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Scripture Script
The Cast of Characters: John, Jesus, Narrator Peter, John the Baptist, Isaiah, Priest, Levite, Andrew, Peter (not narrator), James
The Scene: Everywhere, Bethany beyond the Jordan River, Peter’s encampment nearby, Click to View Maps
(Lights come up on our Readers/Characters, all in a row perhaps a slight curve will help with eye contact. The characters should be placed in such a way that the reading is most powerful, and grouped such that the characters can have the most eye contact possible. ‘‘Narrator Peter” is apart from the group, and he will remain the main narrator throughout this series. The other “Peter” will perform the character’s dialogue.)
 | John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. |
| Jesus: I was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Me, and without Me was not any thing made that was made. In Me was life, and the life was the light of men. |
| John: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. |
| Narrator Peter: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. |
| John the Baptist: I, John the Baptist, came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through me. I was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. |
| John: The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. |
| Narrator Peter: He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. |
| Jesus: I came to My own, and My own people did not receive Me. But to all who did receive Me, who believed in My name, I gave the right to become children of God… |
| John: …who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. |
| Jesus: And I, the Word, became flesh and dwelt among you… |
| John: …and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. |
| John the Baptist: This was He of whom I, John The Baptist, said “He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me.” |
| John: For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. |
| Jesus: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Me. |
| John: No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, |
| Jesus: I have made God known. |
| Narrator Peter: I am Peter, known in those days as Simon, son of John. And these are the events leading up to the day I met Jesus, the Messiah, The Christ, the one Isaiah spoke of when he said: | |
| Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor… |
| Narrator Peter: To say we expected a Messiah, or “The Christ”, as a conquering King, is an understatement. We hoped for it. We longed for it. The times were oppressive indeed, not only from the Roman occupation of our homeland, but by our own leaders as well. And, as John the Baptist was receiving so much attention, and multitudes were coming to him for baptism, the religious and political leaders, the Pharisees, sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him… |
| Priest: Who are you? |
| John The Baptist: I am not the Christ. |
| Levite: What then? Are you Elijah? |
| John The Baptist: I am not. |
| Priest: Are you the prophet? |
| John The Baptist: No. |
| Levite: Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? |
| John the Baptist: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said. |
| Priest: Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? |
| John The Baptist: I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. |
| Narrator Peter: This took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said— |
| John the Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because He was before me.” I myself did not know Him; but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that He might be revealed to Israel. |
| Narrator Peter: And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him.” |
| John the Baptist: …I myself did not know Him; but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. |
| Narrator Peter: The next day again John the Baptist was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as He walked by and said— |
| John The Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God! |
| Narrator Peter: The two disciples heard Him say this, and they followed Jesus. One of them was Andrew, my brother. Jesus turned, and saw them following. |
| Jesus: What are you seeking? |
| Andrew: Teacher, where are you staying? |
| Jesus: Come and you will see. |
| Narrator Peter: So they came and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the 10th hour, which is 4pm. The next morning, Andrew came and found me. We were encamped not far away, curious also about this man named John, who baptized with water and lived a simple life in the wilderness. James and John, my partners in fishing, sat with me around the campfire, having some fish and bread. |
 | (Sound Effect: A campfire crackles, a canine howls in the distance. We join Peter, James, and John mid conversation.) |
| Peter: …So, on one hand you have Rome taking over 12 percent of our haul, plus the head tax. So that’s an extra 2 days wages since I’m married, and by the time your little ones start being more of a help than a hindrance, you have to pay the head tax on them too! | |
| John: And then you have the road tolls, port fees, and the forced labor of moving all their dung around, that we don’t want here in the first place! A mile at a time. | |
| Peter: Don’t forget our fishing rights. | |
| James: Then you have our own people. | |
| Peter: I don’t claim them. So-called Godly men. Ha! | |
| John: Tithes. That’s ten percent! | |
| James: First fruit offering. | |
| Peter: Wave offering. | |
| John: Sin offering. | |
| James: The dreaded Temple tax! What are we forgetting? | |
| Peter: They’ll remind us. Don’t worry about that. I’m thinking the Essenes got it right. If you don’t make any money, there’s nothing to take. | |
| John: Yeah, when The Christ comes, He’ll fix all this. | |
| James: If He could just get rid of the Romans, I could deal with the rest! | |
| Peter: Yeah, but it’s almost worse, the Pharisees and especially those Sadducees getting fat off of our labor, selling us out! | |
| John: Messiah will sort that. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I’m beginning to think it’s like Roman and Greek folklore. I shouldn’t say that. I hope it is true. | |
| James: Hey, is that Andrew? | |
| Peter: (Calling out) Hey, Brother. | |
| John: Looks like John’s got him stirred up. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I thought I heard you howling at the moon. What are you doing out so early? | |
| Andrew: (Out of breath) We have found the Messiah. |
| Peter: (Unbelieving) Oh yeah? We were just talking about Him. I thought you were going to hear John the Baptist? | |
