The First Disciples of Jesus

35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples,³⁶and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’³⁷The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.³⁸When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’³⁹He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.⁴⁰One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.⁴¹He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed^*).⁴²He brought Simon^* to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter^*).

The “Lamb of God” is only used in the Bible in books that bear the name of John, It refers especially Jesus sacrificial suffering, possible through identification with the passover lambs, or with the words  from Isaiah 53 about God’s servant being led like a lamb to the slaughter. In the book of Revelation, the Lamb is said to be at the heart of God’s throne. that is, he is means by which God wins his victory over evil. Those who suffer for faith in Jesus are said to have washed their clothes and made them white ( the colour of victory) in the blood of the Lamb. The power of this name draws the first disciples to Jesus. The question they ask him, “where do you stay?” means in John’s language, “where are you coming from?” Their time with Jesus convinces them that he is the Messiah.

It’s not only Jesus who is given a new name. Simon is named Cephas meaning stone or rock, because he will become a bastion of the church in ways of which he has at this time, no inkling. In Revelation it is said that the faithful disciple will be given a new name; and that the lamb writes the names of faithful disciples in his book of life.

If I am true to the Lamb of God, sharing his suffering in the world, I will become a new person whose name is written in the book of life. Lots of what I still am after seventy odd years will have to go, if I’m to be even a footnote in the book of life.