Read John 1:35-37
35 The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples.
36 As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!”
37When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus.
*Who were these disciples? Andrew and John
*Who is Andrew? Peter’s brother
*Who is John’s brother? James
*How do you think John felt about losing his disciples?
*Do you think it is interesting that John (the writer of this gospel) never referenced himself? Why did he do that?
Read John 1:38-41
38 Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them. They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 “Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day.
Only someone who had been there would have added that extra detail that it was 4 o’clock.
*It does not say where Jesus was staying, where do you think he was staying?
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus.
41 Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ” ).
*When you have good news, who do you tell first?
Read 1:42
42 Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter” ).
*What does Peter mean? Stone
*Why was Peter named stone? Because Peter believes that Jesus is the Son of God. We are living stones who together make the house of God on earth.
1 Peter 2:5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
Mat 16:18 And I say also unto you, That you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Let’s read the story of Peter becoming a disciple.
Read Matthew 4:18-22
18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living.
19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
20 And they left their nets at once and followed him.
21 A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too.
22 They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.
*Who was already following John the Baptist? Andrew and John. The day before they spent time with Jesus, so that is why they followed him.
*When did they go? Immediately
*Do we do the same, go when God calls us?
Read John 1:43&44
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.”
44 Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown.
*Think maybe Phillip was maybe friends with Peter (he was a fisherman too)?
Read John 1:45-50
45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”
46 “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.
47 As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.”
48 “How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”
49 Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!”
50 Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.”
*What is wrong with Nazareth? Any good out of Nazareth—remembering Bethlehem, perhaps, as Messiah’s predicted birthplace, and Nazareth having no express prophetic place at all, besides being in no repute. The question sprang from mere dread of mistake in a matter so vital.
The whole country of Galilee was had in contempt with the Jews; but Nazareth was so mean a place, that it seems it was even despised by its neighbor’s, by the Galileans themselves; for Nathanael was a Galilean, that said these words.
*What kind of miracles did Nathanael see?
*How long was Jesus’ ministry? 3 years, for 3 years he saw amazing things
*Who are some of the other disciples? Can you name any?
Read Mark 2:13-17
13 Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him.
14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.
15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)
16But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with such scum?”
17 When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
*Why was tax collectors scum? Worked for Rome and took extra taxes and kept for themselves (kind of like some politicians today)
*What kind of people did Jesus choose? Common people, sinful people, sick people
*Why do you think Jesus choose 12 disciples? 12 sons of Jacob, that becomes the 12 tribes of Israel.
*Simon Peter – What do you remember about him? Fisherman, bold, tough, denied Jesus, also was one of the early church leaders of the church, did many miracles, wrote 1&2 Peter, and rumored to be crucified upside down.
*James and John – what do you know about them? Called sons of thunder, John wrote 5 books of the Bible including Revelations, John called disciple Jesus loved, died an old man exiled on an island.
*Andrew? Peter’s brother, told his brother Peter to follow Jesus
*Philip? Fisherman, told Nathanael to follow
*Nathanael? Honest man
*Matthew? Tax collector
*Thomas? The doubter, the twin, maybe his twin followed too, but no listed as a disciple. Doubted Jesus rose again.
*James? Nothing known
*Thaddaeus for sometimes another Judas (not the Judas that betrayed Jesus)
*Simon – the zealot
*Who was the last? Judas – betrayed Jesus even though he was his friend and stayed with Jesus and saw all his miracles for 3 years.
*Would you have liked to have been a disciple of Jesus and follow him around?
*Can you imagine how close they were to him? How could Judas betray Jesus?
*Just because you know Jesus, and have hung out with Him, does that save you? How are you saved?