Passing the Baton

John 1:35–42 (ESV)

The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?”

And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”

He said to them, “Come and you will see.”

So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him,

“We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).

Vv 35-42

A fascinating sequence of events unfold here:

One John the Baptists last acts is to direct two of his disciples to follow the, “Lamb of God...”

Jesus questions them as to what they are looking for- Not WHO they are looking for, but WHAT are they looking for.

One of the two was Andrew- Simon Peter’s brother.

Andrew declares to his brother, Peter, “We have found the Messiah!”

Andrew then takes his brother to Jesus… And Jesus immediately changes Simons name to Peter. (Cephas in Aramaic) Petros or Petra in Latin/Greek.

Translated in the Common Greek of the day as Peter.

Whats at play here is a classic example of how discipleship works.

John the Baptists directs two of his followers to begin to follow Jesus...

Jesus then tells these two men to “Come and see...” and to “Follow me...”

One of the two, Andrew, then goes to get his brother, Peter to share what Andrew has found, “The Messiah”

Andrew does not appear often in the Gospel story, but every time he is mentioned, he is bringing someone to meet Jesus- A perfect example of Discipleship Evangelism.

John 1:43–51 (ESV)

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”

Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”

Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”

Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”

And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

So far, the narrative of the Apostle Jon has been both simple and straightforward… But also complex.

SIMPLE in the fact that this is John’s testimony and record of the events, as he saw them unfold.

It becomes the blueprint for how Apostle John approaches the rest of his gospel.

This first chapter shows us a road map of the nature of conversion and Discipleship.

The continuing story will have people coming in and out of the spotlight to tell their story, seemingly haphazard at times, but ultimately woven together when as the ministry of Jesus comes into full frame.

COMPLEX

The narratives of Philip and Nathaniel, although short, are still vital to the over all story.

Philip, listed as one of the 12 Apostles, is rarely mentioned in any of the Gospels.

He voices concern over the Feeding of the people after a long day of Jesus’ teaching.

He also tells Jesus, on their last evening together, “Just show us the Father, and that will be enough for us to believe...”

Jesus the rebukes him, “How long have I been with you, and yet you still dont see? He who sees Me sees the Father...”

So Philip is a bit of a conundrum, but also a good example of a lot of Christians, today… They want to believe, but seem to need, just a little bit more, something else to get them to fully commit.

Jesus mentions several times, that Blessed are those that have not seen, yet believe.

Faith in Christ, living this Christian pathway is not lifestyle to be taken lightly… In fact it is NOT a lifestyle at all. It is Life Changing… It is Life Transforming

It is letting go of doing life my way and letting God, not just be the Co-Pilot, but rather, turning complete control of my entire decision making process over to Him.

It’s about not making Him a choice among many options, and often the last one we turn to, But making God the only option and His ways rule over mine.

Gods ways and understanding are so much higher, He has such higher regard for our future than we could ever comprehend… Why not let Him be the Only AND Final answer to our questions.

Nathaniel is compelled by Philip to “Come and See...”

Although sceptical at first, “…What good could come from Nazareth?”

Nathaniel follows Philip to meet this Jesus of Nazareth, anyway.

This region, East of the Sea of Galilee had seen its fair share of Self-Declared “Messiahs” rise up over the years. None had lasted.

Even a Pharisee named Gamaliel warned the High Council in Acts 5, that there had been several men who had “Claimed to be somebody”, with several hundred joining them.

And after these men where killed or died naturally, those followers disbanded and it all came to nothing.

Gamaliel’s word still echo down through time.

“ If this plan is of men, it will come to nothing and fail. BUT if it is of God, you will not be able to stop it, AND you may find yourselves opposing God.”

Jesus, meeting Nathaniel, declares him to be a true Israelite, without any deceit in him.

Nathaniel, ever the skeptic, Challenges Jesus, “How do you know who I am?”

Jesus tells Nathaniel that He saw him earlier while Nathaniel sat under the Fig Tree.

We dont know anything at all about what Nathaniel was doing under the Fig Tree, But it was an important enough moment to convince Nathaniel as he declares...

“Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Rabbi- Was title of respect for Jewish Teachers

Son of God- Was a direct acknowledgement of the Deity of Jesus

A term used rarely and with great reverence in the OT

King of Israel- Nathaniel’s recognition of Jesus as the Messiah of the Jews.

We live in a world, today that is all in on accepting God as a Loving God, but society is loath to then follow the tenets and teachings of that loving God.

It is a form of Piety devoid of theology.

Basically an empty argument that only makes us feel good about ourselves but brings about no conviction at all.

John recalls, not only the transformational context of the contact that John the Baptist, Andrew, Peter, Nathaniel and Phillip all encounter.

But also the overwhelming desire of all to Magnify and Glorify the Name of Jesus above all others.

In that way, “Loving God” must also be tied directly to Knowing God.

Closing Question:

Think about a time when someone introduced you to a person or idea that significantly impacted your life.

How did that introduction change you?

Key Takeaways:

1. The importance of personal encounters with Jesus

2. The role of discipleship in spreading the Gospel

3. The transformative power of recognizing Jesus as the Son of God

4. The tension between skepticism and faith in following Christ

Discussion Questions:

1. Andrew is described as "the perfect example of discipleship evangelism." What does this mean, and how can we emulate Andrew's approach in our own lives?

2. The sermon mentions that faith in Christ is "not a lifestyle to be taken lightly" but rather "life-changing and life-transforming." How have you experienced this in your own journey with Christ?

3. Discuss the concept of "turning complete control of my entire decision-making process over to Him." What challenges do you face in doing this? What benefits have you experienced?

4. The sermon talks about Philip as a "conundrum" who wanted to believe but needed more. Can you relate to this? How do we balance the desire for evidence with the need for faith?

5. Nathaniel's skepticism turned to faith after a personal encounter with Jesus. How can we help others move past their skepticism about Christianity?

6. The sermon mentions "a form of piety devoid of theology" in today's world. What does this mean, and how can we ensure our faith is grounded in both love for God and knowledge of God?

Practical Applications:

1. This week, commit to introducing someone to Jesus, just as Andrew did with Peter. This could be through invitation to church, sharing your testimony, or discussing your faith.

2. Reflect on areas of your life where you haven't fully surrendered control to God. Choose one area and pray for God's guidance in releasing control.

3. Study the character of Nathaniel. How can you cultivate a heart that is open to recognizing Jesus, even when He appears in unexpected ways?

4. Practice the "come and see" approach this week. Instead of trying to argue someone into faith, invite them to experience Jesus through worship, service, or Christian community.

Closing Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for calling us to follow You. Help us to be like Andrew, always ready to introduce others to You. Give us the faith to surrender control of our lives to You, and the wisdom to recognize You in our daily encounters. May our faith be grounded in both love and knowledge of You. Amen.