| Andrew: Yeah, I was with John yesterday, when this man walked by and John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” |
| Peter: John said that? And what do you think? | |
| Andrew: I followed Him and stayed with Him, this man named Jesus. He’s not what I expected, but there is something about Him. Something more than I can say. | |
| James: This John who baptizes, unlike my brother John here, has no ulterior motives. He takes in no money or goods, or even food. They say he eats locusts and wild honey. |
| Andrew: John says when he baptized Jesus some time back, that the heavens opened and God’s spirit came down like a dove, and rested on Him. |
| James: What if He really were The Christ, and we were just talking about Him? | |
| John: Yeah, well we talk about Him like every other day, so not much of a coincidence there. | |
| James: Yeah, my latest messiah has wings! I mean, they’re mostly there for decoration because he rides a gigantic horse and shoots a bow and arrow. But He can fly if He needs to. | |
| John: Sounds like a eunuch to me. Mine is kind of like a cross between David and Goliath! He’s definitely a sword guy. One in each hand! Long black hair like Samson in his prime! Maybe a slingshot in His back pocket just in case. | |
| Andrew: (Visibly upset, loudly) Look, I think you should at least meet Him. Decide for yourself. | |
| (Sound Effect: The canine howls, the fire crackles.) |
| Peter: (Slowly…thinking, hoping) Okay, Brother. Take me to this Jesus. | |
| Narrator Peter: And so, Andrew brought me to Jesus. As we approached, I thought, “Could this humble looking man really someday defeat the Romans in battle?” (Action: Jesus makes His way downstage center, then Peter comes from the other direction.) Could He lead us to destroy them, and restore our temple and our faith in God from such vile corruption among our leaders, and become king and ruler of all Israel?” (Action: Peter arrives in front of Jesus, and Jesus does a subtle, but significant bow. Peter returns the bow.) Jesus looked at me and said, | |
| Jesus: (Action: Placing His hand on Peter’s shoulder)…You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Peter. |
| (Lights fade out, then fade back on) | |
| Isaiah: For He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; |
| Jesus: …I had no form or majesty that you should look at Me, and no beauty that you should desire Me. |
| Isaiah: He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; |
| Jesus: …and as one from whom men hide their faces I was despised, and you esteemed Me not. |
| Isaiah: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, |
| Jesus: …and with My wounds you are healed. |
| (Light/Curtains/End of Episode #1) |
| John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. |
| Jesus: I was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Me, and without Me was not any thing made that was made. In Me was life, and the life was the light of men. |
| John: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. |
| Narrator Peter: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. |
| John the Baptist: I, John the Baptist, came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through me. I was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. |
| John: The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. |
| Narrator Peter: He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. |
| Jesus: I came to My own, and My own people did not receive Me. But to all who did receive Me, who believed in My name, I gave the right to become children of God… |
| John: …who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. |
| Jesus: And I, the Word, became flesh and dwelt among you… |
| John: …and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. |
| John the Baptist: This was He of whom I, John The Baptist, said “He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me.” |
| John: For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. |
| Jesus: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Me. |
| John: No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, |
| Jesus: I have made God known. |
| Narrator Peter: I am Peter, known in those days as Simon, son of John. And these are the events leading up to the day I met Jesus, the Messiah, The Christ, the one Isaiah spoke of when he said: | |
| Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor… |
| Narrator Peter: To say we expected a Messiah, or “The Christ”, as a conquering King, is an understatement. We hoped for it. We longed for it. The times were oppressive indeed, not only from the Roman occupation of our homeland, but by our own leaders as well. And, as John the Baptist was receiving so much attention, and multitudes were coming to him for baptism, the religious and political leaders, the Pharisees, sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him… |
| Priest: Who are you? |
| John The Baptist: I am not the Christ. |
| Levite: What then? Are you Elijah? |
| John The Baptist: I am not. |
| Priest: Are you the prophet? |
| John The Baptist: No. |
| Levite: Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? |
| John the Baptist: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said. |
| Priest: Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? |
| John The Baptist: I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. |
| Narrator Peter: This took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said— |
| John the Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because He was before me.” I myself did not know Him; but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that He might be revealed to Israel. |
| Narrator Peter: And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him.” |
| John the Baptist: …I myself did not know Him; but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. |
| Narrator Peter: The next day again John the Baptist was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as He walked by and said— |
| John The Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God! |
| Narrator Peter: The two disciples heard Him say this, and they followed Jesus. One of them was Andrew, my brother. Jesus turned, and saw them following. |
| Jesus: What are you seeking? |
| Andrew: Teacher, where are you staying? |
| Jesus: Come and you will see. |
| Narrator Peter: So they came and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the 10th hour, which is 4pm. The next morning, Andrew came and found me. We were encamped not far away, curious also about this man named John, who baptized with water and lived a simple life in the wilderness. James and John, my partners in fishing, sat with me around the campfire, having some fish and bread. |
| (Sound Effect: A campfire crackles, a canine howls in the distance. We join Peter, James, and John mid conversation.) |
