JOHN 1:19-51?

Lesson # 2

Meeting Jesus

I.? Introduction:

Note:? Two great things happen in the rest of this chapter:? 1) John gives witness to Jesus and? 2) Jesus begins to give witness to Himself.? The whole rest of the chapter is about “witnessing”.

Note:? Pick someone in the room to be a “matchmaker”.? Let them select a young man.? Then let the matchmaker select a young lady to be “matched” with that young man.? Ask your matchmaker what they would do to accomplish their job.? Let them share their plan with the group.?

Then help the group see that our chapter tonight is concerned with a “matchmaker” named John the Baptist who wishes to introduce people to the ultimate “bridegroom”.? Let us watch how John does his work….

II. ?John Gives Evidence:? 1:19-37

Have someone read 1:19-21

Note:? William Temple notes that John’s answers get progressively shorter:? “I am not the Christ”,? “I am not”, to “No”.

Q? What is John making perfectly clear?

An = He is not doing his ministry to bring about prominence to Himself.? He is making no claims for himself.? A good matchmaker does not bring attention to himself, but to the potential bridegroom.

Have someone read 1:22-28

Q? How does John see himself?

An = He is in the “service of another”.? He points to “another”.? John announces “another”.

Q? Do a lot of people in ministry forget this?? How is this done in ministry at APU?? In your youth group?? At church?

An = Let them answer, then ask….

Q? Why do ministers, singers, etc. seem to so often announce themselves and not the Lord?

An = They have not settled their own self-esteem issues, and do not really know why and what they are doing in ministry.? They have their own agenda and not the Lord’s agenda.

Have someone read 1:29-34.

Q? What is the essence of John’s witness?

An = He sees the sacrificial nature of Jesus’ ministry (29).? He sees the superiority of Jesus (30).? He sees his role in helping Israel see Jesus (31).? He sees Jesus as the anointed one by the Spirit of God (32-33).? He sees Jesus’ deity (34).

Q? Do we witness to the sacrificial nature of Jesus’ life, His superiority, His anointed status, His deity??? In other words, what do people learn about Jesus from us?? What do we teach by our lives?

III.? Jesus Witnessing to Himself By Being Himself:??? 1:35-51.

A.? Episode One.?? Andrew and the revelation of Jesus’ Messiahship:? 1:35-41

Have someone read 1:35-37.

Q? What is the result of John being a faithful witness, what does it cost him?

An = A couple of disciples.? They take off and leave John’s ministry.

Have someone read 1:38-39.

RQ? What kind of response is the disciples answer to Jesus’ question, is it not sort of a dumb question?

Q? Does Jesus make fun of them?? What kind of answer does He give?

An = He treats them well.? Kids will often give you dumb answers.? When they do, do not make fun of them.? Accept them, let them “hang out with you”.? Let them “Come and see”.?

Now notice the response to their spending a day with Jesus….

Have someone read 1:40-41.

Q? What does Andrew think of Jesus after spending the day with Him?

An = He is the messiah.

B.? Episode Two.? Peter and the Revelation of Peter’s character:? 1:42

Q? What is Jesus doing with His play on the meaning of Peter’s name??

An = Jesus says you are a reed, a wishy-washy man, I will make of you a rock, a solid dependable man.? Jesus sees our potential despite our present condition.

RQ? What would Jesus say to us personally tonight if we could hear names that described our characters?

RQ? What potential does Jesus see in you?

Q? What spiritual gift did Jesus operate to tell Peter who he is and what he will be?

An = The gift of prophesy.?

Note:? Notice Jesus does not draw attention to the gift because the purpose of the gift is not to show off either the possessor of the gift or the gift itself, but to use the gift to help people.? Peter is embarrassingly said to be the “wishy-washy” male, but is also promised to become the “rock”.? It is a word of confrontation but also a word of hope.

C.? Episode Three.? Nathanael and dealing with the skeptical:? 1:43-51

Have someone read 1:43-46

Q?? Is Nathanael impressed with Phillip’s witness?

An = No, he is skeptical.?? Notice now, how Jesus is going to handle a skeptical person, see if Jesus is defensive….

Have someone read 1:47-51

Q? What are Jesus’ opening words to the skeptical Nathanael?

An = He points out the positive, morally positive, beauties of this man.

Q? Is Jesus defensive or offensive?

An = Instead of being the type who puts down, he lifts up.? Jesus verbalizes Nathanael’s positive aspects.? Jesus brings up the man’s character.? Jesus is an aggressive praiser.

RQ? Can we praise, our opponents??

Q? What does this show us about Jesus Christ as a man?

An = He is quite secure.?

Note:? Perhaps, you can see how to handle someone who is skeptical about you.? (You could ask them to share a situation they are dealing with or use a situation you are dealing with.? The key is to find something positive about the skeptical one and verbalize it!)

Q? What is going on about this fig tree business?

An = He is probably going back to something that took place between Nathanael and God that no one knew about but Nathanael and God:? something privately spiritual that took place under a fig tree.

Note:? Jesus is displaying what we call “a word of knowledge”.? Jesus is displaying a spiritual gift spoken about in I Corinthians 12-14.

Q? Is Jesus impressed with the display of His gift?

An = No, frankly Jesus is not.? Neither should we be.? Spiritual gifts are not to impress, but to help people widen their understanding.? Jesus sees this manifestation of a spiritual gift as merely something in the service of something better yet to come.? Again, the goal is the “presenting of who Jesus really is”.

RQ? Do some people get so hung up with the gifts that they forget their real purpose?

Q? What is their real purpose?

An = the revelation of Jesus.? Jesus was not trying to impress Nathanael but wanting him to see God.? People do not need religion, they need to see the living God.

Note:? Notice, Jesus did not use any miraculous gifts with Andrew, but merely hung out with him.? We need to keep our focus on the goal:? witnessing to Jesus’ identity.? We need to get our ego out of the way as John did, and let people start encountering Jesus.? Those encounters will take a variety of types as Jesus Himself sees fit.?? Some will contain miracles, some will not.? Not all of our experiences will fit everyone elses.