John 1:36-37

1:36 Gazing at Jesus as he walked by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” ¹  1:37 When John’s ²  two disciples heard him say this, ³  they followed Jesus. ⁴ 

John 21:21

21:21 So when Peter saw him, ⁵  he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”

[1:36]  ¹ sn This section (1:35-51) is joined to the preceding by the literary expedient of repeating the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus being the Lamb of God (1:36, cf. 1:29). This repeated testimony (1:36) no longer has revelatory value in itself, since it has been given before; its purpose, instead, is to institute a chain reaction which will bring John the Baptist’s disciples to Jesus and make them Jesus’ own disciples.

[1:37]  ² tn Grk “his”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:37]  ³ tn Grk “And the two disciples heard him speaking.”

[1:37]  ⁴ sn The expression followed Jesus pictures discipleship, which means that to learn from Jesus is to follow him as the guiding priority of one’s life.

[21:21]  ³ tn Grk “saw this one.”