John 1:36 Commentary and Bible Study

John was perhaps about to preach when he saw Jesus walking towards him and was compelled instead to break off and speak of the one who was the sole reason for his ministry. The disciples of John were intended to follow Christ, and therefore the coming of Christ was the beginning of the end of John’s ministry, but as he says later, his joy was that of the friend of the bridegroom who rejoices to see the bride, the nascent church, going to her loved one, the bridegroom. They took John the Baptist’s word – ‘Behold [see] the Lamb of God’ – virtually as an instruction to them, to cease following him and to begin to follow Christ the Lamb of God. John in effect dismissed his disciples and sent them to their new Master: ‘Behold, the Lamb of God’ who fulfils all that Israel has been waiting for from the dawn of her formation as a nation. Nevertheless many of the disciples were slow to respond to this signal and in John 3:25, there are still some who have remained with John and now wish to defend as they see it his honour.