In John's Gospel, we witness a powerful moment when John the Baptist points to Jesus and says, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" Today, we'll explore the connection between beholding Jesus and following Him as disciples.
John 1:36-37 "And he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God!' The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus."
Notice the progression in these verses: behold, then follow. This is the fundamental pattern of Christian discipleship. We first set our eyes on Jesus—who He is and what He's done—and then we follow Him.
John the Baptist's disciples didn't just admire Jesus from afar. They didn't just acknowledge His identity with intellectual assent. When they beheld the Lamb of God, they followed Him. One led naturally to the other.
Throughout John's Gospel, Jesus is called by at least eight different titles—the Word, the Light, the Son of God, Rabbi, Christ, King of Israel, Son of Man. But none is more precious than "the Lamb of God." Why? Because this title speaks to what Jesus came to do—to be the final substitutionary lamb who would die in our place.
To behold Jesus is to look upon Him with faith—to set your gaze in hope upon the Lamb of God. In John 6:40, Jesus says, "Whoever looks to the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life." To look to the Savior is to believe in the Savior.
But beholding must lead to following. Many people in Jesus's day heard John's declaration but never truly looked. And many today may intellectually acknowledge Jesus but never follow Him.
What does it mean to follow? As we've seen, it means to believe and receive Jesus, to abide in Him, to bear fruit, to abandon your life, to love His people, and ultimately, to love Jesus Himself. The final conversation in John's Gospel is Jesus asking Peter repeatedly, "Do you love Me?"
That's the essential question for every follower of Jesus. Not "Do you know the answers?" Not "Do you attend church?" But "Do you love Me?" Because to follow Jesus and to love Jesus are the same thing.
The promise to those who follow? Jesus offers eternal life, abundant life, friendship with God, and the privilege of becoming disciple makers ourselves. In following the Lamb, we find everything we truly need.
Have you beheld the Lamb of God? And having beheld Him, are you following Him?
1. What does it mean to "behold" Jesus as the Lamb of God in your daily life?
2. How has your "beholding" Jesus led to "following" Him in practical ways?
3. If someone asked you, "Do you love Jesus?"—not the benefits or promises, but the person—how would you answer?
Stay dialed in,
Jonny Ardavanis
