The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and finds Philip, and said to him, Follow me.
and findeth.
Isaiah 65:1 I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.
Matthew 4:18-21 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers…
Matthew 9:9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
Jesus decided to set out for Galilee
Galilee is significant as a region where Jesus performed much of His ministry. It was a diverse area with a mix of Jews and Gentiles, reflecting the broader mission of Jesus to reach all people. This decision underscores Jesus' purposeful movement and divine plan, as Galilee would become a central location for His teachings and miracles.
Finding Philip
Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from Bethsaida, a town in Galilee. The act of "finding" suggests a deliberate choice by Jesus, highlighting the personal nature of His call. Philip's inclusion among the first disciples points to the importance of personal relationships in the spread of the Gospel.
He told him, “Follow Me.”
This command is a direct invitation to discipleship, emphasizing obedience and commitment. "Follow Me" is a call to leave behind one's former life and embrace a new identity in Christ. It echoes the calls of other prophets and leaders in the Old Testament, such as Elijah's call to Elisha, and foreshadows the Great Commission. This phrase encapsulates the essence of Christian discipleship: a personal relationship with Jesus and a commitment to His mission.
• Scripture moves forward in a precise chronology—John records that this episode occurs “the next day,” showing an ordered unfolding of events (cf. John 1:35; 1:29).
• God’s plan is neither random nor haphazard; every day in Jesus’ earthly ministry is purposeful (Luke 4:43).
• For us, this underlines that the Lord is actively working in the rhythm of ordinary days, guiding each step of redemption history (Psalm 37:23).
• Jesus is not merely reacting to circumstances; He “decided” (made up His mind) to head north to Galilee. His will directs His movement, demonstrating sovereign initiative (John 4:4, “He had to pass through Samaria”).
• Galilee, though less prestigious than Judea, becomes the launch pad for much of His public ministry (Matthew 4:12–17).
• The choice reminds us that Christ often advances His mission in unexpected places and through humble beginnings (Isaiah 9:1–2).
• Jesus takes the first step—He seeks out Philip. Salvation begins with the Lord’s pursuit, not human initiative (John 15:16, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you”).
• Philip, from Bethsaida (John 1:44), is a fisherman—an ordinary man whom Jesus will reshape into an extraordinary witness (Acts 8:5–8).
• This pattern echoes God’s consistent habit of calling common people for uncommon purposes (1 Corinthians 1:26–29).
• The call is personal and direct—no preamble, no negotiation. Jesus speaks, Philip responds. The authority behind those two words is absolute (Matthew 8:9).
• “Follow” means more than tagging along; it is to embrace discipleship—learning, obeying, and identifying entirely with Christ (Luke 9:23).
• Immediate obedience is implied; Scripture records no hesitation from Philip, paralleling how Peter, Andrew, James, and John left nets and family at once (Matthew 4:18–22).
• The brevity of the command highlights its simple clarity: Jesus asks for our lives, not our résumé.
John 1:43 shows the Lord’s sovereign timing, intentional direction, gracious pursuit, and authoritative call. In one verse, we see Jesus orchestrate the next step of His redemptive plan, seek out an ordinary man, and summon him to wholehearted discipleship. Philip’s ready response models what genuine faith looks like: when Jesus says, “Follow Me,” the only fitting answer is immediate, trusting obedience.
(43) The day following, that is, the fourth day from the inquiry by the Sanhedrin (see John 1:29; John 1:35; John 1:43).Findeth Philip.--Just as he was going forth from his lodging of the previous night (John 1:39). Philip is mentioned in the other Gospels only in the lists of the Twelve. The touches of character are all found in St. John. (Comp. John 6:5; John 12:21; John 14:8.) . . .
Verses 43, 44. - On the morrow - i.e. on the fourth day after the deputation from the Sanhedrin - he willed - or was minded - to go forth into Galilee, to commence his homeward journey. Whether this implies an actual beginning of his route, or suggests, before any step was taken in that direction, that the following incidents occurred, cannot be determined, though commentators take opposite sides, as though something important depended upon it. The former supposition is, however, in keeping with the considerable distance, on any hypothesis of the site of Bethany, between it and Cana. And he (the Lord himself "finds;" the two earliest disciples had sought and found him) findeth Philip; very probably on the route from the scene of John's baptism to the Bethsaida on the western shore of the Lake of Galilee. And Jesus saith to him, Follow me; become one of my ἀκόλουθοι. The arguments, the reasons, which weighed with him are not given at first, but we find that he soon learned the same great lesson as that which the other disciples had acquired, and he clothes them in memorable words. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. This is a remark of the evangelist, who did not consider it necessary to say from what city or neighbourhood he had himself issued. This town has utterly perished (Matthew 11:20), although some travellers (Robinson, 3:359; Wilson and Warren) believe that indications were found north of Khan Minyeh, and others have identified it with Tell-Hum. Some writers ('Picturesque Palestine,' vol. 2:74, 81, etc.) discover it in Ain et Tabighah, where some remains of a fountain reservoir and other buildings are found. It was identified by Thomson with Abu-Zany, on the west of the entrance of Jordan into the lake. The two pairs of brothers must have been familiar with Philip. Some interesting hints of character are attainable from John 6:5, in which an incident occurs where Philip revealed a practical wisdom and confident purpose, and again in John 12:21, 22, where Andrew and Philip are made the confidants of the Greeks, and Philip is the one who seems able and willing to introduce them to Jesus. In John 14:8 Philip uttered one of the great longings of the human heart - a passionate desire to solve all mysteries, by the vision of the Father; but he lets out the fact that be had not seen all that he might have seen and known in Jesus himself. Subsequent history shows that Philip was one of the "great lights of Asia," and was held in the highest esteem (Eusebius, 'Hist. Eccl.,' 3:31). He must not be confounded with Philip the evangelist, whose daughters prophesied (Acts 8; Acts 21:8).