| Peter: …So, on one hand you have Rome taking over 12 percent of our haul, plus the head tax. So that’s an extra 2 days wages since I’m married, and by the time your little ones start being more of a help than a hindrance, you have to pay the head tax on them too! | |
| John: And then you have the road tolls, port fees, and the forced labor of moving all their dung around, that we don’t want here in the first place! A mile at a time. | |
| Peter: Don’t forget our fishing rights. | |
| James: Then you have our own people. | |
| Peter: I don’t claim them. So-called Godly men. Ha! | |
| John: Tithes. That’s ten percent! | |
| James: First fruit offering. | |
| Peter: Wave offering. | |
| John: Sin offering. | |
| James: The dreaded Temple tax! What are we forgetting? | |
| Peter: They’ll remind us. Don’t worry about that. I’m thinking the Essenes got it right. If you don’t make any money, there’s nothing to take. | |
| John: Yeah, when The Christ comes, He’ll fix all this. | |
| James: If He could just get rid of the Romans, I could deal with the rest! | |
| Peter: Yeah, but it’s almost worse, the Pharisees and especially those Sadducees getting fat off of our labor, selling us out! | |
| John: Messiah will sort that. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I’m beginning to think it’s like Roman and Greek folklore. I shouldn’t say that. I hope it is true. | |
| James: Hey, is that Andrew? | |
| Peter: (Calling out) Hey, Brother. | |
| John: Looks like John’s got him stirred up. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I thought I heard you howling at the moon. What are you doing out so early? | |
| Andrew: (Out of breath) We have found the Messiah. |
| Peter: (Unbelieving) Oh yeah? We were just talking about Him. I thought you were going to hear John the Baptist? | |
| Andrew: Yeah, I was with John yesterday, when this man walked by and John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” |
| Peter: John said that? And what do you think? | |
| Andrew: I followed Him and stayed with Him, this man named Jesus. He’s not what I expected, but there is something about Him. Something more than I can say. | |
| James: This John who baptizes, unlike my brother John here, has no ulterior motives. He takes in no money or goods, or even food. They say he eats locusts and wild honey. |
| Andrew: John says when he baptized Jesus some time back, that the heavens opened and God’s spirit came down like a dove, and rested on Him. |
| James: What if He really were The Christ, and we were just talking about Him? | |
| John: Yeah, well we talk about Him like every other day, so not much of a coincidence there. | |
| James: Yeah, my latest messiah has wings! I mean, they’re mostly there for decoration because he rides a gigantic horse and shoots a bow and arrow. But He can fly if He needs to. | |
| John: Sounds like a eunuch to me. Mine is kind of like a cross between David and Goliath! He’s definitely a sword guy. One in each hand! Long black hair like Samson in his prime! Maybe a slingshot in His back pocket just in case. | |
| Andrew: (Visibly upset, loudly) Look, I think you should at least meet Him. Decide for yourself. | |
| (Sound Effect: The canine howls, the fire crackles.) |
| Peter: (Slowly…thinking, hoping) Okay, Brother. Take me to this Jesus. | |
| Narrator Peter: And so, Andrew brought me to Jesus. As we approached, I thought, “Could this humble looking man really someday defeat the Romans in battle?” (Action: Jesus makes His way downstage center, then Peter comes from the other direction.) Could He lead us to destroy them, and restore our temple and our faith in God from such vile corruption among our leaders, and become king and ruler of all Israel?” (Action: Peter arrives in front of Jesus, and Jesus does a subtle, but significant bow. Peter returns the bow.) Jesus looked at me and said, | |
| Jesus: (Action: Placing His hand on Peter’s shoulder)…You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Peter. |
| (Lights fade out, then fade back on) | |
| Isaiah: For He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; |
| Jesus: …I had no form or majesty that you should look at Me, and no beauty that you should desire Me. |
| Isaiah: He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; |
| Jesus: …and as one from whom men hide their faces I was despised, and you esteemed Me not. |
| Isaiah: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, |
| Jesus: …and with My wounds you are healed. |
| (Light/Curtains/End of Episode #1) |
Episode Spotlight:
In this episode, we find Peter and his companions out working by their fishing boats. While they are working, they are having a discussion about the various fees and taxes that they have to pay to the Roman government. We immediately see the oppression that the Romans have imposed on the Jewish people. But it gets worse if we continue in the scene. James, John, and Peter begin to discuss all of the fees they had to pay in the temple. The Jewish temple was the center of Jewish religious practice, but it was also an economic center that could cause a burden to the Jewish people. In both cases, we see the would-be disciples are looking for a messiah to come and resolve all of their issues. They were looking for a messiah to deliver them from their oppression.
We get to listen in on them as they describe what they think the Messiah would look like. It sounds more like a superhero than Jesus Christ. They were looking for a warrior that can rescue them from their oppression, but at the beginning of our story we see John describing Jesus. Let’s consider this his origin story. John says some really powerful things that while it may not look like Jesus is a superhero when his future disciples see him, it is clear that Jesus is more powerful than they ever could imagine. John describes Jesus as the physical manifestation of the Word of God. Not only is He the manifestation of the Word of God, but He is God himself. He is not just any superhero. He is the all-powerful Savior of the universe.
The beginning of the scene not only gives us an introduction to who Jesus is, but also why Jesus came to earth. There is a quotation from the prophet Isaiah that details Jesus’ plans. Jesus has come to bring liberty to people who are captive, to bring healing to people that are broken-hearted, and to bring good news to those that are downtrodden. This sounds like a superhero, but it doesn’t sound like someone who is coming to overthrow an empire. Rather, Jesus came to bring a different kind of power and a different way of looking at power. That’s not exactly what his future disciples were looking for at that point.
