Heart Prep:
Christ’s invitation to follow Him was simple enough to understand for people who had received little education. His question, “What are you looking for?”, is the same one He extends to people today—even young children! We see from this passage that Jesus knows us—beings who have been lovingly created by the Father. Even more, He desires that we know Him and trust Him to be the answer for all we seek. It was through word of mouth that even more people heard about Jesus and were invited into a saving relationship with Him. May the boys and girls you teach accept Jesus’ invitation to trust in Him for salvation and be empowered to share His love with others.
Message:
One day, John was standing with two of his disciples. John saw Jesus passing by and said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” John’s disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus. Jesus turned to them and said, “What are you looking for?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come and see for yourself,” Jesus replied. So, they went and stayed with Him that day. One of the two disciples who followed Jesus was named Andrew. He found his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah, the Christ!” Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. When Jesus saw Simon, he said, “You are Simon, son of John. From now on, you will be called Peter.” The next day, Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found a man named Philip and told him, “Follow me.” Philip found his friend Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law. His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” Nathanael replied, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” “Come and see,” Philip answered. When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, He said, “Here truly is an Israelite who tells no lie.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked Jesus. Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you,” “Rabbi,” Nathanael replied, “You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel!” Jesus responded, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see much greater things than this. Truly I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God going up and coming down on the Son of Man.” Christ Connection: Jesus still calls people to follow Him today as His disciples.
Main Point:
Jesus called disciples to follow Him. Jesus still calls people to follow Him today as His disciples. Everyone who repents and trusts that Jesus died and rose again for their sins is His disciple. Jesus is worth following, no matter what we have to leave behind.
Discussion:
How was Jesus able to see Nathanael under the tree?
Share that Jesus’ statement displayed His identity as God. Remind kids that because Jesus is God, He is omniscient. He knows everything about us and desires a personal relationship with us! (Option: Choose a volunteer to read Psalm 139:1-4.)
What does the name Son of Man mean?
Explain that the name “Son of Man” refers to an Old Testament prophecy where Daniel described someone who would rule the world forever. Remind kids that Jesus is the sinless Son of God who the prophets pointed to! (Option: Choose a volunteer to read Daniel 7:13-14.)
Does following Jesus cost us anything?
Share that salvation is a free gift from God and that we can’t earn it by being good enough on our own. However, Jesus also tells people to count the cost of following Him. To be a disciple of Jesus, we must be willing to turn away from our sin and want to live for His glory, not our own. Following Jesus is not easy, but He offers something the world cannot: salvation and eternal life through Himself. (Option: Choose a volunteer to read Matthew 16:24-25.)
