October 25, 2010
God's Invitation Is Daily
John 1:35-51
Brittany Workman
Central Truth
It’s ironic that I can sing the lyrics to “Amazing Grace” with such heartfelt passion: "How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed," and yet sometimes I have such a difficult time remembering that "hour." Fortunately, God remembers His love for us and continues to call us.
Key Verse | John 1:39
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 1:39)
John 1:35-51
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
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. 1 1:39 That is, about 4 p.m. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus 2 1:40 Greek him 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 3 1:42 Cephas and Peter are from the word for rock in Aramaic and Greek, respectively ).
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
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, 4 1:51 The Greek for you is plural; twice in this verse you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Dive Deeper | John 1:35-51
A friend of mine started crying in my living room the other day. She was recounting a sermon she had heard two years ago that had forever changed her life. Although she'd grown up in church, she admitted she had never really known God. On that Sunday and at a church she had attended her whole life, the minister's familiar call to action was this time absorbed into a ready heart and quickly took root, blossoming into a changed life with continual growth. Even now, two years later, the love and gratitude she felt from recalling that "hour" was overwhelming.
I also grew up in church, and if you'd asked me then, I probably would've told you I was a Christian, but you could not have seen any evidence of that in my life. I had decided that going to church and reading the Bible and all of those other "Christian" activities were a good idea when you're older and something I would probably do later in life.
When I first moved to Dallas, I was fresh out of college and stubbornly and pridefully independent. Very quickly thereafter, everything I had placed hope in began to fall apart. I lost my job, my long-term boyfriend admitted he'd been seeing a co-worker of his, and I had not yet made any friends. Isolated from friends and family and focusing intently on my failure, I fell into a deep depression. But it was only in that broken state that I was finally ready to admit I needed God. I can't describe my appreciation.
Over time, this story of grace has begun to lose impact in my memory. I've even heard myself tell this story absent of God's intervention—as if I had climbed out of the pit myself. With the downturn in the economy and several friends out of work, I'm reminded again that I can't place hope in my circumstances and that my life stinks when I fool myself into thinking I'm in control. God has always brought beauty and hope when I let Him. May I always keep these memories fresh.
Discussion Questions
1. God frequently tells the Israelites to remember His faithfulness (Genesis 9:16, Deuteronomy 5:15, Isaiah 44:21). What can you do to keep your "hour" fresh in your mind and your heart?
2. Verses 35-36 say that John was there "again" the next day when he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" John probably preached the same message over and over, but the Bible distinctly mentions this one repeat as the time it took root in Andrew’s heart. God is not asking for wise or persuasive speech (1 Corinthians 1:21), just that we are ready to give an answer (1 Peter 3:15). When was the last time you shared your story?
3. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says to be joyful always and give thanks in every circumstance. How would intentional gratitude to God change your outlook on everyday life? What steps can you take today?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Simon Peter was one of Jesus’ closest disciples. How did he come to know about Jesus?
2. What did Philip do after he discovered who Jesus was (verses 45-46)? We should also be telling others about who Jesus is. Share a story with your kids about someone you have shared Christ with recently. If you have not, pray with your kids for someone who needs to hear the Good News.