This is very important because this gives us an early look into how the disciples would view and receive Jesus. They were looking for a superhero, not just a religious leader. By the discussion that we imagined in the episode, we can tell that they were tired of their oppression, and they were looking for an answer. So when Andrew shows up, it is no wonder that they were so excited to go and meet Jesus.
Think back to when you first met Jesus. What was your life like? What needed to be changed about your life? What were the things that were oppressing you? This is important to remember so that we can share our testimony with others. If they know that Jesus delivered us from our oppression, they may be more inclined to let God deliver them from theirs. Remember how excited Andrew was when he came and told his brothers that he had seen the Messiah? Could you imagine what it felt like after living in darkness for so long, to see the light of Christ and know that your life was about to change? No wonder they wanted to follow him.
We see in this text three blueprints for Biblical witnesses. First of all, we learn from John that our discipleship is not to generate our own glory or make a name for ourselves, but to help people meet Jesus. Then we see that Jesus shows us that it’s not always our words that will convince us, but rather our actions that truly show the light of Christ. Finally, Andrew encourages us to bring others to Jesus after we have experienced His goodness. Look at the keyword “follow”. In the Greek, it means not only to go after, but also to obey. The fruit of these three witnessing events was that the disciples became obedient followers of Jesus. They weren’t just chasing after him, but they were also taking heed of his commandments.
| John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. |
| Jesus: I was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Me, and without Me was not any thing made that was made. In Me was life, and the life was the light of men. |
| John: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. |
| Narrator Peter: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. |
| John the Baptist: I, John the Baptist, came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through me. I was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. |
| John: The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. |
| Narrator Peter: He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. |
| Jesus: I came to My own, and My own people did not receive Me. But to all who did receive Me, who believed in My name, I gave the right to become children of God… |
| John: …who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. |
| Jesus: And I, the Word, became flesh and dwelt among you… |
| John: …and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. |
| John the Baptist: This was He of whom I, John The Baptist, said “He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me.” |
| John: For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. |
| Jesus: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Me. |
| John: No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, |
| Jesus: I have made God known. |
| Narrator Peter: I am Peter, known in those days as Simon, son of John. And these are the events leading up to the day I met Jesus, the Messiah, The Christ, the one Isaiah spoke of when he said: | |
| Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor… |
| Narrator Peter: To say we expected a Messiah, or “The Christ”, as a conquering King, is an understatement. We hoped for it. We longed for it. The times were oppressive indeed, not only from the Roman occupation of our homeland, but by our own leaders as well. And, as John the Baptist was receiving so much attention, and multitudes were coming to him for baptism, the religious and political leaders, the Pharisees, sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him… |
| Priest: Who are you? |
| John The Baptist: I am not the Christ. |
| Levite: What then? Are you Elijah? |
| John The Baptist: I am not. |
| Priest: Are you the prophet? |
| John The Baptist: No. |
| Levite: Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? |
| John the Baptist: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said. |
| Priest: Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? |
| John The Baptist: I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. |
| Narrator Peter: This took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said— |
| John the Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because He was before me.” I myself did not know Him; but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that He might be revealed to Israel. |
| Narrator Peter: And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him.” |
| John the Baptist: …I myself did not know Him; but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. |
| Narrator Peter: The next day again John the Baptist was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as He walked by and said— |
| John The Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God! |
| Narrator Peter: The two disciples heard Him say this, and they followed Jesus. One of them was Andrew, my brother. Jesus turned, and saw them following. |
| Jesus: What are you seeking? |
| Andrew: Teacher, where are you staying? |
| Jesus: Come and you will see. |
| Narrator Peter: So they came and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the 10th hour, which is 4pm. The next morning, Andrew came and found me. We were encamped not far away, curious also about this man named John, who baptized with water and lived a simple life in the wilderness. James and John, my partners in fishing, sat with me around the campfire, having some fish and bread. |
| (Sound Effect: A campfire crackles, a canine howls in the distance. We join Peter, James, and John mid conversation.) |
| Peter: …So, on one hand you have Rome taking over 12 percent of our haul, plus the head tax. So that’s an extra 2 days wages since I’m married, and by the time your little ones start being more of a help than a hindrance, you have to pay the head tax on them too! | |
| John: And then you have the road tolls, port fees, and the forced labor of moving all their dung around, that we don’t want here in the first place! A mile at a time. | |
| Peter: Don’t forget our fishing rights. | |
| James: Then you have our own people. | |
| Peter: I don’t claim them. So-called Godly men. Ha! | |
| John: Tithes. That’s ten percent! | |
| James: First fruit offering. | |
| Peter: Wave offering. | |
| John: Sin offering. | |
| James: The dreaded Temple tax! What are we forgetting? | |
| Peter: They’ll remind us. Don’t worry about that. I’m thinking the Essenes got it right. If you don’t make any money, there’s nothing to take. | |
