The First Followers Bear Witness

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The First Followers Bear Witness (Changing the World One Soul at a Time) John 1:35-51

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The First Followers Bear Witness The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 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?" He said to them, "Come and you will see."

The First Followers Bear Witness So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). 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).

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The First Followers Bear Witness The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 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." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."

The First Followers Bear Witness Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" 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 answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?

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The First Followers Bear Witness

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." (John 1:35-51)

The First Followers Bear Witness (Changing the World One Soul at a Time) John 1:35-51

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The First Followers Bear Witness

Decoding and bearing witness to Jesus may not be as complex as you might thing when we take three realities into consideration:

The First Followers Bear Witness

I. Consider the titles ascribed to Jesus:

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The First Followers Bear Witness

LAMB OF GOD

The First Followers Bear Witness

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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!" (John 1:13-36)

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The First Followers Bear Witness

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)

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All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned-- every one-- to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:6-7)

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The First Followers Bear Witness

I. Consider the titles ascribed to Jesus:

The First Followers Bear Witness

RABBI

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The First Followers Bear Witness 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?" 49 Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" (John 1:38,49)

The First Followers Bear Witness

I. Consider the titles ascribed to Jesus:

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The First Followers Bear Witness

MESSIAH

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He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). (John 1:41)

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The First Followers Bear Witness

I. Consider the titles ascribed to Jesus:

The First Followers Bear Witness

"HIM OF WHOM MOSES AND THE PROPHETS WROTE"

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The First Followers Bear Witness

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." (John 1:45)

The First Followers Bear Witness

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:27)

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The First Followers Bear Witness

I. Consider the titles ascribed to Jesus:

The First Followers Bear Witness

SON OF GOD AND KING OF ISRAEL

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The First Followers Bear Witness

Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" (John 1:49)

The First Followers Bear Witness

I. Consider the titles ascribed to Jesus:

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The First Followers Bear Witness These followers gained insight from Jesus and insight from others that He is: • • • •

The The The The

Lamb of God Messiah Promised One Son of God and King of Israel

The First Followers Bear Witness

I. Consider the titles ascribed to Jesus:

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The First Followers Bear Witness

II. Consider what Jesus said about Himself.

Follow Me and you will see great things…

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." (John 1:50)

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The First Followers Bear Witness

II. Consider what Jesus said about Himself.

I provide explanation of the way to God…

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." (John 1:51)

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I provide explanation of the way to God… And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! (Genesis 28:12)

I am the Promised One, the Son of Man… "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. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13-14)

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The First Followers Bear Witness

II. Consider what Jesus said about Himself.

The First Followers Bear Witness Jesus' words and actions suggest: • Supernatural ability • Self-awareness of His own identity (Son of Man) • Acceptance of the titles ascribed to Him by these witnesses • Jesus believes He is the Lamb of God, the Messiah, the Promised One, the Son of God; the King of Israel

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The First Followers Bear Witness

II. Consider what Jesus said about Himself.

The First Followers Bear Witness

III. Consider statements made in the face of questions:

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The First Followers Bear Witness

Come and you will see.

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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 1:38-39)

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The First Followers Bear Witness

III. Consider statements made in the face of questions:

The First Followers Bear Witness

Come and see.

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The First Followers Bear Witness 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." (John 1:45-46)

The First Followers Bear Witness

III. Consider statements made in the face of questions:

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The First Followers Bear Witness

Follow Me.

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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. (John 1:43-44)

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The First Followers Bear Witness

III. Consider statements made in the face of questions:

The First Followers Bear Witness

Following their examples: • Invite people to "come and see" for themselves, considering the claims of Christianity • Invite but do not debate • Be credible, knowing your subject • Offer to show them ("follow me")

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The First Followers Bear Witness

III. Consider statements made in the face of questions:

Where do you go from here? • Let the Gospel of John speak for itself • Invite people to church, or send them the link to the podcast

• Invite them to your Growth Group • Spend time with them as they experience John

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The First Followers Bear Witness

Big Idea: Bearing witness to Jesus is not as complicated as we make it. Simply share what we know as every opportunity presents itself.

The First Followers Bear Witness (Changing the World One Soul at a Time) John 1:35-51

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Sermon Questions: • Have you ever considered the implications of Jesus’ self-description in John 1:51 as Son of Man and its connection to Daniel 7:13 and 14? • As you read the account of the first two followers spending a day and night with Jesus, given what they had to say about Him to others, following their time together, what do you think Jesus said to them?

Sermon Questions: •

As the disciples bear witness to Jesus and invite people to follow Him their response to skeptics is “come and see.” Read these accounts in our passage. What does this tell you about the necessity of vigorously debating skeptics on the identity of Jesus?

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Make an inventory of the titles the first followers use to describe Him. How might these relate to His self-description in John 1:51?

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