35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! 37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? 39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. 42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. (John 1:35-39)
Thomas Scott
Verses 35-42: The person here spoken of were John’s disciples before they followed Jesus. While John stood and discoursed with them, Jesus came near them, and John immediately pointed him out to them as “the Lamb of God.” Accordingly they followed Jesus, as desirous of becoming his disciples, or of being acquainted with him. To facilitate and encourage their application, Jesus turned to inquire what they sought: and addressing him by the honourable title of Rabbi or Teacher, they asked where he dwelt, as they wanted to come to him or his instruction. He therefore invited them to accompany him (for he seems to have had some retired lodging near the place where John preached); and as it was but two hours before sunset, they spent the remainder of the day in attending to his instructive conversation.
Some think that the evangelist himself was one of these two disciples, but that is uncertain: however, Andrew, Peter’s brother, was the other, who, being fully convinced that Jesus was the promised Messiah, first brought Peter acquainted with him. This was a considerable time before they were called to a constant attendance on Christ (Mt 4:12-17): for that took place in Galilee; and this was near Bethabara, or the passage of Jordan. It was, however, on this occasion that Jesus, previously intimating his knowledge of Simon, his family, and character, surnamed him Cephas or Peter; the one being Syriac, the other Greek, for a stone. This denoted the fortitude and firmness with which he would labour and suffer in the cause of Christ. (Mt 16:17-18)