Below are some preliminary questions to assist in the study of this passage. For a comprehensive study of the passage, download the Study Guide (PDF download).
1. To whom does John the Baptist point his disciples? See John 1:35-36 (printed below) What does this tell us about John?
The next day John was again standing with two of his disciples. (36) When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, Look, there is the Lamb of God! (John 1:35-36)
John points his disciples to Jesus, saying, “Look, there is the Lamb of God!” This shows that John recognized Jesus to be the Messiah. Furthermore, John recognized that his role was to bring men to Christ, rather than gathering a personal following of people devoted to himself.
2. How do John’s disciples respond to John’s words and what happens to them? See John 1:37-39 (printed below)
The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. (38) Jesus turned around and saw them following, so he asked them, What do you want? They replied, Rabbi (which, being interpreted, means, Teacher), where are you staying? (39) He said to them, Come, and you shall see. So they came and saw where he was staying. They stayed with him that day. Now it was about the tenth hour of the day when this occurred. (John 1:37-39)
They leave John and follow Jesus. As they follow after Jesus through the crowd, He suddenly turns around and inquires, “What do you want?” When they express an interest in being taught by Him, Jesus invites them to follow Him and stay with Him.
3. The incident described in John 1:35-39 apparently occurred in Jerusalem during the time of John’s public ministry. Contrast this with the next incident described in Mark 1:14-20 (note verses 14-16 printed below).
Now after John was imprisoned, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, (15) and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is about to come; therefore, repent, and believe the gospel. (16) As he was passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. (Mark 1:14-16)
The incident described in Mark occurred at some later date. This incident took place beside the Sea of Galilee. Mark tells us that by this time John had been imprisoned. Notice that John’s two former disciples (Andrew and Simon, see John 1:40) are not following Jesus. On the contrary, they have gone back to their former occupation as fishermen.
4. When Jesus once again sees Andrew and Simon, what does He ask them to do? See Mark 1:16-17 (printed below)
As he was passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. (17) Jesus said to them, Come and follow me, and I will make you fishermen who catch men. (Mark 1:16-17)
Jesus instructs them to come and follow Him. He tells them that He will make them fishermen who catch men.
5. Luke 5:1-11 (printed below) records yet another episode in the process of these men becoming Jesus’ disciples. What contrasts do you find between this passage and Mark 1:14-20 (note verses 16-20 printed below?)
As he was passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. (17) Jesus said to them, Come and follow me, and I will make you fishermen who catch men. (18) Immediately they left the nets and followed him. (19) Going on a little further, Jesus saw James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, who also were in the boat mending the nets. (20) Immediately he called them. They left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed him. (Mark 1:16-20)
One day as Jesus was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, with a multitude of people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, (2) he saw two boats lying by the shoreline. The fishermen had left them, and were washing their nets. (3) He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to go out a little from the land. Then he sat down and taught the multitudes from out of the boat. (4) When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, Go out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch. (5) Simon answered and said, Master, we labored all night and caught nothing. However, because you say so, I will let down the nets. (6) When they had done this, they caught such a great amount of fish that their nets were breaking. (7) So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. (8) But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. (9) He said this because he and all who were with him in the boats were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken; (10) and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, Fear not; from now on you shall catch men. (11) After they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him. (Luke 5:1-11)
In this third encounter with Andrew and Simon Peter, Jesus asks these two fishermen for the use of their boat. He then rewards them by providing a miraculous catch of fish. The previous incidents recorded in John and Mark report that these two men followed Jesus for what proved to be only a brief time. But now, following Peter’s confession that he is a sinner, they become completely committed to Jesus—in their case they left everything and followed Him.