| John: Yeah, when The Christ comes, He’ll fix all this. | |
| James: If He could just get rid of the Romans, I could deal with the rest! | |
| Peter: Yeah, but it’s almost worse, the Pharisees and especially those Sadducees getting fat off of our labor, selling us out! | |
| John: Messiah will sort that. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I’m beginning to think it’s like Roman and Greek folklore. I shouldn’t say that. I hope it is true. | |
| James: Hey, is that Andrew? | |
| Peter: (Calling out) Hey, Brother. | |
| John: Looks like John’s got him stirred up. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I thought I heard you howling at the moon. What are you doing out so early? | |
| Andrew: (Out of breath) We have found the Messiah. |
| Peter: (Unbelieving) Oh yeah? We were just talking about Him. I thought you were going to hear John the Baptist? | |
| Andrew: Yeah, I was with John yesterday, when this man walked by and John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” |
| Peter: John said that? And what do you think? | |
| Andrew: I followed Him and stayed with Him, this man named Jesus. He’s not what I expected, but there is something about Him. Something more than I can say. | |
| James: This John who baptizes, unlike my brother John here, has no ulterior motives. He takes in no money or goods, or even food. They say he eats locusts and wild honey. |
| Andrew: John says when he baptized Jesus some time back, that the heavens opened and God’s spirit came down like a dove, and rested on Him. |
| James: What if He really were The Christ, and we were just talking about Him? | |
| John: Yeah, well we talk about Him like every other day, so not much of a coincidence there. | |
| James: Yeah, my latest messiah has wings! I mean, they’re mostly there for decoration because he rides a gigantic horse and shoots a bow and arrow. But He can fly if He needs to. | |
| John: Sounds like a eunuch to me. Mine is kind of like a cross between David and Goliath! He’s definitely a sword guy. One in each hand! Long black hair like Samson in his prime! Maybe a slingshot in His back pocket just in case. | |
| Andrew: (Visibly upset, loudly) Look, I think you should at least meet Him. Decide for yourself. | |
| (Sound Effect: The canine howls, the fire crackles.) |
| Peter: (Slowly…thinking, hoping) Okay, Brother. Take me to this Jesus. | |
| Narrator Peter: And so, Andrew brought me to Jesus. As we approached, I thought, “Could this humble looking man really someday defeat the Romans in battle?” (Action: Jesus makes His way downstage center, then Peter comes from the other direction.) Could He lead us to destroy them, and restore our temple and our faith in God from such vile corruption among our leaders, and become king and ruler of all Israel?” (Action: Peter arrives in front of Jesus, and Jesus does a subtle, but significant bow. Peter returns the bow.) Jesus looked at me and said, | |
| Jesus: (Action: Placing His hand on Peter’s shoulder)…You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Peter. |
| (Lights fade out, then fade back on) | |
| Isaiah: For He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; |
| Jesus: …I had no form or majesty that you should look at Me, and no beauty that you should desire Me. |
| Isaiah: He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; |
| Jesus: …and as one from whom men hide their faces I was despised, and you esteemed Me not. |
| Isaiah: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, |
| Jesus: …and with My wounds you are healed. |
| (Light/Curtains/End of Episode #1) |
Episode Spotlight:
In this episode, we find Peter and his companions out working by their fishing boats. While they are working, they are having a discussion about the various fees and taxes that they have to pay to the Roman government. We immediately see the oppression that the Romans have imposed on the Jewish people. But it gets worse if we continue in the scene. James, John, and Peter begin to discuss all of the fees they had to pay in the temple. The Jewish temple was the center of Jewish religious practice, but it was also an economic center that could cause a burden to the Jewish people. In both cases, we see the would-be disciples are looking for a messiah to come and resolve all of their issues. They were looking for a messiah to deliver them from their oppression.
We get to listen in on them as they describe what they think the Messiah would look like. It sounds more like a superhero than Jesus Christ. They were looking for a warrior that can rescue them from their oppression, but at the beginning of our story we see John describing Jesus. Let’s consider this his origin story. John says some really powerful things that while it may not look like Jesus is a superhero when his future disciples see him, it is clear that Jesus is more powerful than they ever could imagine. John describes Jesus as the physical manifestation of the Word of God. Not only is He the manifestation of the Word of God, but He is God himself. He is not just any superhero. He is the all-powerful Savior of the universe.
The beginning of the scene not only gives us an introduction to who Jesus is, but also why Jesus came to earth. There is a quotation from the prophet Isaiah that details Jesus’ plans. Jesus has come to bring liberty to people who are captive, to bring healing to people that are broken-hearted, and to bring good news to those that are downtrodden. This sounds like a superhero, but it doesn’t sound like someone who is coming to overthrow an empire. Rather, Jesus came to bring a different kind of power and a different way of looking at power. That’s not exactly what his future disciples were looking for at that point.
This is very important because this gives us an early look into how the disciples would view and receive Jesus. They were looking for a superhero, not just a religious leader. By the discussion that we imagined in the episode, we can tell that they were tired of their oppression, and they were looking for an answer. So when Andrew shows up, it is no wonder that they were so excited to go and meet Jesus.
Think back to when you first met Jesus. What was your life like? What needed to be changed about your life? What were the things that were oppressing you? This is important to remember so that we can share our testimony with others. If they know that Jesus delivered us from our oppression, they may be more inclined to let God deliver them from theirs. Remember how excited Andrew was when he came and told his brothers that he had seen the Messiah? Could you imagine what it felt like after living in darkness for so long, to see the light of Christ and know that your life was about to change? No wonder they wanted to follow him.
