I WILL FOLLOW
Opening Prayer
Your grace, Father, is deep and wide and free. Undeserving as I am, I am amazed and thankful that you pour it out on me—that you give me forgiveness leading to abundant and eternal life in Christ.
Read JOHN 1:35–42
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
John’s Disciples Follow Jesus
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter[a]).
Footnotes
- John 1:42 Cephas (Aramaic) and Peter (Greek) both mean rock.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Thank God for those people who played a part in introducing Jesus to you.Imagine being greeted at church by someone pointing to another church down the road and suggesting you go there if you’re serious about getting on board with what God is doing! That’s essentially the challenge with which John the Baptist confronts two of his own disciples here. Consistently identifying Jesus as greater than himself (v. 36), John positively wants his followers to transfer their allegiance to Jesus, which they do (v. 37). It’s a refreshingly selfless approach that reveals John to be concerned only with God’s extension of his kingdom through Christ, and not with building his own empire. To what extent can the same be said of us and our churches?
What is also refreshing in these verses (and John’s gospel as a whole) is the absence of any programmatic recruitment strategy on Jesus’ part. Instead, potential followers are simply introduced to him, both conversationally and personally, by those already ‘in the know’ about him (vv. 36, 37, 41, 42). It’s worth a thought, isn’t it? Following Jesus means, first and foremost, being with him (v. 39). However, Jesus’ renaming of Simon as Peter (v. 42) reminds us that those whom Jesus accepts as they are do not remain as they are; they find themselves caught up in God’s work of new creation.
Apply
What might God need you to do to ensure his work of new creation is not hindered by a focus on church rather than kingdom in your context?
Closing prayer
Father, I pray not only for my own church, but for other churches in my community. Give us vision to work together and support one another as we nurture our congregations and reach out to the world around us.
Book and Author Intros
Extras
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2025 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Discovery is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.