HS Youth in John's Gospel: Lesson 1

Tonight we start our series in High School Youth Group through the Gospel of John. Unlike our sermon series through John our time in youth group will focus solely on many of the conversations that Jesus had with people.
Some examples include:

• Jesus and his first disciples
• Jesus and Nicodemus
• Jesus and the woman at the well
• Jesus and a hungry crowd

For a complete schedule you can check out our website's calendar right HERE.

Here's a rough outline of tonight's lesson
Opening Question: What Do We Learn about Jesus from John 1:35-51?

1. Jesus has a real personality (i.e., He’s a real person)

Jesus shows a capacity for irony when he renames the cowardly, hasty, unstable Simon to Peter. 

"He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter)" (v. 42).

Jesus shows a preference for brutal honesty over dishonest flattery when he calls Nathanael an Israelite in whom “there is no deceit”.

"Nathanael said to him, 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see.' Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, 'Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!'" (v. 47)

Point 2

Jesus knows everything about me

Jesus knows Nathanael’s character, where he was and what he was doing before they even officially met.

"Nathanael said to him, 'How do you know me?' Jesus answered him, 'Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you'" (v. 48).

Jesus also seems to know Simon’s future. By renaming him he foreshadows or predicts the change of character that Peter will experience after the resurrection.

Point 3

Jesus is the only way to God

And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (v.51).

Jesus references Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28 to explain that he is, himself, the “gate of heaven” the “house of God” and the way to heaven is now open because of him. He explains this point plainly in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father expect through me.”

Point 4

Jesus is not meant to be observed WITHOUT also being followed

In other words, “Christianity is not a spectator sport.” In more other words, “Jesus intends for you to follow him, not just analyze him.”

The key actions in John 1:35-51 are (1) people following Jesus and (2) people inviting other people to follow Jesus. People who want their lives to change and make a difference have to follow Jesus.

Simon didn’t become a “Peter” overnight. He followed Jesus and Jesus changed him, molded him, fashioned over time and with various experiences. You can’t be a Christian and sit on your butt. John wrote what he did about Jesus so that we would see him, believe him, trust him and follow him.