Breaking the Word

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.  He is the one of whom I said, 'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.' I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel." John testified further, saying, "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit.'  Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God." (Jn 1:29-34)

John the Baptist knew (he did not know but the one sent him to baptize told him so) that Jesus existed before him. At the first sight, as Jesus was approaching him, he made the statement about Jesus. And the statement speaks about Jesus and his existence. Jesus existed before John the Baptist, though he came for the mission. Order of the arrival did not reveal the order of existence and status. Jesus was ranked higher than John the Baptist and this came out of the mouth of John the Baptist himself.

John the Baptist saw the Spirit coming down upon him like a dove and remained with Jesus. John the Baptist received in revelation who Jesus was and he had also witnessed for himself what had happened. What had happened or what he had seen was the proof for what was revealed to him.

John the Baptist testified that Jesus was the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. This itself, was a revealed truth. John the Baptist received in revelation who Jesus was and what his activity would be. To this fact he became the witness. Jesus is a man of God and a man from God and he is God himself and he had come to do the work of God with Spirit. 

 Once again he went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them. As he passed by,  he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him.  While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"  Jesus heard this and said to them (that), "Those who are well do not need a physician,  but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." (Mk 2:13-17)

Jesus had already called four of his disciples from along the sea. Once again he walked along the sea. But it was not his intention to call anyone to be his disciples. He was followed by a crowd and he continued to preach to them. As he passed by he saw Levi (it was not his intention) and he called him.

Jesus needed followers to continue the mission for he had said the harvest is plenty but the labourers are few. However he never went with the intention of calling as he carried on his mission. He met certain individuals and probably he found them to be good to be his disciples and hence he called them. As he called, they followed. The followers did not know that they would be called.

Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishing while they were called. Levi was in the customs house while he was called.  They were not prepared to be called. They were on their duty. But they were ready to follow him as soon as he was called. It was Jesus who called them. (Probably they were aware of his teaching and his miracles and they knew who Jesus was and they appreciated his mission and they would have wanted his mission to continue among them). They knew Jesus to be on the side of the sick and the sinners.