John 1:36-39

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  1:38 Jesus turned around and saw them following and said to them, “What do you want?” ⁵  So they said to him, “Rabbi” (which is translated Teacher), ⁶  “where are you staying?” 1:39 Jesus ⁷  answered, ⁸  “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about four o’clock in the afternoon. ⁹ 

[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.

[1:38]  ⁵ tn Grk “What are you seeking?”

[1:38]  ⁶ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[1:39]  ⁷ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:39]  ⁸ tn Grk “said to them.”

[1:39]  ⁹ tn Grk “about the tenth hour.”