Jesus Is God’s Son and King, Not Just a Teacher
Welcome to Day 13 of our journey with Jesus. Today, we discover what this passage shows about Jesus. The main truth for today is this: Jesus is God's promised King and Son, who gives his life to take away sin. Let’s begin.
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Jesus in Action
John 1:35–51
Step 3 of 5
Learn what this passage reveals about Jesus.
Johannes der Täufer und zwei seiner Jünger waren am nächsten Tag wieder an dieser Stelle, als Jesus vorüberging. Da schaute Johannes ihn an und sagte: »Seht, dies ist Gottes Opferlamm!« Als die beiden Jünger das hörten, folgten sie Jesus. Jesus drehte sich zu ihnen um, sah sie kommen und fragte: »Was sucht ihr?« Sie antworteten: »Rabbi, wo wohnst du?« »Kommt mit, dann werdet ihr es sehen!«, sagte Jesus. Also gingen sie mit Jesus dorthin, wo er wohnte. Es war ungefähr vier Uhr nachmittags, und sie blieben bei ihm bis zum Abend. Einer der beiden, die Jesus auf das Wort von Johannes hin gefolgt waren, hieß Andreas. Er war der Bruder von Simon Petrus. Wenig später traf er seinen Bruder Simon und erzählte ihm: »Wir haben den Messias gefunden, den von Gott versprochenen Retter!« Dann nahm Andreas seinen Bruder mit zu Jesus. Der sah ihn an und sagte: »Du bist Simon, der Sohn von Johannes. Von jetzt an sollst du Petrus heißen!« Als Jesus am nächsten Tag nach Galiläa gehen wollte, traf er unterwegs Philippus. Auch ihn forderte er auf: »Komm, folge mir nach!« Philippus stammte wie Andreas und Petrus aus Betsaida. Später begegnete Philippus Nathanael und erzählte ihm: »Wir haben den gefunden, von dem Mose im Gesetz geschrieben hat und den die Propheten angekündigt haben. Es ist Jesus aus Nazareth, der Sohn von Josef.« »Nazareth?«, entgegnete Nathanael. »Was kann von da schon Gutes kommen!« Doch Philippus antwortete ihm: »Komm mit und überzeuge dich selbst!« Als Jesus Nathanael erblickte, sagte er: »Hier kommt ein wahrer Israelit, ein ganz und gar aufrichtiger Mensch!« Nathanael staunte: »Woher kennst du mich?« Jesus erwiderte: »Noch bevor Philippus dich rief, habe ich dich unter dem Feigenbaum gesehen.« »Rabbi, du bist wirklich Gottes Sohn!«, rief Nathanael. »Du bist der König von Israel!« Jesus sagte: »Das glaubst du, weil ich dir gesagt habe, dass ich dich unter dem Feigenbaum sah. Aber du wirst noch viel größere Dinge zu sehen bekommen.« Und er fuhr fort: »Ich sage euch die Wahrheit: Ihr werdet den Himmel offen und die Engel Gottes hinauf- und herabsteigen sehen zwischen Gott und dem Menschensohn!«
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John 1 moves quickly. People meet Jesus, and titles begin to gather around Him.
John the Baptist calls Him the Lamb of God. Andrew tells Simon, “We have found the Messiah.” Philip says He is the One described by Moses and the prophets. Nathanael declares, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
No single title exhausts Jesus’ identity. Together, they create a portrait that demands attention.
The Lamb of God.
A lamb evokes sacrifice, deliverance, and the removal of guilt. Earlier in the chapter John says Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Before Jesus performs a public sign in John’s Gospel, His mission is already pointed toward sacrificial salvation.
Jesus did not come merely to describe what is wrong with humanity. He came to deal with sin at a cost to Himself.
The Messiah.
Andrew identifies Jesus as the Messiah—the Christ, God’s promised Anointed One. This title carries Israel’s hope for God’s King and saving rule. Yet Jesus will redefine expectation. His throne will not be reached through political conquest. His path will move toward the cross.
The One Moses and the Prophets Wrote About.
Philip does not treat Jesus as an isolated spiritual novelty. He understands Him within the long story of Scripture. The promises, patterns, sacrifices, kingship, and prophetic hope move toward fulfillment in a person.
This claim invites investigation: Does the wider biblical story truly converge upon Jesus?
The Son of God and King of Israel.
Nathanael’s confession joins divine sonship and kingship. Jesus is not merely someone with private spiritual insight. He is identified as the rightful King.
Jesus responds by promising that Nathanael will see greater things. Then He describes heaven opened and angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. He places Himself where Jacob once saw the meeting place between heaven and earth.
The Titles Converge.
Lamb. Messiah. Promised One. Son of God. King. Son of Man. The passage does not allow Jesus to remain a vague symbol onto whom we project whatever meaning we prefer.
Each title opens a question. Together they announce that in meeting Jesus, these first disciples believed they had encountered the center of God’s saving action.
Let the Witnesses Speak Fully.
We should neither accept these titles carelessly nor remove them because they exceed a comfortable portrait of Jesus. John gives them to readers as testimony to be examined in light of everything that follows. The signs, conversations, conflicts, cross, and empty tomb will either sustain these confessions or expose them. The honest path is to keep the titles in view and test whether the Gospel’s Jesus truly fills them.
Consider this.
Which title given to Jesus in this passage most challenges your present understanding of Him, and why?
Explore what this reveals
List the names and titles applied to Jesus in John 1:35–51. Let the cumulative testimony shape your view of His identity.
What This Means for Your Life.
John’s first disciples did not meet Jesus as a vague spiritual teacher. They spoke of Him as the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the One Moses and the prophets wrote about, the Son of God, and the King of Israel. Taken together, those titles say that Jesus is not just someone to admire from a distance; He is the center of God’s saving work and the rightful King to whom your life must answer.
Jesus’ mission includes sacrifice. If He is the Lamb who takes away sin, then the deepest problem in your life is not just confusion, loneliness, or failure, but guilt before God. John 1 points you to a Jesus who does not ignore sin or excuse it. He deals with it at personal cost.
One way to respond today is to read John 1:35–51 slowly and write down each title used for Jesus. Then ask which one is hardest for you to accept: sacrifice, authority, or the idea that your life does not belong to you alone.
If you are still exploring, that is a good place to begin. Honest faith starts by letting Jesus define Himself instead of reducing Him to what feels comfortable. If you believe He is who these witnesses say He is, the next step is not performance. It is repentance and trust—turning from sin and relying on Him as God’s promised King.
Which title of Jesus in this passage challenges your view of Him most, and what would it mean to take that title seriously?
