morning and evening, a one-year-old lamb was sacrificed in the Temple of Jerusalem for the sins of the people (cf. Exodus 29:38–42). The prophets Jeremiah (cf. 11:19) and Isaiah (cf. 53:7) prophesied that the Messiah, God’s servant, would be led to the slaughter like a lamb – in this way, Jesus as the “Servant of God” (cf. Isaiah 42:1; 49:3; 50:10; 52:13) is also the “Lamb of God”. To pay the penalty for sin, a life had to be given – and God chose to provide the sacrifice Himself/Jesus like a “scapegoat” which took all the sins of the Jewish people and took them away/send them into the desert on the “Day of Atonement” (cf. Leviticus 16:10). The “sin(s) of the world” (cf. 1 John 3:5) were removed when Jesus died as the perfect sacrifice (cf. John 19:14, 36 and 1 Peter 1:19) as the Passover Lamb and the sins of all85 people – Jews and Gentiles in the whole world – were forgiven in the “soteriological”86 sense (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:7) forever. This is an interesting aspect because of the destruction of the Temple in the year 70 A.D. and the end of the daily sacrificing of lambs in Jerusalem. According to the Fourth Evangelist, the Passover87 Feast was soon (cf. John 2:13) and the Jewish people should smear the doorposts with the blood of the slain lamb on the night in memory of the exodus when they left Egypt (cf. Exodus 12:12–14). Besides in this context of the Evangelist, Jesus passed Bethany like a (flock of) lamb(s) which will serve as sacrifices for the Passover Feast88.
v. 30: As in verses 20 and 26–27, an understatement of John the Baptist emphasizes Jesus’ special role as the “Lamb of God” (vv. 29c, 36b) and the “Son of God” (v. 34b) in the sense of the pre-existence of Jesus by God (cf., for example, John 16:5): “After me” (= John the Baptist – note in Greek “opíso mou” in vv. 15c, 27a) “comes” – note the present tense! – “a man” (= Jesus) who “was before me” (v. 30c, d). Therefore Jesus should be infinitely greater than John the Baptist because He finished and fulfilled all that John had begun and prepared.
v. 31: John the Baptist underlines his role as Jesus’ forerunner with the help of a correction89 (“not … but”): “( ) I /did/ (not) know Him” – note the parallel with verse 33a – cf. v. 26d –, “but … I baptized” (vv. 25b, 26b, 28b, 31c, 33c) only “with water” (cf. vv. 26b, 33c) as the sign of the cleansing and repentance of “Israel”90 (v. 31b). His baptism with water was preparatory, because it was for repentance and symbolized the washing of sins.
v. 32: John the Baptist “testifies”91/“convinced” (cf. vv. 7b, 8b, 15a, 34a) that he “saw”92 (vv. 32b, 33e, 34a) Jesus as the “Son of God” (v. 34b) like a “witness”93 (cf. John 19:35; 21:24), because the Holy “Spirit comes down” (vv. 32b, 33e, 51e ) “from Heaven” (cf. Isaiah 11:2; 42:1; 61:1 – note also John 6:58) “as a dove”94 (cf. Luke 3:22a/Matthew 3:16 and less Mark 1:10) during Jesus’ baptism “and remains on Him” (v. 33d) in public. The Holy Spirit was with Jesus permanently from then on (cf. John 14:17 and 6:56; 8:31; 15:4–10) in the sense of Ezekiel 36:26–27 and not as a momentary inspiration at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in word and deed. That is the message of John the Baptist as the “precursor” of Jesus, the “redeemer” and “Saviour” (cf. John 3:16).
v. 33: As in verse 31a, John the Baptist emphasizes again with the help of a second correction95 (“not … but”) that he “( ) /did/ (not) know Him” – note the same words in verse 31a –, “but” he “who has been sent” by God “to baptize with water” – note again verse 26b and especially verse 31c as an earthly-immanent event. However, He explains that the “Spirit coming down” – note the same words in verse 32b –as a dove (from Heaven) which “remained on Him” – note the parallel with verse 32c – as the heavenly-divine/transcendental act of God’s Holy “Spirit” is a sign of the “Lamb” and the “Son of God” (v. 34b) in Jesus. Note the climax: John’s Baptism with “water” here (vv. 26b, 31c, 33c) – Jesus’ Baptism with the “Spirit” there!
v. 34: In addition (“kagó” = “and I” in vv. 33a, 34a), the (eye)witness (cf. vv. 32a, 34a and 19:35; 21:24) and messenger John the Baptist – in contrast to Mark 1:11/Matthew 3:17; 17:5/Luke 3:22b where God’s voice proclaims Jesus as “the beloved Son in//with Him I am well pleased” – “have seen” and “testified” – note the divine Perfect! – as well as pointed to Jesus (in Greek “houtós” = “this” in vv. 30a, 33g, 34b and in Matthew 3:17b96) as the “Son of God”97 (cf. v. 49 [Nathanael]) like the famous illustration “Isenheimer Altar” (1505 or 1515 B.C.) with John’s long right forefinger by the painter Matthias Grünewald. Jesus as the “Son of God” is in the personal relationship to God the Father (cf., for example, John 10:30, 38).
2.1.3 “Third”98 and “Fourth/Fifth Day”99: The Call of the First Disciples of Jesus (vv. 35–51)
- The Call of Andrew and His Brother Simon Peter (vv. 35–42)
+ The Setting (vv. 35–37)
Who: John the Baptist (vv. 35–36), his two disciples (vv. 35, 37–39), Andrew and his brother Simon Peter (vv. 40–42), Philip (vv. 43–46), Nathanael (vv. 45–51)
Where: “Bethany” (v. 28)
When: after Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan (vv. 29–34)
vv. 35–37: The Evangelist connects the “following”100 (cf. vv. 37b, 38b, 40c [, 43e]) of His first disciples by repeating John the Baptist’s testimony as a proclamation (cf. 1:29–34) that Jesus is “the Lamb of God”101 (vv. 29b, 36b) and with the help of “two”102 (in Greek “dúo” in vv. 35, 37a, 40a and in Mark 6:7; 11:1; 14:13[; 15:27; 16:12]; Matthew 4:18, 21; 18:16, 19–20; 21:1[; 27:38]; Luke 7:18; 10:1; 19:29[; 23:32]; 24:4, 13) of his own “disciples” (vv. 35, 37a) who “heard” (cf. vv. 37a, 40b) his witness about Jesus. John the Baptist who pointed to Jesus with his eyes103 (non-verbal – cf. v. 36a) and his words (verbal – cf. vv. 36b–37a, 40a) is the reason and the guide that “Andrew” and another unnamed of his disciples (cf. v. 40a) followed Jesus (cf. vv. 37b, 38b, 40b) in contrast to the call of Andrew according to Mark 1:16–18 respectively Matthew 4:18–20 in which Jesus took the initiative.
+ The Following of Andrew including a Comment by the Evangelist (vv. 38–40)
v. 38: Jesus realized His “followers” (v. 38b) and introduced a dialogue with them with a question: “What do you seek/look for”? – cf. John 18:4, 7–8; 20:15. They respectfully answered with a query:
“Rabbi, where104 are you staying105”?) – note the Jewish title “rabbi”106 in verse 49b by Nathanael or in 3:2c by Nicodemus.
v. 39: Jesus replied briefly and invited them:
“Come” – note the imperative in present tense! –
“and you will see” (in future! – cf. v. 46d).
Immediately they did it because “Jesus is the answer”. Their question found an answer in their following:
“They came and saw” (cf. v. 39b, c)
“where
