FIrst Call of the Disciples - Why do people follow Jesus?

John 1:38-39 "...What are you seeking? ...Come, and you will see..."

Context:

- John the Baptist points out Jesus to two of his disciples, calling Him the Lamb of God.

- The two start following Him.

- Jesus asks them what they're looking for.

- They stayed with Him that day.

Why was it easy for Andrew and John to follow Jesus?

- as disciples of John the Baptist, they were already seekers of truth.

John 1:42 "...So you are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas ..."

Context:

- Andrew brings his brother Simon to Jesus.

Why did Simon Peter follow Jesus?

- his brother told him the Messiah had been found.

- does this mean Peter was looking for the Messiah?

John 1:43 "...Follow me..."

Context:

- On His way to Galilee he picks up Philip, who like Andrew and Peter, was from Bethsaida.

Why did Philip follow Jesus?

- he was found by Jesus.

John 1:47,48 "... Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit! ...Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you...”

Context:

- Philip tells Nathanael that they've found the one that was pointed to by the law and the prophets, and He's from Nazareth.

- Nathanael questions if anything good can come from Nazareth.

- Jesus speaks to Nathanael.

Why did Nathanael follow Jesus?

- because Jesus said he saw him.

Why do people follow Jesus?

- people are looking for truth.

- friend, family, and Jesus himself help them along the way.

Why do you follow Jesus?

FIrst Sign - turning the water into wine.

John 2:4 "...Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come...”

Context:

- John, Andrew and Peter follow Jesus.

- On the next day, Philip and Nathanael.

- On the third day, there's a wedding, attended by Jesus, His mother, and His disciples.

- The wine runs out and His mother lets Him know.

Was Jesus being rude to His mother?

- He was likely putting some distance between her and Him.

- He was beginning His ministry and their relationship would be affected.

John 2:7,8 "...Fill the jars with water ...Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast...”

Context:

- Water is miraculously turned into wine.

- The wine is the best wine.

Is Jesus willing to address the needs we face?

What happens when the instructions of Jesus are followed?

- better than expected results?

- the absolute best results?

Temple cleansing - moneychangers ousted.

John 2:16 "...Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade...”

Context:

- Opportunistic vendors were selling animals for sacrifice in the temple.

- Jesus made a whip and drove them out.

Is it wrong to have money transactions in the church?

The other three gospel accounts have a temple cleansing at the end of Jesus' ministry, not the beginning. Is this a separate incident?

Does bad "church behavior" ever resurface?

Does Jesus tolerate irreverence toward God?

John 2:19 "...Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up...”

Context:

- The Jews don't necessarily like what Jesus did.

- They ask for a sign.

Why would the Jews not understand what Jesus was really saying?

- they were thinking in man's terms, not God's.

- they were thinking about their purposes, not God's.

Why do we misunderstand what Jesus is saying?

- terms and purposes of man or God?

Born Again - seeing and entering.

John 3:3 "...Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God...”

John 3:5-8 "...Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit...”

Context:

- Nicodemus, a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews has questions.

- Jesus has answers.

What allows a person to see the kingdom of God?

What is the difference between flesh and spirit?

John 3:10-13 "...Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man..."

Why doesn't Nicodemus understand?

When do religious people fail to teach truth?

- when they don't know it.

- when they haven't received it.

- when they don't know heavenly things, and are even struggling to understand earthly things.

- when they haven't listened to the Son of Man, who knows heaven and is truth.

God's love and light

John 3:14-21 "...And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God...”

What was Jesus already declaring at this point in His ministry?

- He would be lifted up and those that believed would have eternal life.

- Belief and obedience are inseparable.

- It's a crime against humanity that we have perverted the meaning of belief

What was God offering through Jesus?

- eternal life rather than eternal death.

- salvation rather than condemnation (Why did Jesus come?).

- God loves the world.

What problem exists in the world?

- people love darkness.

- people's works are evil.

- people do wicked things and don't want them exposed.

Do we love light or darkness?

How much light are we willing to walk into?