STORIES OF JESUS - JESUS' STUDENTS

Season 1: Stories of Jesus
Episode 8: “Jesus’ Students”
Today’s Bible Bite: John 1:35-51

Video Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWiqXIn9tyg (LifeKids - Jesus chooses His first disciples)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk8ERxqCZqQ (ccodyguy - What does it look like to be Jesus’ disciples today?)

“We have found the Messiah” (John 1:41)!
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As Jesus began His work as the Messiah, He collected a group of followers who would spend time with Him, learning from Him and helping Him to do the work. Many people followed Him wherever He went, but He specially chose twelve men to be receive special training–He would be their teacher and they would be His students. Their job was to learn everything they could from Jesus, so they too could carry on His work.

Jesus chose brothers Simon (renamed Peter) and Andrew, James and John (also brothers), Philip, Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew), Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the Zealot), Judas (son of James) and Judas (the Iscariot) from amongst His many disciples and called them apostles, because of the special training and job He was giving them. These men came from all sorts of backgrounds, but gave up everything so that they could follow, learn from and help Jesus in His work.

Think about it...

• John saw Jesus walking by and told everyone, “That’s the Messiah!” Andrew followed. What would you have done?

• Andrew is convinced and gets his brother, Simon. If you had been Simon, how would you have responded to Jesus if He gave you a new name?

• Later on Jesus meets up again with Simon and tells him to try to catch some fish...again. Peter was the expert fisherman and had caught nothing all night, why should he listen to Jesus?

• After the miracle catch of fish, Simon is ready to follow Jesus too. He was convinced. Are you convinced that Jesus is the Messiah?

• If you believe that Jesus is the Messiah, you are one of His disciples. What does it look like to follow Jesus today?

Prayer: Thank you, God, that we can be your disciples. Teach us how to live our lives for you. Show us how to tell others about this wonderful truth we know–Jesus, God’s promised Rescuer, has come and we can be God’s friends!

Fun Activity: