Witness: Andrew and Phillip (2)
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John 1:35-51
Witness: Andrew and Phillip
John 1:35-51
Billy Graham's Conversion
There were more involved than just Mordecai Ham, the evangelist.
Dr. Ham tells the story of when Billy Graham and his friend Grady Wilson came to the service. It was both of their fathers who promoted the event.
Dr. Ham relates: “Two young high school boys attended our meeting. They thought that everything I said was directed their way; so they decided to take seats in the choir, where I couldn't point my finger at them. They didn't pretend to be singers, but they wanted to be behind me."
Dr. Ham continues, "One night a man spoke to them during the invitation and said, 'Come on; let's go up front.' Billy and Grady both went to the altar. Billy was saved, and Grady dedicated his life to Christian service."
It took several people to see Billy Graham come to Christ. His father and friend planned the event, Mordecai Ham preached, and the person who invited them to the altar.
We are going to see the events around Jesus calling his disciples. They all had a role in seeing others follow Jesus.
Bringing people to Jesus.
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples,
36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
38 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?”
39 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.
40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).
42 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).
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45 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.”
46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”
48 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.”
49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
50 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.”
51 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.”
We all have a place in sowing Truth. Many times it takes more than one person to share Truth with an unbeliever.
Everyone needs to continue to proclaim Truth.
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.
9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
We are all deciding what to do with Truth. Share it. Hide It. Run from it. Ignore it.
4 Ways to Handle Truth
Recognize Truth (35-39)
Recognize Truth (35-39)
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples,
36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
38 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?”
39 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.
John the Baptist proclaimed the truth and these two disciples of his recognized what he was saying.
"Lamb of God"= sacrificial lamb- the blood that would be spilt for our sin.
They left John the Baptist to follow Jesus.
Disciples would spend lots of time with their Rabbi.
"Where are you staying?"= We want you to be our Rabbi.
Jesus' answer= "Come and you will see"
“see”— play on words throughout this passage.
The word Jesus uses here, "opsesthe" from "apao"= to understand and experience.
He wasn't saying come and see the place I am staying- he is saying come and learn.
We are all called to be disciples of Christ. We need to recognize truth and experience truth.
"Come and see"= experience through obedience. Not just knowledge. Obedience.
Christianity is more than watching others, it is experiencing it for yourself.
Proclaim Truth (40-42)
Proclaim Truth (40-42)
40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).
42 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).
Andrew went to his brother.
"We have found the Messiah"
Simon Peter's life was changed because Andrew shared the message.
We have the truth.
Why do we keep it to ourselves.
It's a message that we must take to those we love.
Search for Truth (43-48)
Search for Truth (43-48)
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45 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.”
46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”
48 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 was a man looking for truth. He was studying to know the Messiah.
"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"= Probably a couple things at play: People from Cana saw Nazareth as beneath them and Nazareth is not mentioned in prophecy (Bethlehem was).
He was invited to "Come and see" (learn and experience for yourself)
"when you were under the fig tree"= It was a custom to study the law under a vine, fig tree, or olive tree. "It was a picture of rabbinic seriousness in the study of Scripture and reflected the expectation of God's action in history."
Nathanael was a serious student of God's Word. He was looking for truth.
The truth will set you free- Why are we scared to look for truth.
ILL- Science has proved Sodom and Gomorrah was hit by an exploding meteor.
Article says that it was the event that inspire the Biblical story.
The evidence is correct but the conclusion is wrong.
Don't be scared of science- just understand that science starts from the wrong assumption.
Look at science through a Christian world view and the evidence supports a Creator.
Fossil Record shows Cambrian explosion- They all show up at once.
Layers in sediment can be explained by the flood.
The end of the dinosaurs are the result of a changing atmosphere after the flood.
Science cannot explain creation with inserting a Creator. There had to be the first mover.
Settling for ignorance is not a step of faith. It is a step of fear.
Receive Truth (49-51)
Receive Truth (49-51)
49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
50 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.”
51 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.”
"Son of Man"= Refers to Jesus as man but also as Mediator.
Daniel 7:13 "Ancient of Day" = “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.
vs 51 goes with 48-- "no deceit" and "angels descending" is reference to Jacob the patriarch.
Jacob deceived his father from the birthright belonging to Esau.
He leaves to find a wife from his uncle Laban.
On journey he sees the vision of a ladder with angels "ascending and descending on it."
Jesus would show him a better way to access God... Through the Son of Man= Jesus
Nathaniel was shown a Truth beyond anything he previously understood.
He received the truth and followed Jesus.
Knowing truth is different than receiving truth.
(Jesus' prayer) John 17:8
8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.
13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
2 Thessalonians 2:10
10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
You must receive the Word of God into your heart.= receive it as truth.
It changes your life forever.
CONCLUSION
How are you responding to truth in your life?
How are you responding to truth in your life?