DRAWN TO JESUS—III—John 1:35-51
Attention:
We are drawn to certain actions by what we believe.
John recalled the manner by which Jesus’ disciples first became convinced that He was Messiah.
Some will be drawn to follow Jesus as Messiah/Christ.
What draws/attracts disciples to Jesus Christ?
Why are disciples drawn/attracted to Jesus Christ?
Jn. 6:41-45—“The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father & mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus therefore answered & said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; & I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard & learned from the Father comes to Me.”
8 elements of a disciple’s draw/attraction to Christ Jesus.
We have already found that Disciples are drawn to Jesus thru their…
1. DIRECTION(:35-36)Discipleship
2. DISCOVERY(:37-39)
3. PRIORITY(:40-42a) Prioritize sharing
4—Disciples are drawn to Jesus thru their…
PROMISE(:42b)
Explanation:(:42b)
:42(b)—“And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas”(which is translated, A Stone).”
Jesus revealed that He knew “Simon” was the son of Jonah/John.” Jesus knowing that “Simon” would become a key disciple, said that Simon would be called ‘Cephas’.
God knows your full potential, but you yourself must become convinced of it. Otherwise you will return to & rely upon your flesh regarding your ‘perceived ability.’
“In the ancient Greek petra was used for the massive ledge of rock like Stone Mountain while petrov was a detached fragment of the ledge, though itself large. This distinction may exist in Mt. 16:17ff, except that Jesus probably used Aramaic which would not have such a distinction.”—RWP
In ancient near-eastern thought a name was considered “to signify the personality of an individual.” Rabbi’s would occasionally re-name a student in conformance to his perceived character. A person’s name may be changed by God Himself in order to conform to & better fit their future role.—BECNT
Jesus knew who’s “son” “Simon” was—Ancient near-eastern people were generally recognized not by a ‘last name’(as today) but thru their father’s given name or thru their place of origin. Jesus’ reason for changing Simon’s name would become apparent only later(Mat. 16:13-19).
**Mat. 16:13-19—When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, & others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered & said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered & said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh & blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. “And I also say to you that you are Peter, & on this rock I will build My church, & the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, & whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, & whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Simon’s new name(Peter) “is proleptic of the new man whom God would…create” in Christ.—BECNT
2 OT Examples:
Abram(“High/Exalted father”)—Abraham(“Father of a multitude”)
Gen. 17:4-5—“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, & you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.”
Jacob(“Heel-catcher/Supplanter/Usurper”)—Israel(“Contender/Striver with God(& men)”)
Gen. 25:24-26—“So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau. Afterward his brother[Jacob] came out, & his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.”
Gen. 32:24-28—“Then Jacob was left alone; & a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He[the Man] did not prevail against him[Jacob], He touched the socket of his hip; & the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He[the Man] said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he[Jacob] said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God & with men, & have prevailed.”
“Jonah/John”—Iwnav—or—Iwannhv—from: Nnxwy Yo-khaw-nawn'—Jonah or Jonas = “Dove” Strong—of Hebrew origin [hnwy Yonah’(as in the prophet)]; Jonas(i.e. Jonah). The two names are synonymous.
“Called”—kalew—1) To call—1a) To call aloud, utter in a loud voice, 1b) To invite; 2) To call i.e. to name, by name—2a) To give a name to—2a1) To receive the name of, receive as a name, 2a2) To give some name to one, call his name, 2b) To be called i.e. to bear a name or title (among men), 2c) To salute one by name. Kalew is to cry out for a purpose. Strong—To "call" (properly, aloud, but used in a variety of applications, dir. or otherwise).
“Cephas”—kefav from Aramaic—(rock)translates into “Peter”—petrov—(a stone)in Greek.
“Simon”(See :40)—“Cephas”(Aramaic/Hebrew)= “Peter”(Greek)= Rock, Stone.
“A Stone/Peter”—Petrov—= ‘Peter = “A rock or a stone.” Strong—apparently a primary word; A(piece of) rock (larger than liyov); as a name—Petrus, an apostle.
Argumentation:
**Heb. 11:1, 6, 8-10, 13, 17-19, 21-22, , 39-40—“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”…..“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, & that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”…..“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac & Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder & maker is God.”…..“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them & confessed that they were strangers & pilgrims on the earth.”…..“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, & he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, “In Isaac your seed shall be called,” concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.”…..“By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, & worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, & gave instructions concerning his bones.”…..[In summary:]“And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”
We all want to be significant. God promises that we are…In Christ!
**Heb. 6:13-19—“For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, & multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, & an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure & steadfast, & which enters the Presence behind the veil,”
Titus 1:1-3—“Paul, a bondservant of God & an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect & the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;”
**1Pet. 1:3-5—“Blessed be the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible & undefiled & that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
**2Pet. 3:1-12—“Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, & of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord & Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, & saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, & the earth standing out of water & in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens & the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment & perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, & a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, & the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth & the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct & godliness, looking for & hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, & the elements will melt with fervent heat?
These scoffers do not admit God’s work in the past, nor do they accept His work today nor draw strength from His promises to the faithful.
**2Tim. 1:6-10—“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power & of love & of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us & called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose & grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death & brought life & immortality to light through the gospel,”
**Rom. 9:33—“As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone & rock of offense, And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
**Acts 1:8; 4:13—“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; & you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, & in all Judea & Samaria, & to the end of the earth.”.....“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter & John, & perceived that they were uneducated & untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”
**2Cor. 5:17—“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Illustration:
I attended seminary on the call & the ’promise’ that God gifted me as a preacher(debatable for some)/PROMISE
My brother-in-law John/His daddy promised John his truck—1987? GMC Z71, 4X4—before he died/No family member ever questioned whose truck it was/PROMISE
Application:
?Your PROMISE drawn you to(or away from) Jesus?
?You Drawn to discipleship with Jesus?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
Disciples are drawn to Jesus thru their…
4. PROMISE(:42b)
1. DIRECTION(:35-36)Discipleship
2. DISCOVERY(:37-39)
3. PRIORITY(:40-42a) Prioritize sharing
Presented 09/14/2014am to:
FBC CBelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
