Day 250 – Jesus’ First Disciples

• The passage in John starts with words which sound familiar. What does John the Baptist say about Jesus that isn’t recorded in the accounts we read in our last set of readings?
• For clarification, don’t forget that John who wrote this book was not the same John as John the Baptist!
• John 1:19-28 of John’s account link the Old Testament promise of a greater prophet, and puts the fulfilment of that promise through Jesus. We have already touched on this in previous studies. Notice the references to Elijah and Isaiah, as well as the connection with Moses in the words from Deuteronomy.
• If verses 19-28 would have messed with the Jews’ heads, John 1:29-34 would have blown them off their feet. Can you see why? If Jesus is the “Lamb of God”, and capable of “taking away the sin of the world”, this would mean an end of the Israelite way of worshipping God with sacrifices. This is a major, major theme of John’s gospels. Jesus’ future act on the cross will be the “once and for all” sacrifice needed to cleanse us of our sins – and not just those of the Jews! This is the start of a new age – one with Christ at the head, and everybody welcomed.
• What does the term “Lamb of God” remind you of in the Old Testament?
• Spend some time thinking about how this would have amazed the people who heard it. Can you see why some people found Jesus so hard to accept? At the same time, imagine a non-Christian nowadays, perhaps with deep regret about past sins in their life. How could reading, understanding, and trusting in these words change their lives? How could it move their idea of Jesus from “moral teacher” to “perfect substitute sacrifice and saviour”?
• In John 1:35-51, we read how Jesus met and called His first disciples. What are the names of the ones mentioned in this passage?
• What were the disciples like? Were they rich or poor? Educated or not? Would they have been dependable, trustworthy types? Why do you think they were willing to give up everything they had to follow Jesus?
• When Nathaniel doubted, what did Philip say? How can we help our friends experience who Jesus is?
• What does it mean for us when we read that Jesus came and called lowly fishermen to be his followers (and future teachers)?
• Jesus is referred to by many different names in this section. Christ is one, Rabbi is another. There are many more. Can you find them all (I can see at least six)? More importantly, do you know what each name means, or refers to?

Jesus’ disciples, or followers, were a bunch of ordinary men who – after making many mistakes – did extraordinary things in Jesus’ name. We’ll read about the way they learned and made mistakes in the gospel accounts, and later in the book of Acts we’ll see how many of them lived lives which proclaimed Jesus day in and day out.

They are great role models in many ways, showing us that anyone can come to Jesus, anyone can live for Jesus, and no-one can be so far from Jesus as to not experience His grace and forgiveness.

One amazing thing they did do at the start of their time with Jesus, however, is to trust in him and follow Him when they were called. That would have taken great commitment and sacrifice. You might think that too, if you’re still young! You might sometimes wonder whether you could just drop this whole “Jesus stuff” for a couple of decades, and then come back to Him when you’re settled in your middle age and when you’ve had a couple of kids. But if you’re reading this, and you’re 250 days into this reading plan, and you’re still at school, then I can assume (wonderfully!) that you haven’t made that call. You’ve answered Jesus’ call to follow Him. The disciples didn’t hang around either!

The disciples *did* mess up often, whether in word, or deed, or understanding. So will you. But they made a great decision to start living with, and for, Christ when they first heard the message. Just like you. They got their knocks as followers of Christ, and so will you. Some wilfully turned away from Christ, and so – from time to time – may you. In the end, however, they came through trusting more and more deeply in Christ as their Saviour.

And that is my prayer for you too. You’re not perfect, and I don’t expect you to be. Nor am I! But you’re walking with Jesus, and for that I rejoice. Keep on walking with Him and you’ll find – like the disciples – that He is utterly worthy of standing up for and trusting in. He is your (and our) Lord and Saviour, after all!