Following Leads To Finding

Called To Follow

John 1:35-51

***Personal Note*** - Introduction question and then thesis

Thesis: When we find something special, its hard to contain it. There is no one/thing more special than the Son of God and the good news that He has come to save souls… When we follow Jesus, it becomes impossible to hold in the good news that He came to save those who do not yet know Him. This passage is a great example of that process unfolding. We tell, then God works… In following Jesus, leads us to finding those who need Him…

Introduction

Are you good at keeping exciting news a secret?

(v. 35-42)

We see Simon Peter and Andrew here again, the same call from Matthew 4, but from John’s perspective. Matthew gives us an overview and John gives us a little more context as to Jesus calling them

Andrew saw Jesus and then went and got his brother, Simon (a pillar of the church, one of the primary preachers of Pentecost), and told him about Who He had seen…

“He brought him to Jesus…”

Jesus knew who Simon was and then gave him a new name… (Cephas [his Aramaic name], or Peter)

Application:

What did Andrew do? Share with his brother what he heard, and the then the One Who told Andrew came and saw Peter…

We tell, then God works…

(v. 43-49)

Philip

From Bethsaida

Blind man healed, 5,000 fed with 5 loaves and 2 fish

Becomes one of the 12 disciples, seen at Jesus feeding the multitudes, present when Jesus prophesies His death, and during the Last Supper

Why? Because Jesus found him…

After Philip gets saved, he goes and finds Nathanael

What did he do? He told, and God worked…

“Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

Nazareth was a small town that was out of the mainstream of Jewish life, being 70 miles from Jerusalem and the closest main road being about 15 miles. It was a small and rural town, so it was shocking to Nathanael that anything of much significance, like the Messiah, came from there (Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible)

Philip’s challenge/encouragement - “Come and see…”

Jesus already knew Nathanael’s heart… (compared to most Jews, like the Pharisees, who practiced Judaism for their own gain)

Philip knew Nathanael had a question, but that it would be answered when he met Jesus (BKC)

Jesus knew what Nathanael was doing before he met Him and that was what helped Nathanael believe…

Application:

What did Philip do? The same thing Andrew did… Share with Nathanael what he heard, and then he brought him to the One Who told Him…

We tell, then God works…

(v. 50-51)

Jesus responds to Nathanael by telling him that he will see even greater things than what has caused him to believe…

v. 51 (Genesis 28:12 “He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.”)

In this passage, Jacob has a dream of a ladder between heaven and earth where angels are ascending and descending from heaven. That ladder was the bridge between heaven and earth, and now Jesus is that bridge between heaven and earth, solidifying in the mind of Nathanael, a Jew, Who Jesus is as the Messiah…

Application:

After Nathanael believes, Jesus teaches Him more about Himself… People, and us, have questions, and the honest truth is that only Jesus can provide the sufficient answer for them to believe…

Conclusion

In following Jesus, He leads us to finding those who need Him...

Are you looking…? Are you here tonight and you need to know that Jesus wants you…?

We tell, then God works… You’ve been told, now let God work…

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