Discipleship: A Journey of Discovery

Slide Deck:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1cAD7tzgD4N0HpDh2VboI3YF7Ab4dZwITaWz0IwMAiig/edit?slide=id.p1#slide=id.p1

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Welcome and Recap

John

Why? Focuses on Jesus’s Divinity or oneness with God.

Jesus is the word and the word was there from the beginning and he chose to come down to earth to dwell or be with us.

We discussed the light of Jesus and how it might be shining around each of you right now, but some don’t know it by name.

And we discussed that God put eternity in our hearts. That is why we are always searching and no matter what earthly things or people we put into that void, it is never enough to fill it.

Today’s Topic

Bible Passage: John 1:28–51

Read John at home

Not going to read it all to you, please if you have a chance, use a bible, your phone, my phone, or whatever to read this first Chapter of John. I promise, no matter how many times you read it, you will find something new to thing about.

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For this, let’s summarize.

John the Baptist was baptizing people near the Jordan River when he spotted Jesus approaching and immediately recognized him as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:28–51) John had been waiting for this moment—he explained that he’d been baptizing specifically so Jesus would be revealed, and when he saw the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus like a dove, he knew this was God’s Son. (John 1:28–51)

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The very next day, two of John’s disciples heard him point out Jesus again, so they decided to follow him. When Jesus noticed them, he asked what they were looking for, and they asked where he was staying. Jesus invited them to come see for themselves, and they spent the afternoon with him. (John 1:28–51)

One of those two disciples was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. Andrew was so excited about meeting Jesus that he immediately found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah”—the one everyone had been waiting for. (John 1:28–51) When Jesus met Simon, he gave him a new name: Peter, which means “rock.” (John 1:28–51)

The next day, Jesus decided to travel to Galilee and found a man named Philip, telling him directly, “Follow me.” (John 1:28–51) Philip then found his friend Nathanael and excitedly told him they’d discovered the person that Moses and the prophets had written about in Scripture. (John 1:28–51)

Pretty cut and dry right. Jesus arrives, a dove comes down from heaven and rest on him, and John knows this is God’s son and that news catches like fire. John the Baptist can’t help but tell people, and even showed his own disciples as Jesus walked by, causing them to go with him.

And guess what one of those two did immediately? Yes, he went and told someone. He found his brother and pulled him to meet Jesus.

Then again, as Jesus was leaving, Jesus saw Philip and told him to follow him, and immediately he went and found Nathanael! You see a pattern here I hope. Each time, Jesus called out, each time they immediately followed, and each time they went and found someone else to share that they had found Jesus.

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Oh man, could you imagine if we did that these days. If each day when we woke up and thought about Jesus, we ran out to someone we loved and had to tell them all about it. It would spread like fire.

It is exciting, to me at least, that following Jesus isn’t a passive thing we do. We don’t just sit and listen, maybe sing a song or two. We should be so filled with the love that he provides, that we can’t help but to share it with those that we love. Even when there are questions or even doubt, we still wish to share it!

Now, I want to share this part with you.

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John 1:35–39 “The next day, John was standing with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and noticed them following him, he asked them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “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 four in the afternoon.”

Now, Chaplain Chris, why are you telling me this.

Look, John the Baptist told his two disciples.

But why is that important?

Well, to answer that, we need to look at what a disciple is!

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What is a disciple?

Its a big deal!

In the first century, a rabbi or teacher’s interpretation of the scripture would be permanent, a life-defining commitment that requires total surrender, for the disciple. FOREVER. So, when Jesus says, ‘follow me,” he is saying “come and be with me and submit to my authoritative teaching.”

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But why would they follow so quickly?

It was an honor and unheard of in this time! As young teens, the most accomplished students would pick out a teacher who they wanted to study under and begin a very difficult selection process. Most would NOT pass and return home to be carpenters, fishermen, or farmers. If you were chosen you would stay with that teacher until you were 30, until you were ready to start your own ministry.

Raise your hand if you would like to stay under your teachers until you were 30 years old!

But here is the interesting part. Jesus broke this tradition.

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Jesus sought the disciples out

Jesus did not pick the absolute best in everything or prodigies. He selected fishermen and tax collectors. He chose those that were not chosen by the elite Rabbi.

The Twelve were not being trained for religious credentials—they were being transformed into witnesses to the kingdom.

So when Jesus, the teacher said “Come and follow me,” it was something that they likely had all dreamed of in their youth. They were going to be among the best and most prestigious. What a motivation!

But we are not Jewish… what does this mean for me?

Think of it this way, you spent years training and practicing for your football, or piano, ping pong, chess, or maybe art competition. You poured everything you had into it because you know that only three get to go to the competition.

You go and show the teacher your absolute best and you feel great about your efforts.

The team list come out and you do not see your name. You do not get to go.

You watch your friends get on the bus. You watch the bus pull away from the school and turn down the street. You know that there is no chance, no hope, of you getting to compete. You are happy for your friends, but sad that you don’t get to go.

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You start to walk back to your classroom, to finish your goals, and you hear the beep of the school van. You turn your head and with the window down, you see your teacher and they say, “Come,” and opened the van door for you to go.

All hope was gone, but with the sound of that horn, you realize that you get another chance.

That excitement is what the disciples could have felt. They ran to Jesus like you would run to that school van.

But why show us that passage. Why does that matter?

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Being a disciple was a life-long commitment. John the Baptist sent two of his to follow Jesus. They were already committed to following John for their life-time and yet when Jesus arrived, it changed everything. The power of Christ changed everything.

John the Baptist was there to lead people to Christ, the same way that we are all meant to lead people to Christ today.

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And we get that same choice every…. single…day.. No matter what we have committed to in this world. No matter how dedicated we are to competitive sports, academics, maybe another person. No matter what we follow, you are not bound by it. When you see the “Lamb of God,” You can follow it.