Jesus' Early Work
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
John 1:35–51
35Again the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples†. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look! The Lamb of God!”
37The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus. 38aWhen Jesus turned and noticed them following Him, He asked them, “What are you looking for?”
38bThey said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are You staying?”
39“Come and you’ll see,” He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and they stayed with Him that day. It was about ten in the morning.
40Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two† who heard John and followed Him. 41He first found his own brother Simon† and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which means “Anointed One”) 42aand brought him to Jesus.
42bWhen Jesus saw him, He said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which means “Rock”).[1]
[1] Knight, G. W. (2001). A simplified harmony of the Gospels (pp. 32–33). Holman Bible Publishers.
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- What did it mean to the original reader or original audience?
- Harmony of the Gospels on Founder's Passion
- Parallel Gospels = Luke's Explanation of His Own Research
- Harmony of the Four Gospels on Step Bible (After going to the site, click on resources on the top menu. Then click on Harmony of the Gospels to locate the section you want.
- Harmony of the Gospels on BlueLetterBible.org
Summarize the main story: Describe the events of the scriptural story in your own words.
Review and retell the story.
- When you get good news, who is the first person you want to share it with? Why?
- As a child, what would it take for you to believe something your brother or sister told you?
(JOHN 1:19-51)
John the writer describes the ministry of John the Baptist and others.
Facts Concerning the Incarnate Christ (1:6–51)
A. The men (1:6–9, 15–51)
1. Christ’s first five followers (1:35–51)
a. Andrew and John the Apostle (1:35–39)
b. Peter (1:40–42)
c. Philip (1:43)
d. Nathanael (1:44–51)
"Come and see," he said. So they went with him to the place where he was staying and were with him from about four o'clock that afternoon until the evening. (One of these men was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.)
Andrew then went to find his brother Peter and told him, "We have found the Messiah!" And he brought Peter to meet Jesus.
Jesus looked intently at Peter for a moment and then said, "You are Simon, John's son—but you shall be called Peter, the rock!"
These new disciples used several names for Jesus: Lamb of God (1:36), Messiah (1:41), Son of God (1:49), and King of Israel (1:49). As they got to know Jesus, their appreciation for him grew. The more time we spend getting to know Christ, the more we will understand and appreciate who he is. We may be drawn to him for his teaching, but we will come to know him as the Son of God. Although these disciples made this verbal shift in a few days, they would not fully understand Jesus until three years later (Acts 2). What they so easily professed had to be worked out in experience. We may find that words of faith come easily, but deep appreciation for Christ comes with living by faith.
Philip and Nathanael
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and told him, "Come with me." (Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter's hometown.) Philip now went off to look for Nathanael and told him, "We have found the Messiah!—the very person Moses and the prophets told about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth!"
"Nazareth!" exclaimed Nathanael. "Can anything good come from there?"
"Just come and see for yourself," Philip declared. As they approached, Jesus said, "Here comes an honest man—a true son of Israel."
"How do you know what I am like?" Nathanael demanded.
And Jesus replied, "I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you."
Nathanael replied, "Sir, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!"
Jesus asked him, "Do you believe all this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater proofs than this. You will even see heaven open and the angels of God coming back and forth to me, the Messiah."
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- In light of John 1:30-31, how do you think John felt when his disciples left him to follow Jesus? What does this say about John?
- What motivated the disciples of John to follow Jesus? What motivated Andrew to tell Simon about him?
- How do you think Simon felt when Jesus changed his name to Cephas (meaning "rock")?
- What type of person is Nathanael? Why might he find it hard to believe Philip's statement? Why would Jesus call Philip and Nathanael in such different ways? How do you think Nathanael felt when Jesus spoke to him?
- Of by the five people in John1:35-48 to follow Jesus: (a) How was the contact made for each one? (b) How much did each one know about Jesus when he decided to follow him? (c) How does each decision for Christ illustrate the point of the prologue (John 1:1-17) about the light of John and the true light of Christ?
- What was your motive for initially following Jesus? What were the circumstances that led you to do so? How much did you know about him?
- Consider John 1:48. In your life, how has Jesus shown his ability to know all about you?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- What transformative move needs to be made?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
Take Away Challenges
What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?
Whom do you know who needs to hear this?
What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What beliefs, thoughts, or actions need to be addressed or changed?
PRAYER: In the Name of Jesus.
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COME AND SEE
January 2, 2019
Dr. Joe Pettigrew
“The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.” John 1:43-46
“Come and see,” Andrew replies to Nathanael’s skepticism. He didn’t recite a grand theological interpretation of Jesus Christ. He didn’t tell Nathanael that he should or must follow Jesus. He didn’t even tell Nathanael what might happen to him if he joined with Jesus and the disciples. Andrew simply said, “Come and see.” He invites.
The Christian life is one of invitation—or, rather, evangelism. The good news of Jesus Christ is too good not to share. But to be fair, sharing your faith with others can often be difficult and uncomfortable. The gospel can be hard to understand to many non-believers. Where do we start? Born of a virgin? Healed the sick? Raised the Dead? Resurrection? Salvation? No. We may want to take a hint from Andrew. Let’s invite them to come and see.
Let’s invite them to come and see the beauty of Jesus made alive in music, sermon, sacrament, through our worship. Tell them to come and see the groups of children running through the halls on Sunday mornings on their way to Sunday School, where they meet the God that gives them life, breath, and being.
Tell them to come and see the volunteers packing the kitchen on Sunday evenings and throughout the week to prepare meals and nourishment for those who need it most. Tell them to come and see what new thing God is doing with God’s people in this place. Tell them to come and see what this wild and wondrous Christian life is all about.
Thought of the Day: I pray that Jesus will give you the opportunity and courage to share Him with your friends. But if you are not there yet, just ask them to come and see. If you do, if you reach out and invite them, not only will they be changed but so will you.
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