omsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and
abiding upon Him, the same is He that baptizeth with the Holy Spirit.
And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
John 1:29-34, R. V., margin.
Was this the Christ? With awe and wonder the people looked upon
the One just declared to be the Son of God. They had been deeply
moved by the words of John. He had spoken to them in the name of
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God. They had listened to him day after day as he reproved their sins,
and daily the conviction that he was sent of Heaven had strengthened.
But who was this One greater than John the Baptist? In His dress and
bearing there was nothing that betokened rank. He was apparently a
simple personage, clad like themselves in the humble garments of the
poor.
There were in the throng some who at Christ’s baptism had beheld
the divine glory, and had heard the voice of God. But since that time
the Saviour’s appearance had greatly changed. At His baptism they had
seen His countenance transfigured in the light of heaven; now, pale,
worn, and emaciated, He had been recognized only by the prophet
John.
But as the people looked upon Him, they saw a face where divine
compassion was blended with conscious power. Every glance of the
eye, every feature of the countenance, was marked with humility, and
[138] expressive of unutterable love. He seemed to be surrounded by an
“We Have Found the Messias” 105
atmosphere of spiritual influence. While His manners were gentle and
unassuming, He impressed men with a sense of power that was hidden,
yet could not be wholly concealed. Was this the One for whom Israel
had so long waited?
Jesus came in poverty and humiliation, that He might be our example
as well as our Redeemer. If He had appeared with kingly pomp,
how could He have taught humility? how could He have presented
such cutting truths as in the Sermon on the Mount? Where would have
been the hope of the lowly in life had Jesus come to dwell as a king
among men?
To the multitude, however, it seemed impossible that the One
designated by John should be associated with their lofty anticipations.
Thus many were disappointed, and greatly perplexed.
The words which the priests and rabbis so much desired to hear,
that Jesus would now restore the kingdom to Israel, had not been
spoken. For such a king they had been waiting and watching; such
a king they were ready to receive. But one who sought to establish
in their hearts a kingdom of righteousness and peace, they would not
accept.
On the following day, while two disciples were standing near, John
again saw Jesus among the people. Again the face of the prophet was
lighted up with glory from the Unseen, as he cried, “Behold the Lamb
of God!” The words thrilled the hearts of the disciples. They did not
fully understand them. What meant the name that John had given
Him,—“the Lamb of God”? John himself had not explained it.
Leaving John, they went to seek Jesus. One of the two was Andrew,
the brother of Simon; the other was John the evangelist. These were
Christ’s first disciples. Moved by an irresistible impulse, they followed
Jesus,—anxious to speak with Him, yet awed and silent, lost in the
overwhelming significance of the thought, “Is this the Messiah?”
Jesus knew that the disciples were following Him. They were the
first fruits of His ministry, and there was joy in the heart of the divine
Teacher as these souls responded to His grace. Yet turning, He asked
only, “What seek ye?” He would leave them free to turn back or to
speak of their desire.
Of one purpose only were they conscious. One presence filled their
thought. They exclaimed, “Rabbi, ... where dwellest Thou?” In a brief
interview by the wayside they could not receive that for which they
106 The Desire of Ages
longed. They desired to be alone with Jesus, to sit at His feet, and hear
[139] His words.
“He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where He
dwelt, and abode with Him that day.”
If John and Andrew had possessed the unbelieving spirit of the
priests and rulers, they would not have been found as learners at the
feet of Jesus. They would have come to Him as critics, to judge His
words. Many thus close the door to the most precious opportunities.
But not so did these first disciples. They had responded to the Holy
Spirit’s call in the preaching of John the Baptist. Now they recognized
the voice of the heavenly Teacher. To them the words of Jesus were
full of freshness and truth and beauty. A divine illumination was shed
upon the teaching of the Old Testament Scriptures. The many-sided
themes of truth stood out in new light.
It is contrition and faith and love that enable the soul to receive
wisdom from heaven. Faith working by love is the key of knowledge,
and everyone that loveth “knoweth God.” 1 John 4:7.
The disciple John was a man of earnest and deep affection, ardent,
yet contemplative. He had begun to discern the glory of Christ,—not
the worldly pomp and power for which he had been taught to hope,
but “the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and
truth.” John 1:14. He was absorbed in contemplation of the wondrous
theme.
Andrew sought to impart the joy that filled his heart. Going in
search of his brother Simon, he cried, “We have found the Messias.”
Simon waited for no second bidding. He also had heard the preaching
of John the Baptist, and he hastened to the Saviour. The eye of
Christ rested upon him, reading his character and his life history. His
impulsive nature, his loving, sympathetic heart, his ambition and selfconfidence,
the history of his fall, his repentance, his labors, and his
martyr death,—the Saviour read it all, and He said, “Thou art Simon
the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation,
A stone.”
“The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth
Philip, and saith unto him, Follow Me.” Philip obeyed the command,
and straightway he also became a worker for Christ.
Philip called Nathanael. The latter had been among the throng
when the Baptist pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God. As Nathanael
“We Have Found the Messias” 107
looked upon Jesus, he was disappointed. Could this man, who bore the
marks of toil and poverty, be the Messiah? Yet Nathanael could not
decide to reject Jesus, for the message of John had brought conviction
to his heart. [140]
At the time when Philip called him, Nathanael had withdrawn
to a quiet grove to meditate upon the announcement of John and
the prophecies concerning the Messiah. He prayed that if the one
announced by John was the deliverer, it might be made known to
him, and the Holy Spirit rested upon him with assurance that God
had visited His people and raised up a horn of salvation for them.
Philip knew that his friend was searching the prophecies, and while
Nathanael was praying under a fig tree, Philip discovered his retreat.
They had often prayed together in this secluded spot hidden by the
foliage.
The message, “We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law,
and the prophets, did write,” seemed to Nathanael a direct answer to
his prayer. But Philip had yet a trembling faith. He added doubtfully,
“Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Again prejudice arose in
Nathanael’s heart. He exclaimed, “Can there any good thing come out
of Nazareth?”
Philip entered into no controversy. He said, “Come and see. Jesus
saw Nathanael coming to Him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed,
in whom is no guile!” In surprise Nathanael exclaimed, “Whence
knowest Thou me? Jesus answered and said unto h
