The Beginning Of Jesus' Ministry

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Jesus' First Disciples

The next day John was standing with two of his disciples. He looked intently at Jesus as he walked by.

John said:

Behold the lamb of God!

When the two disciples (Andrew and possibly John) heard this they followed Jesus.

Jesus turned and looked at them following and said to them:

What are you looking for?

They said to him:

Teacher where are you staying?

Jesus said:

Come and you will see.

So they did. It was about 4 p.m. Andrew went to find Peter to tell him that he had found the Messiah. He then brought Peter to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said:

You shall be Simon (the name means “hearing”) the son of John. You shall be called Cephas ( Peter in Greek, and Stone in English).

The next day Jesus decided to go into Galilee where he found Phillip.

Jesus said to Phillip:

Follow me.

Philip was from Bethsaida, the same city where Andrew and Peter lived.

Phillip left Jesus to go and find his friend Nathanael in order to share the news that the Messiah had come, the one Moses and the prophets wrote about. He told Nathanael that the one who all Israel was waiting for was Jesus, the son of Joseph.

When Nathanael heard this he asked:

Can anything good come out of Nazareth?

Phillip said:

Come and see.

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said to him:

Look, an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.

Nathanael said to Jesus:

How do you know me?

Jesus told him:

Before Phillip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.

Nathanael was stunned and said to Jesus:

Teacher, you are the Son of God. You are the king of Israel.

Jesus said:

Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ you believe in me. You will see greater things than these. I tell you the truth: You will see the heavens opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man.