Overcoming Disciples’ challenges series
John 1:43-51
1. Overcome doubt by listening to Jesus through the Bible.
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 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.” John 1:43-45
“27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”… “29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” John 10:27;29.
· God gets to choose who would follow His Son.
· God prepared Philip to follow Jesus…
o Through John the Baptist’s preaching.
o Through his personal study of the Scripture.
o Through Jesus’ convincing voice.
2. Grow your faith by embracing Jesus’ identity.
John 14:8 says, “8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
· Philip wasn’t without fault because he had his moment of doubt about Jesus’ identity and significance.
· Philip expressed a common desire for many people, to see and feel the presence of God.
· Jesus gave a three-fold proof of His union with His Father to make him believe in his identity and significance.
o His divine character. v.10a, “the Father, and that the Father is in me”.
o His Words are His Father’s word. v. 10b, “I do not speak on my own authority”.
o His work is the Father’s work. V. 11, “Believe me when I say that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.”
3. Don’t be afraid to invite others to investigate Jesus.
“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.” John 1:45
· Philip found Nathanael and told him about Jesus.
· Nathanael’s response was marked by skepticism.
· Nazareth had no big significant prophetic importance in the Jewish scripture.
· Philip gently asked Nathanael to investigate for himself, “Come and see”. John 1:46b.
· Jesus described Nathanael as “an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” A term that reveals Nathanael honest quest for truth unlike some people.
· Nathanael’s challenge to Jesus, “How do you know me?”
· Jesus having supernatural knowledge revealed something that only Nathanael knew, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
· Nathanael was having a communion with God under the fig tree. Meditating on Jacob’s dream – a ladder that reaches heaven and having the angels ascending and descending on it. See also John 1:51.
· “You are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” A confession of Nathanael’ faith in Jesus.
· Don’t be afraid to invite others to investigate Jesus because it may lead them to faith in the Lord.
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