Imagine being greeted at church by someone pointing to another church down the road and suggesting you go there if you’re serious about getting on board with what God is doing! That’s essentially the challenge with which John the Baptist confronts two of his own disciples here. Consistently identifying Jesus as greater than himself (v 36), John positively wants his followers to transfer their allegiance to Jesus, which they do (v 37). It’s a refreshingly selfless approach that reveals John to be concerned only with God’s extension of his kingdom through Christ, and not with building his own empire. To what extent can the same be said of us and our churches?

What is also refreshing in these verses (and John’s Gospel as a whole) is the absence of any programmatic recruitment strategy on Jesus’ part. Instead, potential followers are simply introduced to him, both conversationally and personally, by those already ‘in the know’ about him (vs 36,37,41,42). It’s worth a thought, isn’t it?

Following Jesus means, first and foremost, being with him (v 39). However, Jesus’ renaming of Simon as Peter (v 42) reminds us that those whom Jesus accepts as they are do not remain as they are; they find themselves caught up in God’s work of new creation.