We see in this text three blueprints for Biblical witnesses. First of all, we learn from John that our discipleship is not to generate our own glory or make a name for ourselves, but to help people meet Jesus. Then we see that Jesus shows us that it’s not always our words that will convince us, but rather our actions that truly show the light of Christ. Finally, Andrew encourages us to bring others to Jesus after we have experienced His goodness. Look at the keyword “follow”. In the Greek, it means not only to go after, but also to obey. The fruit of these three witnessing events was that the disciples became obedient followers of Jesus. They weren’t just chasing after him, but they were also taking heed of his commandments.
| John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. |
| Jesus: I was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Me, and without Me was not any thing made that was made. In Me was life, and the life was the light of men. |
| John: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. |
| Narrator Peter: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. |
| John the Baptist: I, John the Baptist, came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through me. I was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. |
| John: The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. |
| Narrator Peter: He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. |
| Jesus: I came to My own, and My own people did not receive Me. But to all who did receive Me, who believed in My name, I gave the right to become children of God… |
| John: …who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. |
| Jesus: And I, the Word, became flesh and dwelt among you… |
| John: …and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. |
| John the Baptist: This was He of whom I, John The Baptist, said “He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me.” |
| John: For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. |
| Jesus: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Me. |
| John: No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, |
| Jesus: I have made God known. |
| Narrator Peter: I am Peter, known in those days as Simon, son of John. And these are the events leading up to the day I met Jesus, the Messiah, The Christ, the one Isaiah spoke of when he said: | |
| Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor… |
| Narrator Peter: To say we expected a Messiah, or “The Christ”, as a conquering King, is an understatement. We hoped for it. We longed for it. The times were oppressive indeed, not only from the Roman occupation of our homeland, but by our own leaders as well. And, as John the Baptist was receiving so much attention, and multitudes were coming to him for baptism, the religious and political leaders, the Pharisees, sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him… |
| Priest: Who are you? |
| John The Baptist: I am not the Christ. |
| Levite: What then? Are you Elijah? |
| John The Baptist: I am not. |
| Priest: Are you the prophet? |
| John The Baptist: No. |
| Levite: Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? |
| John the Baptist: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said. |
| Priest: Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? |
| John The Baptist: I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. |
| Narrator Peter: This took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said— |
| John the Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because He was before me.” I myself did not know Him; but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that He might be revealed to Israel. |
| Narrator Peter: And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him.” |
| John the Baptist: …I myself did not know Him; but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. |
| Narrator Peter: The next day again John the Baptist was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as He walked by and said— |
| John The Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God! |
| Narrator Peter: The two disciples heard Him say this, and they followed Jesus. One of them was Andrew, my brother. Jesus turned, and saw them following. |
| Jesus: What are you seeking? |
| Andrew: Teacher, where are you staying? |
| Jesus: Come and you will see. |
| Narrator Peter: So they came and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the 10th hour, which is 4pm. The next morning, Andrew came and found me. We were encamped not far away, curious also about this man named John, who baptized with water and lived a simple life in the wilderness. James and John, my partners in fishing, sat with me around the campfire, having some fish and bread. |
| (Sound Effect: A campfire crackles, a canine howls in the distance. We join Peter, James, and John mid conversation.) |
| Peter: …So, on one hand you have Rome taking over 12 percent of our haul, plus the head tax. So that’s an extra 2 days wages since I’m married, and by the time your little ones start being more of a help than a hindrance, you have to pay the head tax on them too! | |
| John: And then you have the road tolls, port fees, and the forced labor of moving all their dung around, that we don’t want here in the first place! A mile at a time. | |
| Peter: Don’t forget our fishing rights. | |
| James: Then you have our own people. | |
| Peter: I don’t claim them. So-called Godly men. Ha! | |
| John: Tithes. That’s ten percent! | |
| James: First fruit offering. | |
| Peter: Wave offering. | |
| John: Sin offering. | |
| James: The dreaded Temple tax! What are we forgetting? | |
| Peter: They’ll remind us. Don’t worry about that. I’m thinking the Essenes got it right. If you don’t make any money, there’s nothing to take. | |
| John: Yeah, when The Christ comes, He’ll fix all this. | |
| James: If He could just get rid of the Romans, I could deal with the rest! | |
| Peter: Yeah, but it’s almost worse, the Pharisees and especially those Sadducees getting fat off of our labor, selling us out! | |
| John: Messiah will sort that. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I’m beginning to think it’s like Roman and Greek folklore. I shouldn’t say that. I hope it is true. | |
| James: Hey, is that Andrew? | |
