Come and See: The First Disciples Follow Jesus (John 1:35–51)
Have you ever been invited to something that changed your life? That’s what happens in John 1:35–51. This passage tells the story of how Jesus began calling His first followers—and it all starts with a simple invitation: “Come and see.”
John Points to Jesus Again
John the Baptist had already told people that Jesus was the Lamb of God. Now, he sees Jesus again and says it one more time:
“Look, the Lamb of God!”
Two of John’s own followers hear this and decide to follow Jesus. John didn’t hold onto them for himself. He wanted them to find the true Messiah.
Jesus Welcomes Them
As the two men start walking behind Jesus, He turns and asks them,
“What do you want?”
They ask Him where He is staying, and Jesus invites them,
“Come and see.”
That simple invitation changed their lives. They spent the whole day with Him, and what they saw must have deeply impacted them.
Andrew Brings His Brother
One of the men was Andrew. After spending time with Jesus, the first thing he did was go find his brother, Simon. He tells him,
“We have found the Messiah!”
Andrew brings Simon to Jesus. When Jesus sees him, He gives him a new name:
Cephas (which means Peter, or “rock”). This shows that Jesus already saw something special in Simon and had a plan for him.
Philip and Nathanael Join In
The next day, Jesus finds a man named Philip and says simply,
“Follow me.”
Philip, like Andrew, wants to share the news. He finds his friend Nathanael and says,
“We have found the one Moses wrote about… Jesus of Nazareth.”
Nathanael is unsure. He asks,
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip doesn’t argue. He just says,
“Come and see.”
Again, a simple invitation speaks louder than a debate.
Jesus Knows Nathanael’s Heart
When Nathanael approaches, Jesus says,
“Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
Nathanael is surprised—how does Jesus know him?
Jesus replies,
“I saw you while you were still under the fig tree.”
This moment amazes Nathanael. He realizes Jesus knows him better than anyone. He responds,
“You are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel.”
More to Come
Jesus tells Nathanael that he will see even greater things. He promises that heaven will be opened and that angels will go up and down on the Son of Man. In other words, this is just the beginning.
What We Can Learn
This passage teaches us a few important things:
- God uses people to invite others. John pointed to Jesus, Andrew told Simon, and Philip brought Nathanael. We can do the same.
- Jesus meets each person in a personal way. He calls people by name and knows their hearts.
- The invitation is simple: “Come and see.” We don’t have to have all the answers. We just need to point others to Jesus and let them discover Him for themselves.
Jesus still invites people today. Just like the first disciples, we’re invited to “come and see” who He really is—and to share that invitation with others.
John 1:35-51 (WEB)
1:35 Again, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, “What are you looking for?”They said to him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), “where are you staying?”39 He said to them, “Come and see.”They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is, being interpreted, Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is by interpretation, Peter).43 On the next day, he was determined to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets, wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”46 Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”Philip said to him, “Come and see.”47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are King of Israel!”50 Jesus answered him, “Because I told you, ‘I saw you underneath the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these!” 51 He said to him, “Most certainly, I tell you all, hereafter you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”