Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. John 1:35-37, NKJV.
We often forget that some of Jesus' leading disciples had first been followers of John the Baptist. That was so of Andrew.
Now there is an obscure disciple. A glimpse at my concordance indicates that the Bible mentions his name only 13 times, usually in lists of disciples or as Peter's brother--Andrew is that "other guy" who had the famous sibling.
Yet it was the nearly invisible Andrew who led Peter to Christ. That resulted, of course, in Jesus immediately sizing Simon Peter up for special recognition. And here we find a point of note--Jesus never sees us merely as we are but as what we can become through His grace.
Peter, along with James and John Zebedee, would turn into one of Christ's most important and visible followers. That never seemed to bother Andrew. He was apparently willing from the beginning to take second place as someone who introduced people to Jesus.
The fourth Gospel does not indicate who the second disciple of the Baptist was who followed after Jesus with Andrew. But given his style, it was probably the author himself. John generally identifies himself as "that other disciple." Decades later the aged John has many memories of those early years. Writing the final Gospel, he seeks to fill in some of the blanks that Matthew, Mark, and Luke left out of the story. Some of those gaps had to do with the first calling of himself, Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael. Those events were so precious to the old man that he even remembered the exact words that took place and cited them in John 1:35-51. He will do so from time to time throughout his Gospel, thereby providing his readers down through the ages with intimate recollections that only a participant could have known.
One of those recollections is that the calling of the disciples was a process rather than the all-at-once event suggested by Matthew, in which they seemingly give up all at their first meeting with Jesus.
Not so, say John. First, some of them were disciples of the Baptist. Then some of those disciples questioned Jesus. Next they introduced other future disciples to Him. And only later did Jesus tell them to give up their business and follow him.
The same is true in our day. Jesus still calls disciples step by step. My only question is what step He has in mind for me today.
Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. John 1:35-37, NKJV.
We often forget that some of Jesus' leading disciples had first been followers of John the Baptist. That was so of Andrew.
Now there is an obscure disciple. A glimpse at my concordance indicates that the Bible mentions his name only 13 times, usually in lists of disciples or as Peter's brother--Andrew is that "other guy" who had the famous sibling.
Yet it was the nearly invisible Andrew who led Peter to Christ. That resulted, of course, in Jesus immediately sizing Simon Peter up for special recognition. And here we find a point of note--Jesus never sees us merely as we are but as what we can become through His grace.
Peter, along with James and John Zebedee, would turn into one of Christ's most important and visible followers. That never seemed to bother Andrew. He was apparently willing from the beginning to take second place as someone who introduced people to Jesus.
The fourth Gospel does not indicate who the second disciple of the Baptist was who followed after Jesus with Andrew. But given his style, it was probably the author himself. John generally identifies himself as "that other disciple." Decades later the aged John has many memories of those early years. Writing the final Gospel, he seeks to fill in some of the blanks that Matthew, Mark, and Luke left out of the story. Some of those gaps had to do with the first calling of himself, Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael. Those events were so precious to the old man that he even remembered the exact words that took place and cited them in John 1:35-51. He will do so from time to time throughout his Gospel, thereby providing his readers down through the ages with intimate recollections that only a participant could have known.
One of those recollections is that the calling of the disciples was a process rather than the all-at-once event suggested by Matthew, in which they seemingly give up all at their first meeting with Jesus.
Not so, say John. First, some of them were disciples of the Baptist. Then some of those disciples questioned Jesus. Next they introduced other future disciples to Him. And only later did Jesus tell them to give up their business and follow him.
The same is true in our day. Jesus still calls disciples step by step. My only question is what step He has in mind for me today.
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