| Peter: (Calling out) Hey, Brother. | |
| John: Looks like John’s got him stirred up. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I thought I heard you howling at the moon. What are you doing out so early? | |
| Andrew: (Out of breath) We have found the Messiah. |
| Peter: (Unbelieving) Oh yeah? We were just talking about Him. I thought you were going to hear John the Baptist? | |
| Andrew: Yeah, I was with John yesterday, when this man walked by and John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” |
| Peter: John said that? And what do you think? | |
| Andrew: I followed Him and stayed with Him, this man named Jesus. He’s not what I expected, but there is something about Him. Something more than I can say. | |
| James: This John who baptizes, unlike my brother John here, has no ulterior motives. He takes in no money or goods, or even food. They say he eats locusts and wild honey. |
| Andrew: John says when he baptized Jesus some time back, that the heavens opened and God’s spirit came down like a dove, and rested on Him. |
| James: What if He really were The Christ, and we were just talking about Him? | |
| John: Yeah, well we talk about Him like every other day, so not much of a coincidence there. | |
| James: Yeah, my latest messiah has wings! I mean, they’re mostly there for decoration because he rides a gigantic horse and shoots a bow and arrow. But He can fly if He needs to. | |
| John: Sounds like a eunuch to me. Mine is kind of like a cross between David and Goliath! He’s definitely a sword guy. One in each hand! Long black hair like Samson in his prime! Maybe a slingshot in His back pocket just in case. | |
| Andrew: (Visibly upset, loudly) Look, I think you should at least meet Him. Decide for yourself. | |
| (Sound Effect: The canine howls, the fire crackles.) |
| Peter: (Slowly…thinking, hoping) Okay, Brother. Take me to this Jesus. | |
| Narrator Peter: And so, Andrew brought me to Jesus. As we approached, I thought, “Could this humble looking man really someday defeat the Romans in battle?” (Action: Jesus makes His way downstage center, then Peter comes from the other direction.) Could He lead us to destroy them, and restore our temple and our faith in God from such vile corruption among our leaders, and become king and ruler of all Israel?” (Action: Peter arrives in front of Jesus, and Jesus does a subtle, but significant bow. Peter returns the bow.) Jesus looked at me and said, | |
| Jesus: (Action: Placing His hand on Peter’s shoulder)…You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Peter. |
| (Lights fade out, then fade back on) | |
| Isaiah: For He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; |
| Jesus: …I had no form or majesty that you should look at Me, and no beauty that you should desire Me. |
| Isaiah: He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; |
| Jesus: …and as one from whom men hide their faces I was despised, and you esteemed Me not. |
| Isaiah: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, |
| Jesus: …and with My wounds you are healed. |
| (Light/Curtains/End of Episode #1) |
Episode Spotlight:
In this episode, we find Peter and his companions out working by their fishing boats. While they are working, they are having a discussion about the various fees and taxes that they have to pay to the Roman government. We immediately see the oppression that the Romans have imposed on the Jewish people. But it gets worse if we continue in the scene. James, John, and Peter begin to discuss all of the fees they had to pay in the temple. The Jewish temple was the center of Jewish religious practice, but it was also an economic center that could cause a burden to the Jewish people. In both cases, we see the would-be disciples are looking for a messiah to come and resolve all of their issues. They were looking for a messiah to deliver them from their oppression.
We get to listen in on them as they describe what they think the Messiah would look like. It sounds more like a superhero than Jesus Christ. They were looking for a warrior that can rescue them from their oppression, but at the beginning of our story we see John describing Jesus. Let’s consider this his origin story. John says some really powerful things that while it may not look like Jesus is a superhero when his future disciples see him, it is clear that Jesus is more powerful than they ever could imagine. John describes Jesus as the physical manifestation of the Word of God. Not only is He the manifestation of the Word of God, but He is God himself. He is not just any superhero. He is the all-powerful Savior of the universe.
The beginning of the scene not only gives us an introduction to who Jesus is, but also why Jesus came to earth. There is a quotation from the prophet Isaiah that details Jesus’ plans. Jesus has come to bring liberty to people who are captive, to bring healing to people that are broken-hearted, and to bring good news to those that are downtrodden. This sounds like a superhero, but it doesn’t sound like someone who is coming to overthrow an empire. Rather, Jesus came to bring a different kind of power and a different way of looking at power. That’s not exactly what his future disciples were looking for at that point.
This is very important because this gives us an early look into how the disciples would view and receive Jesus. They were looking for a superhero, not just a religious leader. By the discussion that we imagined in the episode, we can tell that they were tired of their oppression, and they were looking for an answer. So when Andrew shows up, it is no wonder that they were so excited to go and meet Jesus.
Think back to when you first met Jesus. What was your life like? What needed to be changed about your life? What were the things that were oppressing you? This is important to remember so that we can share our testimony with others. If they know that Jesus delivered us from our oppression, they may be more inclined to let God deliver them from theirs. Remember how excited Andrew was when he came and told his brothers that he had seen the Messiah? Could you imagine what it felt like after living in darkness for so long, to see the light of Christ and know that your life was about to change? No wonder they wanted to follow him.
