The ministry of John the Baptist was to prepare the

way for Jesus...

• There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. (7) He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. (8) He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

John 1:6-8 NIV

John did bear witness of Jesus• John 1:29 NIV The next day John saw Jesus

coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

• John 1:32-34 NIV Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. (33) I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' (34) I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

John 1:35-51

Due to the testimony of John the Baptist, Jesus began to attract

disciples...

The first had been disciples of John

• John 1:35-39 NIV The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. (36) When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!“ (37) When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

The first had been disciples of John

• (38) Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" (39) "Come," he replied, "and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.

• “Where are you staying” is an idiom– Rephrase “Where do you stand?”– Not location, but position on the

issues – e.g. Messiahship

• Jesus’ response– Actions speak louder than words– “Come and see”

TWO BROTHERS

AndrewSimon Peter

Andrew’s background

• From Bethsaida of Galilee– John 1:44 NIV Philip, like Andrew and

Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.

• A fisherman– Matthew 4:18 NIV As Jesus was walking

beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

Andrew found his brother

• John 1:40-42 NIV Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. (41) The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). (42) And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).

Jesus called them as apostles

• Matthew 4:18-19 NIV As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. (19) "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

• Matthew 10:2 NIV These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

Andrew - always bringing others

• John 6:8-9 NIV Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, (9) "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

• John 12:20-22 NIV Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. (21) They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." (22) Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

In the most intimate group

• Mark 13:1-4 NIV As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!" (2) "Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." (3) As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, (4) "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?"

In the most intimate group

• Acts 1:12-13 NIV Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city. (13) When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.

According to tradition

• Like Thomas, compelled to believe in the resurrection of Jesus by touching His feet

• Missionary work in Bithynia, Scythia, Greece, Ephesus

• Crucified in Greece, on an X-shaped cross

TWO BROTHERS

Simon Peter

Known in Gospels for failures

• John 18:25 NIV As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it, saying, "I am not."

• John 21:15 NIV When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

Key figure in the early church

• Acts 2:37-38 NIV When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" (38) Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

• Acts 3:19-20 NIV Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, (20) and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus.

Confronted the establishment

• Acts 4:12 NIV Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.

• Acts 5:30-31 NIV The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead--whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. (31) God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.

First to preach to the Gentiles

• Acts 10:34-35 NIV Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism (35) but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.

• Acts 10:47-48 NIV "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." (48) So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

According to tradition

• Crucified by Nero in 67 AD – upside down at his own request

Peter’s story – God’s power

• God transformed a flawed man into a rock of discipleship

• Andrew’s best mission was his brother– He brought Peter – the first great

preacher – who converted thousands

How far your words reach• Mordecai Ham didn’t

want to be a preacher– He didn’t want to live

in that kind of poverty

• Life forced him to change his plans– In 1935, a 16 year old

boy responded– You may not know

Ham, but you know him …

How far your words reach

Insights into four men

• John the Baptist– No envy, he encouraged following Jesus

• Andrew– Introduction, not persuasion

• Jesus– Saw Peter’s faults, but built on potential

• Peter– Let Jesus shape him into something better

TWO FRIENDS

PhilipNathanael

Philip’s background

• From Bethsaida of Galilee– John 1:44 NIV Philip, like Andrew and Peter,

was from the town of Bethsaida.

• Greek name suggests Greek connections– John 12:20-22 NIV Now there were some

Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. (21) They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. "Sir," they said, "we would like to see Jesus." (22) Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

His call to apostleship

• He tells Nathanael about Jesus– John 1:45-46 NIV Philip found Nathanael and told him,

"We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (46) "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.

• Selected to be one of the twelve apostles– Luke 6:13-14 NIV When morning came, he called his

disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: (14) Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,

Other insights into Philip

• John 6:5-7 NIV When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" (6) He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. (7) Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"

• John 14:8 NIV Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."

According to tradition

• Of the tribe of Zebulun

• The one who wanted to bury his father– Matthew 8:21 NIV Another disciple said to him,

"Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

• Spent latter part of his life in Phrygia, crucified there

• Philip's invitation for Nathanael to "Come and see" illustrates personal evangelism– He introduced and let Jesus persuade

TWO FRIENDS

Nathanael

Nathanael’s background

• Fisherman from Cana in Galilee– John 21:1-3 NIV Afterward Jesus appeared

again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: (2) Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. (3) "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

His call to discipleship

• John 1:45 NIV Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

Nathanael’s skepticism was echoed by others

• John 1:46 NIV "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.

• John 7:41 NIV Others said, "He is the Christ." Still others asked, "How can the Christ come from Galilee?

• John 7:52 NIV They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee."

Jesus convinces Nathanael

• John 1:47-51 NIV When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." (48) "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." (49) Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

Jesus convinces Nathanael

• (50) Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." (51) He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Jesus saw his private devotion

• "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!"– Matthew 14:33 NIV Then those who were in the boat

worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

• "You are the King of Israel!"– Matthew 21:5 NIV "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See,

your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"

– Matthew 27:11 NIV Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.

Heaven open and angels ascending and descending

• Allusion to Jacob's dream?– Genesis 28:12 NIV He had a dream in which he

saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

• Implication that Jesus is the way to heaven?– John 14:6 NIV Jesus answered, "I am the way

and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

A reference to Judgment?

• Matthew 16:27 NIV For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

• Matthew 25:31 NIV "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.

A reference to Judgment?

• Matthew 26:64 NIV "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."

• 2 Thessalonians 1:7 NIV and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.

Nathanael may have been Bartholomew

• Matthew 10:3 NIV Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

• Luke 6:14 NIV Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,– Synoptics never mention Nathanael

– John never mentions Bartholomew• Bartholomew ("son of Tolmai") is not a proper name

According to tradition

• Bridegroom at the marriage of Cana

• The call of Nathanael tells us about both Jesus and Nathanael– Jesus takes us where he finds us

• Saw what Nathanael was & what Peter could become

– Nathanael was a man of integrity• Reconsidered when facts conflicted with

prejudices

EVANGELISM

• The best evangelism is an invitation: "Come and see."

• Come to Jesus– He will take you as you

are, but he won’t leave you that way

– He will turn you into the best disciple you can be