II. Preparations of the Christ: Jesus Gathers His First Disciples (1:19-51)
[Three Signs that Jesus is God’s Anointed]

1. Jesus is the One coming after [the prophet] John [the Baptist] (1:19-28)
   [First Sign: Jesus is the Anointed Prophet]
   1. John’s [the Baptist’s] testimony (1:19-28)
      1. Who John [the Baptist] is not (1:19-21)
         1. The ruling Jews send priests and Levites to ask John [the Baptist] concerning himself (1:19)
         2. John [the Baptist] specifically denies that he is the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet (1:20-21)
      2. Who John [the Baptist] is (1:22-23)
         1. The priests and Levites ask John [the Baptist] to identify himself (1:22)
         2. [SIGN: Fulfilled prophecy] John [the Baptist] voluntarily affirms that he is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, the voice of one calling out to straighten the way for the Lord (1:23)
      3. Why John [the Baptist] baptizes (1:24-27)
         1. The Pharisees ask John [the Baptist] why he baptizes (1:24-25)
         2. John [the Baptist] responds that he baptizes (only outwardly) with water (1:26a)
         3. John [the Baptist] declares One is coming Who is greater than himself (implying that a greater baptism was coming in fulfillment of the prophecy) (1:26b-27)
   2. LOCATION: Bethabara beyond the Jordan (1:28)
2. Jesus is the Lamb of God, the Son of God (1:29-42)
   [Second Sign: Jesus is the Anointed Priest]
   1. John’s [the Baptist’s] witness to his disciples concerning Jesus (1:29-34)
      1. John [the Baptist] points to Jesus (1:29-31)
         1. John [the Baptist] points to Jesus as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world (1:29)
         2. John [the Baptist] declares that Jesus is The One greater than himself (1:30)
         3. John [the Baptist] explains that he came baptizing in order to reveal Jesus to Israel (1:31)
      2. John [the Baptist] witnesses to Jesus (1:32-34)
         1. [SIGN: Manifestation of the Spirit] John [the Baptist] describes the sign of the spirit at the baptism of Jesus (1:32)
         2. John [the Baptist] interprets the sign as pointing to The One Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit (1:33)
         3. John [the Baptist] testifies that Jesus is the Son of God (1:34)
   2. Jesus receives His first disciples through John [the Baptist] (1:35-42)
      1. Two disciples of John [the Baptist] –– called to follow Jesus (1:35-39)
         1. John [the Baptist] directs two of his disciples (Andrew [and John the apostle?]) to Jesus (1:35-36)
         2. These two disciples follow Jesus (1:37)
         3. Jesus invites these two disciples to join Him (1:38-39)
      2. Simon Peter (Cephas) called to follow Jesus (1:40-42)
         1. Andrew is identified as one of the two disciples (1:40)
         2. Andrew tells his brother Simon he has found the Christ (1:41)
         3. Jesus names Peter Cephas – Peter (1:42)
3. Jesus is the Son of God, the King of Israel (1:43-51)
   [Third Sign: Jesus is the Anointed King]
   1. Jesus calls Philip (1:43-51)
      1. Jesus finds Philip and calls him to follow (1:43-44)
      2. Philip finds Nathanael and tells him Jesus is the One Moses and the prophets wrote about (1:45)
      3. Nathanael expresses skepticism and Philip invites him to come and see (1:46)
   2. Jesus calls Nathanael (1:47-51)
      1. Jesus calls Nathanael a true Israelite, not a deceiver (Jacob) (1:47)
      2. [SIGN: Ominiscience] Jesus shows he knows Nathanael’s thoughts (1:48)
      3. Nathanael confesses Jesus as the Son of God, the King of Israel ((1:49)
      4. Jesus tells Nathanael he will see greater signs (1:50)
      5. Nathanael (and others with him) will continually witness Jesus as the antitype of Jacob’s ladder (1:50-51)

To be continued with
III. Jesus is Christ the Prophet (2:1-12:50)
[Seven Signs that Jesus is God’s Anointed Prophet]

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 19th, 2006 at 4:04 pm and is filed under Exposition.