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will one day be acknowledged throughout the universe as “King of kings and Lord of lords” ; and finally, as the King of Is rael, for whom that nation waits, antici pating that glorious restoration day when their King shall return to earth and sit upon his father David’s throne. Lesson Questions Vs. 35-39. What testimony of John the Baptist led two disciples to follow Jesus? Who were these disciples, probably? Trace the steps in their conversion. Vs. 40-42. What is one of the-first im pulses that moves the heart of one who has found Jesus? What did it lead Andrew to do? What marks of the successful per sonal worker are seen in him? What two contrasting. views of Peter did the Lord Jésus give him, showing what he was and what he would become by the grace of God? Vs. 43, 44. What simple command led to Philip’s discipleship? Is immediate obe dience implied? Vs. 45-49. How was Nathanael’s skep ticism overcome? Is personal contact with the Lord Jesus Christ the only way to overcome religious prejudice today? Of what is Nathanael’s conversion ' a type? How do the different titles, applied to the Lord Jesus in these verses, indicate prog ress of thought and grasp of the truth on the part of those who used them? Jesus Makes Five New Friends J ohn 1 : 37-42 Memory Verse: “I have called you friends” (John 15:15). Approach: The shepherds and the wise men were Jesus’ friends when He was a baby. While He was growing up in Jo seph’s carpenter shop in Nazareth, He went about telling people that Jesus was coming. He had friends, too, whom he called disciples. They went about with him and helped him. One day, as he stood with John and Andrew, two of his disciples, Jesus passed by, and John said, “Be hold the Lamb of God!” The disciples knew he meant that it was Jesus, so they went over and followed Jesus. Do you think John minded their leaving him? No,, his work was to show Jesus to people. And do you think that Jesus was glad to see them? Yes, He wanted to tell them of the wonderful love of God. Andrew was so glad he had found Jesus that he found his brother, Simon Peter, and told him the good news. So Peter came to Jesus, too. Now Jesus had three disciples, but He needed more. The next day, when He passed a man named Philip, He said, “Follow me.” Philip, too, was glad to be Jesus’ disciple. He found his friend Nathanael and brought him to Jesus. So there were five disciples. Jesus searched until He found twelve disciples to help Him. And then He hoped that ° ' V i s » 0 ’ made m a n y more friends; and when He grew to be a man, He found that He n e e d e d very much to have some good friends to help Him with His work. L e s s o n St o r y : I wonder if you re member t h e story about John the Bap tist, the man who
BLACKBOARD LESSON
only doubt and darkness. The lesson shows how they came to Christ and found relief in heart and mind and conscience. I. 1C oming T hrough P reaching by J ohn (35-39). John the Baptist had been witnessing to Jesus before the Pharisees and the great crowds which, attended his ministry. Dur ing this preaching, he had declared that Jesus was the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. He was the Lamb, the sacrifice for sins and iniquity, and He was the Lamb of God; hence, He was perfect and sufficient to do what all the sacrificial lambs that went before could not do ; that is, to take away forever the sins that were laid upon Him. The next day after this witness, John and two of his disciples beheld Jesus walk ing, and John again bore testimony that Jesus was the Lamb of God. The day be fore, the witness was to the Lamb’s work of taking away sins; this time, the testi mony concerns His person (cf. vs. 35, 36). Two disciples, one of whom was An drew, heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus. The second disciple is thought to be John, the writer of this gospel. When Jesus asked them, “What seek ye?” they addressed Him as rabbi, or teacher. To them He was not very God of very God. They asked where He abode, and He an swered, “Come and see.” They went and saw and stayed with Him the remainder of that day. . The steps leading to the conversion of these two disciples were vary simple and may be easily traced. The men heard the testimony concerning Jesus. They fol lowed Him, and when given the opportun ity, they asked where He abode, and went and saw for themselves. Having seen, they were no longer the disciples of John but of Jesus. How simple this is and yet how profound! “Come and see.” There was no command to do some great deed, no exhor tation to become perfect by keeping the law, no pleading that they improve them selves before coming. It was as though the Master said, “Come and see, and after that do what you will—either turn back to your leader, John Baptist, or forever fol low Me.” II. C oming by P ersonal I nfluence (40-42). Andrew, having found Jesus the Sav iour, would not rest until he had brought his own brother, Simon Peter, to the Lord. Here is a picture of first-class per sonal work. We do not hear much of An drew, but without him, humanly speaking, we should never have heard of Peter. First, he found his brother; then he told him what he knew of Jesus, saying, “We have found the Messiah” ; and finally, he brought him to Jesus. There was no argu ment with Peter. Andrew simply told him who Jesus was, and then, as much as to say, “Come and try for yourself,” he brought him face to face with the Saviour. When Jesus saw Peter, He said to him, “Thou art . . .,” and He described what Peter was by nature—a sinner, unsaved, ignorant, weak, vacillating, and all that he was in the flesh. Then He said, “Thou shalt be . . .,” and He described what Peter would become—a saint, saved, in structed, strong, established, and all that he would be in Christ. The same glorious change occurs in the nature of every one
HATH LAID ONHIM THE INIQUITYOF US ALL
who comes to Jesus and accepts Him as Peter did. Peter became a new man, an other man, a man in Christ, able to strengthen other saints, and able to .stand against terrific persecution. III. C oming by D irect A ppeal (43, 44). Philip’s discipleship is traced to the di rect and simple word of the Master Him self: “Follow me.” It is implied that the command was immediately obeyed. After that, Philip was found with Jesus to the very end. In verse 43, Jesus indicates to him the path to be traveled; in John 6:5, He shows him the power which is to be used; and in John 14:9, He reveals Him self to him for Philip’s comfort and assur ance. IV. C oming by P ersonal T estimony (45-49). In these verses is recorded the conver sion of Nathanael, who probably lived in the city of Bethsaida, as did the first three disciples named. Bethsaida is said to have been a most wicked city. It was one upon which our Lord pronounced wbe (cf. Matt. 11). But surroundings do not matter where there is a heart to receive the truth. The city was self-righteous, and could look with disdain upon others. This is seen in Nathanael’s reply to Philip’s statement that he had found “him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth.” “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. But instead of debating that question, Philip wisely returned: “Come and see.” This is all the Christian worker needs to do—sim ply tell who Jesus of Nazareth is, and then to all objections simply say, “Come and see.” Nathanael came and saw and heard and believed and confessed; and from that time on he was a saved man, and always with the Lord. Nathanael proclaimed his faith by accepting Jesus the Rabbi, as Jesus the Son of God, the King of Israel. Thus he became a type of Israel when, in the end time, that nation shall behold this same Jesus and shall see in Him what Nathanael saw, and shall acknowledge Him as Na thanael acknowledged Him, the Son of God (cf. Psa. 2). In these verses, we see Jesus first, as the Lamb of God, the only acceptable sacrifice for sin and the way to God; second, as the Rabbi, the teacher who is sufficient for our ignorance and perfect in His instruction; third, as the Messiah, who is yet to be re ceived by His own people as He was once rejected by them; fourth, as the subject of Moses and the prophets, all of whose writ ings were made because of His coming into the world, and none of whose writings would be of value without Him; fifth,, as the Son of God, promised in Psalm 2, who
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