The King of Israel (1:43–49)

Philip trusted Jesus and followed Him when Jesus called him. We don't know what kind of heart preparation Philip went through, since God usually prepares someone before He calls them. We know that Philip showed his faith by trying to share it with his friend Nathanael.

John 21:2 says that at least seven of Jesus' disciples were fishermen. Nathanael was one of them. Fishermen are brave and do their jobs even though they have a  difficult occupation. However, Nathanael was a skeptic at first. He didn't think anything good could come from Nazareth. Our Lord was born in Bethlehem, but He grew up in Nazareth and had to bear the ridicule and skepticism that went with that (Matt. 2:19–23). To be called “a Nazarene” (Acts 24:5) meant to be looked down on and rejected.

Philip used our Lord's own words, "Come and see" (John 1:39), when Nathanael hesitated and argued. Later on, Jesus would invite, “Come … and drink” (John 7:37) and, “Come and dine” (John 21:12). "Come" is God's great invitation to grace.

Nathanael found out that Jesus already knew everything about him when he came to Him. What a shock! By calling him “an Israelite in whom is no guile,” Jesus was certainly referring to Jacob, the ancestor of the Jews, a man who used guile to trick his brother, his father, and his father-in-law. The name of Jacob was changed to "Israel, a prince with God." The reference to “Jacob’s ladder” in John 1:51 confirms this.

When Jesus revealed His knowledge of Nathanael, where he had been, and what he had been doing, this fact was enough to convince the man that Jesus indeed was “the Son of God, the King of Israel.” He had the same experience as the woman from Samaria at the well. "When He [Messiah] comes, He will tell us everything." "Come, see a man who told me everything I did" (John 4:25, 29). The ministry of local churches should also help people see what's in their hearts (1 Cor. 14:23–35).

Philip told Nathanael about Moses and the prophets as proof (John 1:45). Maybe Jesus taught Philip a "quick course" in the Old Testament Messianic prophecies, which are predictions about the Messiah found in the Hebrew Scriptures, like he did with the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13ff.). It is always good to connect our experiences to the Word of God.

"King of Israel" would be like "Messiah, anointed One," because the kings were always God's anointed (see Ps. 2, esp. vv. 2, 6–7). People wanted to make Jesus king at one point in His ministry, but He said no (John 6:15ff.). He informed Pilate that He was born a king (John 18:33–37) and did declare Himself King (John 12:10ff.).

Some students think that Nathanael and Bartholomew are the same person. John's gospel doesn't mention Bartholomew, but the other three writers do. Philip and Bartholomew are listed together in Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, and Luke 6:14, so they may have been "paired off" and worked together. It was common for one man to have two names back then.

The Messiah (1:35–42)

As we continue in this first chapter of John, we now come to the third day in a row. The wedding at Cana (John 2:1) took place on the seventh day. Since Jewish weddings usually took place on Wednesdays, this would mean that the third day was the Sabbath. But John the Baptist and Jesus did not have a day off; John was preaching, and Jesus was gathering followers.

John, the writer of the gospel, and his friend Andrew were the two disciples of John who followed Jesus. John the Baptist was glad when people left him to follow Jesus because his work was all about Jesus. John 3:30 says, "He must increase, but I must decrease."

When Jesus asked them, "What do you want?" He was making them figure out what they wanted to do and why. Were they looking for a leader to start a revolution and take down Rome? Then they should join the Zealots! That day, Andrew and John had no idea how much their lives would change because of the Son of God.

The words, "Where dwellest thou? (v 38)" could have meant, "If you're too busy now, we can come back later." But Jesus asked them to spend the day with Him (it was 10 a.m.), and I'm sure He told them about His mission, showed them their hearts, and answered their questions. They were both so moved that they went to find their brothers and bring them to Jesus. Andrew found Simon, and John brought James. Yes, they were their brothers' keepers (Gen. 4:9)! Andrew is always bringing someone to Jesus in John's gospel. For example, he brought his brother, the boy with the loaves and fishes (John 6:8), and the Greeks who wanted to see Jesus (John 12:20–21). There are no records of Andrew's sermons, but he was a great personal soul winner who preached great sermons through his actions.

Andrew told Simon, "We have found the Messiah!" "Messiah" is a Hebrew word that means "anointed," and "Christ" is the Greek word for it. The Jews considered this name to be the same thing as the name "Son of God" (see Matt. 26:63–64; Mark 14:61–62; Luke 22:67–70). In the Old Testament, prophets, priests, and kings were anointed, which meant they were set apart for special work. People called kings "God's anointed" (1 Sam. 26:11; Ps. 89:20), so when the Jews talked about their Messiah, they were thinking of the king who would come to save them and set up the kingdom.

The Jewish teachers were not sure what the Messiah would do. Some people considered Him to be a suffering sacrifice (like in Isa. 53), while others thought of Him as a great king (like in Isa. 9 and 11). Jesus had to tell His own followers that the cross had to come before the crown and that He had to suffer before He could enter into His glory (Luke 24:13–35). The Jews at the time placed great importance on the question of Jesus' identity as the Messiah (John 7:26, 40–44; 9:22; 10:24).

Simon's life changed after he talked to Jesus. It also gave him a new name: Peter in Greek and Cephas in Aramaic, which is what Jesus spoke. Both names mean "a rock." Jesus had to work very hard to turn weak Simon into a rock, but He did it! "Thou art... thou shalt be" is a tremendous source of strength for everyone who believes in Christ. He really does give us the "power to become" (John 1:12).

It is important to note that Andrew and John believed in Christ because John the Baptist preached faithfully. Peter and James came to Christ because their brothers cared for them personally. Later, Jesus would win Philip over, and then Philip would tell Nathanael about Jesus and bring him to Jesus. God uses different ways to bring sinners to the Savior, so each man's experience is different. The key is to believe in Christ and get others to do the same.