All Scriptures are from The Message Version
It is helpful to use this blog as a discussion starter for two or more people but it will also stimulate some thoughts if used by one reader. The material is used by a Sunday Study Group at Hamilton Christian Church in St. Louis, Missouri. Commentaries for these scriptures can be found on Textweek.com through this link http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/jn1d.htm.
Unlike the other three Gospels John does not include a 40 day time for Jesus in the wilderness but instead moves to the calling of his first disciples. The exact location of John’s ministry of baptism is not know but thought to be somewhere between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. John’s Gospel continues with an account of the day after Jesus’ baptism:
John 1:35-36 The next day John was back at his post with two disciples, who were watching. He looked up, saw Jesus walking nearby, and said, "Here he is, God's Passover Lamb." 37-38The two disciples heard him and went after Jesus. Jesus looked over his shoulder and said to them, "What are you after?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?" 39He replied, "Come along and see for yourself." They came, saw where he was living, and ended up staying with him for the day. It was late afternoon when this happened.
40-42Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard John's witness and followed Jesus. The first thing he did after finding where Jesus lived was find his own brother, Simon, telling him, "We've found the Messiah" (that is, "Christ"). He immediately led him to Jesus. Jesus took one look up and said, "You're John's son, Simon? From now on your name is Cephas" (or Peter, which means "Rock").
• When someone is called a disciple, what does it mean to you? The Free Dictionary includes these two definitions: One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another. An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy.
• What can we say about the two disciples, what they believed, what and who were they prepared to expect? Do you think that they spent a considerable amount of time with John and gave his ministry a high priority?
• What do you think was their depth of knowledge of scripture, their level of spirituality, and desire to grow closer to God might have been? Is there any doubt that they were prepared and excited about the possibility of becoming disciples of the Messiah?
• We read about Andrew and the first story of evangelism in the New Testament, why did Andrew contact his brother Simon? What can we surmise about Simon and his spirituality?
• What words would you use to describe the state of readiness of the two to follow Jesus?
• You may be a seeker or yourself a disciple; a follower of Christ. How were you prepared, what caused you to move from being prepared to actually making the step of becoming a follower? Some are prepared as children by being part of a faith community but at some point take the step of becoming a follower; others are prepared by the experiences of life which create anticipation and readiness – what is your story?
• As aside notice Jesus’ recognition of Simon for who he was, how do you think that was the case? Possible divine wisdom or might Jesus have had some exposure to John’s disciples prior to his baptism?
John’s Gospel continues with the Lectionary Scripture for this date. The story of the second day continues with more disciples joining Jesus. There are some geographical issues with this account as John was probably operating somewhere south of the Sea of Galilee and the best guess is that Bethsaida is somewhere north of the Sea.
John 1:43-44 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. When he got there, he ran across Philip and said, "Come, follow me." (Philip's hometown was Bethsaida, the same as Andrew and Peter.) 45-46Philip went and found Nathanael and told him, "We've found the One Moses wrote of in the Law, the One preached by the prophets. It's Jesus, Joseph's son, the one from Nazareth!" Nathanael said, "Nazareth? You've got to be kidding." But Philip said, "Come, see for yourself."
47When Jesus saw him coming he said, "There's a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body." 48Nathanael said, "Where did you get that idea? You don't know me." Jesus answered, "One day, long before Philip called you here, I saw you under the fig tree." 49Nathanael exclaimed, "Rabbi! You are the Son of God, the King of Israel!" 50-51Jesus said, "You've become a believer simply because I say I saw you one day sitting under the fig tree? You haven't seen anything yet! Before this is over you're going to see heaven open and God's angels descending to the Son of Man and ascending again."
• What can we surmise about Philip, might he also have been a disciple of John? Is there any other explanation for his response to Jesus’ invitation? What was Nathanial’s response? Did they know Jesus? What must have happened to change their perception and engendered this degree of respect for the carpenter’s son from Nazareth?
• Put yourself in their place, what would have had to happen to you to accept this Jesus as not just another spiritual person but God’s Messiah – how big of a leap of faith was called for?
There is a good bit of fodder for theologians and various interpretations in this story which you can read about in the commentaries but let us focus of a second point, did these well prepared disciples know who this Jesus really was, what his role was to be, what teachings would be, what they would be required to do as his followers?
• Think about yourself, when you declared your belief in and commitment to Jesus did you know what you life as a follower would entail and the changes and challenges being a follower would bring to you?
• As the disciples traveled with Jesus they learned, were mystified, misunderstood him, some denied and betrayed him, on a journey that led to the investing of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. As you look back now, what has changed in your understanding and what questions have arisen about the nature of Jesus, who he is and what his role in your personal devotional life and spirituality since your formal response to his call (your baptism)? How do you feel about your current understanding of Jesus – should we feel badly if we have unanswered questions or is that the nature of faith?
Confusion about the nature of Jesus Christ is not a new phenomena as we read in Wikipedia:
Following the Apostolic Age, from the 2nd century onwards, a number of controversies developed about how the human and divine are related within the person of Jesus. As of the 2nd century, a number of different and opposing approaches developed among various groups. For example, Arianism did not endorse divinity, Ebionism argued that Jesus was an ordinary mortal, while Gnosticism held docetic views which argued that Christ was a spiritual being that only appeared to have a physical body. The resulting tensions lead to schisms within the church in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, and ecumenical councils were convened in the 4th and 5th centuries to deal with the issues. Eventually in 451 the Hypostatic union was decreed, namely that Jesus is both fully divine and fully human, making this part of the creed of Orthodox Christianity.
The Huypostatic Union did not end the speculation about the nature of Christ with for instance Isaac Newton, one of the most influential scientific and mathematical minds of human history being a devoted follower of Arianism as he served in the decidedly orthodox Christian Academy at Cambridge University in the late 17th century – we need to allow ourselves the opportunity to explore and question as a element of our own personal spiritual growth.
• As a final exercise take a few minutes to write down your own personal understanding of the nature of Jesus Christ and the role he plays in your personal spiritual life:
Closing Prayer
I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, God may grant that I may be strengthened in my inner being with power through his Spirit, 17and that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith, as I am being rooted and grounded in love. 18I pray that I may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that I may be filled with all the fullness of God. Amen
Ephesians 3:16-19 NRSV (pronouns changes as appropriate)
Next Week's Lectionary Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31, Mark 1:14-20, Jonah 3:1-5, 10, Psalm 62:5-12
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