John 1:29-34: John the Baptist declares that Jesus is the Messiah, The Christ, which means God’s anointed one. Jesus is God in human form who comes to the earth with the authority of God to set people free from our sin and death (spiritual separation from God). When we believe Jesus in faith and receive God’s forgiveness of sin, the Bible tells us that God baptizes us with the Holy Spirit. God comes into our life and dwells in us. He “takes up residence in our life” so that we are “UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT” so to speak. We now have within us the presence of God, and we have the opportunity to live for God’s glory and Neighbor’s good instead of living for ourselves. We have the choice to DO IT MY WAY or to DO IT GOD’S WAY.
John 1:35-41: Two disciples of John the Baptist end up following Jesus, which is what John the Baptist wants because his calling in life was to prepare people for Jesus’ coming so they could become followers of Jesus. They call Jesus, “Rabbi”. In our culture today, we don’t always understand the significance of them calling Jesus, “Rabbi”, and what that meant for their life, and what it means for our life if we are going to be a follower of Jesus.
There were 2 types of Rabbi’s in Jesus’ day. The more common one was called a Torah Teacher or Teacher of the Law, meaning they taught the first 5 books of the Bible. The less common one was a Rabbi or Teacher with authority who could teach new interpretations of the Tanak (the Old Testament). The Hebrew word for authority is s’mikhah. We see the distinction between the two mentioned in Matthew 7:28-29…
Jesus has authority conferred on him by the Rabbi, John the Baptist, and by God the Father at Jesus’ baptism. See Mark 1:9-11…
Since Jesus is the Son of God and the ultimate Rabbi with ultimate authority, what does it mean for his followers/disciples/apprentices who follow him?
A DISCIPLE IS ONE WHO WANTS TO:
- Be with Jesus
- Become like Jesus
- Do what Jesus did
- Are we a Fan of Jesus or a Follower of Jesus?
Ministry Goal: “The people of COMMUNITY will continue to take next steps in their relationship with Jesus and with each other in 2025.”
- What will be my next step?
If our reaction to learning about the first followers of Jesus is to think or say, I can’t be like them, listen to what God says to us through his prophet in Isaiah 51:1-2
- We all come out of the same quarry.
- God shapes us to be the stone he wants us to be.
Who were Jesus’s disciples?
- They were mostly teenagers (Peter was the only one of the 12 who was 20 years old or more)
- They were the average students and ordinary people
- They wanted to grow in their relationship with Jesus and be like him and do what He did
Taking It Home
We encourage you to take a few minutes today and this week to process this morning’s message. These questions are designed for discussion with your family, a friend, mentor, spouse, and small group. They are also useful for self-reflection.
1. What stands out to you in these passages from the Bible? From the message?
2. What is difficult for you to understand or accept in these passages from the Bible? From the message?
3. What is God saying in these passages and through what we heard in the message about Himself? About people? About you?
4. What examples are there to follow, commands to obey, or promises to stand on from these passages in the Bible, and from what we heard in the message?
