June 6
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THE FIRST FOLLOWERS OF JESUS
37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So, they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). – John 1: 37-42
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Peter Pan’s original soundtrack begins with “Following the leader, the leader, the leader. We’re following the leader wherever he may go.” These lyrics remind me of this account of the first followers of Jesus during his public life. Prior to this, we see John the Baptist witnessing to the Messiah. According to verse 40, Andrew and Simon who were brothers must have been hearing all the prophecies of John the Baptist. They must have been listening to John about the Messiah who was going to save people from their sins. They must have been waiting for the day of the Savior’s coming. Matthew 4:18 tells us what these brothers did for a living. They were fishermen.
Andrew must have been following John the Baptist for a while before Jesus came. He must have been listening to all John’s preaching about the coming of the promised Messiah and was hopeful that one day, he too will be witness to the salvation promised to his ancestors. As soon as John testified to Jesus, Andrew’s first impulse was to look for his brother Simon and immediately gave him the news that they have found the Messiah. He brought his brother to Jesus and there Jesus changed Simon’s name to Cephas which translates to Peter.
What a privilege it was to be Jesus’ first followers! Wouldn’t you want to be one of those who saw with their own eyes the actual Son of God? As soon as they heard, they immediately believed and followed. Isn’t that what is expected of all those who want to be His disciples? Following the leader, the leader…where ever he may go.
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REFLECTION
• Share an account when you first heard of Jesus and decided to follow him?
• What have you observed with the circumstances surrounding the first disciples?
• How did they come to know about Jesus? What was their first response to it?