Lesson 35

LESSON 35

John 1:29-33 The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, "There is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

How many people did Jesus die for? John 3:16 answers that. 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

God has not put any limits on how many can be saved. Jesus died for the whole world. There's room in heaven for everyone, if they want to enter by the Door, Jesus Christ. John 10:9 I am the door; by Me if anyone will enter in, he shall be saved....

Now back to the story...Jesus met Andrew and another disciple (of John's) the next day. (John 1:35-42) These two had also been present when Jesus got baptized. Then Andrew introduced Simon Peter, his brother, to Jesus. Jesus did not call them to follow Him at that time, for they were John the Baptist's disciples. Jesus would not steal John's followers from him. 35Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 36And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! 37And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? 39He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. 40One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. 42And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

Who then was Jesus' first disciple? The day after, Jesus left the area to go north to Galilee where He sought out a man named Philip. (John 1:43-44) Philip was Jesus' first disciple. Philip had attended the baptisms of John, so he was present (and so were all those who eventually were named apostles, including Judas Iscariot) when Jesus was baptized. (Acts 1:21-22)

Then Philip told a man named Nathaniel, probably a close friend, that Jesus of Nazareth was the Prophet-Messiah, the One that Moses had prophesied of 1200 years earlier. Another unusual thing is that, although Nathaniel obviously believed Jesus was the Messiah, for he calls Him the Son of God (John 1:49), Nathaniel's name is not listed in the names of the 12 apostles (Matthew 10:1-4, Mark 3:14-19, Luke 6:13-16). However, there is a man called Bartholomew in the list and it is thought that this might be Nathaniel's other name.

43The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. 44Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 46And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! 48Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.(Jesus had been given a vision of Nathaniel before He ever actually saw him.) 49Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. 50Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. 51And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth in Galilee, and He did His first public miracle at a wedding three days later in a nearby town called Cana. (John 2:1-12) His mother, Mary, made a very powerful statement in this passage, a seven word sermon: "whatsoever He saith unto you, do it." Today that's still a very good principle to live by.

Next Jesus returned to Jerusalem, about 80 miles of walking, for the feast of Passover, which commemorated the protection of God over the children of Israel on the night He brought them out of the bondage of Egypt 1280 years earlier. While Jesus was there, He removed from the temple those who were wrongfully making it a house of merchandise. John 2:13-23 And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 14And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; 16And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. 17And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. Jesus honored the place where worship was made to the heavenly Father.

He also did some miracles among the people (John 2:23) Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.

While Jesus was in Jerusalem, He also had a visit by a very important dignitary, a ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus (John 3:1-21) out of which meeting came the instruction "you must be born again," and a very well-known verse, John 3:16, (which I'm sure you can say from memory) that we started the lesson with.