John, the Apostle, gives us a calendar of the beginning days of Jesus’ ministry from the Baptizer’s proclamation that he is the Lamb of God through the wedding in Canna. John gives us some data and then says “on the next day” something else occurred. The difficultly is, that in each instance, “the next day” comes after what?

The basis from which to count is anchored in John’s assurance that, though crowds are coming to him, he is not the Messiah. The following day, day-one of Jesus’ earthly ministry, Jesus returned and John identified him as the Lamb of God, the Messiah. The next day, the second day, John and two of his disciples again spot Jesus, this time walking away from their location. John again identifies him as the Lamb of God.

Hearing this, the two leave John, approach Jesus, and spend the day with him. Late that afternoon, Andrew introduced Simon Peter to Jesus. So, on the second day of Jesus’ ministry, his inquirers numbered three.

On the third day, as Jesus was preparing to return to Galilee, his followers grew by two more additions. The party leaving for Galilee now numbered seven: James and John, Peter and Andrew, Philip and Nathaniel, and Jesus, himself.

When Jesus told Nathaniel that he had seen him under the fig tree, Nathaniel responded in worship quickly. Though we are not told so, Jesus’ comment must have affirmed what Nathaniel had heard John say.