The Complete Sayings of Jesus

John Answers the Priests — "Behold the Lamb of God" — Jesus Hails Andrew, Simon, Philip and Nathanael.

A.D. 27. Age 30 Bethabara.

John 1, 19-20 . . . 22-29 . . . 37-51.

JOHN, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? confessed, I am not the Christ. I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord. They asked him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ? John answered, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; he it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The next day after, John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. The two disciples heard John speak, and they followed Jesus. He saw them following, and saith, What seek ye? They answered, Rabbi (which is to say, Master), where dwellest thou? Jesus saith, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and they abode with him that day. One of the two was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias.¹ Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld Simon, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas. Cephas is, by interpretation, A stone.²

The day following, Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip: he was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Simon Peter. And Jesus saith unto Philip, Follow me. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip said, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wart under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered, Master, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus said, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

Footnotes:

¹". . . which is, being interpreted, the Christ."

²The Revised Version has it: ". . . which is by interpretation, Peter." Both words, Peter and Cephas, have the meaning, rock, stone.