We see in this text three blueprints for Biblical witnesses. First of all, we learn from John that our discipleship is not to generate our own glory or make a name for ourselves, but to help people meet Jesus. Then we see that Jesus shows us that it’s not always our words that will convince us, but rather our actions that truly show the light of Christ. Finally, Andrew encourages us to bring others to Jesus after we have experienced His goodness. Look at the keyword “follow”. In the Greek, it means not only to go after, but also to obey. The fruit of these three witnessing events was that the disciples became obedient followers of Jesus. They weren’t just chasing after him, but they were also taking heed of his commandments.
| John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. |
| Jesus: I was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Me, and without Me was not any thing made that was made. In Me was life, and the life was the light of men. |
| John: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. |
| Narrator Peter: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. |
| John the Baptist: I, John the Baptist, came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through me. I was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. |
| John: The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. |
| Narrator Peter: He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. |
| Jesus: I came to My own, and My own people did not receive Me. But to all who did receive Me, who believed in My name, I gave the right to become children of God… |
| John: …who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. |
| Jesus: And I, the Word, became flesh and dwelt among you… |
| John: …and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. |
| John the Baptist: This was He of whom I, John The Baptist, said “He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me.” |
| John: For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. |
| Jesus: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Me. |
| John: No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, |
| Jesus: I have made God known. |
| Narrator Peter: I am Peter, known in those days as Simon, son of John. And these are the events leading up to the day I met Jesus, the Messiah, The Christ, the one Isaiah spoke of when he said: | |
| Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor… |
| Narrator Peter: To say we expected a Messiah, or “The Christ”, as a conquering King, is an understatement. We hoped for it. We longed for it. The times were oppressive indeed, not only from the Roman occupation of our homeland, but by our own leaders as well. And, as John the Baptist was receiving so much attention, and multitudes were coming to him for baptism, the religious and political leaders, the Pharisees, sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him… |
| Priest: Who are you? |
| John The Baptist: I am not the Christ. |
| Levite: What then? Are you Elijah? |
| John The Baptist: I am not. |
| Priest: Are you the prophet? |
| John The Baptist: No. |
| Levite: Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? |
| John the Baptist: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said. |
| Priest: Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? |
| John The Baptist: I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. |
| Narrator Peter: This took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said— |
| John the Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because He was before me.” I myself did not know Him; but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that He might be revealed to Israel. |
| Narrator Peter: And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him.” |
| John the Baptist: …I myself did not know Him; but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. |
| Narrator Peter: The next day again John the Baptist was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as He walked by and said— |
| John The Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God! |
| Narrator Peter: The two disciples heard Him say this, and they followed Jesus. One of them was Andrew, my brother. Jesus turned, and saw them following. |
| Jesus: What are you seeking? |
| Andrew: Teacher, where are you staying? |
| Jesus: Come and you will see. |
| Narrator Peter: So they came and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the 10th hour, which is 4pm. The next morning, Andrew came and found me. We were encamped not far away, curious also about this man named John, who baptized with water and lived a simple life in the wilderness. James and John, my partners in fishing, sat with me around the campfire, having some fish and bread. |
| (Sound Effect: A campfire crackles, a canine howls in the distance. We join Peter, James, and John mid conversation.) |
| Peter: …So, on one hand you have Rome taking over 12 percent of our haul, plus the head tax. So that’s an extra 2 days wages since I’m married, and by the time your little ones start being more of a help than a hindrance, you have to pay the head tax on them too! | |
| John: And then you have the road tolls, port fees, and the forced labor of moving all their dung around, that we don’t want here in the first place! A mile at a time. | |
| Peter: Don’t forget our fishing rights. | |
| James: Then you have our own people. | |
| Peter: I don’t claim them. So-called Godly men. Ha! | |
| John: Tithes. That’s ten percent! | |
| James: First fruit offering. | |
| Peter: Wave offering. | |
| John: Sin offering. | |
| James: The dreaded Temple tax! What are we forgetting? | |
| Peter: They’ll remind us. Don’t worry about that. I’m thinking the Essenes got it right. If you don’t make any money, there’s nothing to take. | |
| John: Yeah, when The Christ comes, He’ll fix all this. | |
| James: If He could just get rid of the Romans, I could deal with the rest! | |
| Peter: Yeah, but it’s almost worse, the Pharisees and especially those Sadducees getting fat off of our labor, selling us out! | |
| John: Messiah will sort that. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I’m beginning to think it’s like Roman and Greek folklore. I shouldn’t say that. I hope it is true. | |
| James: Hey, is that Andrew? | |
| Peter: (Calling out) Hey, Brother. | |
| John: Looks like John’s got him stirred up. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I thought I heard you howling at the moon. What are you doing out so early? | |
| Andrew: (Out of breath) We have found the Messiah. |
| Peter: (Unbelieving) Oh yeah? We were just talking about Him. I thought you were going to hear John the Baptist? | |
| Andrew: Yeah, I was with John yesterday, when this man walked by and John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” |
| Peter: John said that? And what do you think? | |
| Andrew: I followed Him and stayed with Him, this man named Jesus. He’s not what I expected, but there is something about Him. Something more than I can say. | |
| James: This John who baptizes, unlike my brother John here, has no ulterior motives. He takes in no money or goods, or even food. They say he eats locusts and wild honey. |
| Andrew: John says when he baptized Jesus some time back, that the heavens opened and God’s spirit came down like a dove, and rested on Him. |
| James: What if He really were The Christ, and we were just talking about Him? | |
| John: Yeah, well we talk about Him like every other day, so not much of a coincidence there. | |
| James: Yeah, my latest messiah has wings! I mean, they’re mostly there for decoration because he rides a gigantic horse and shoots a bow and arrow. But He can fly if He needs to. | |
| John: Sounds like a eunuch to me. Mine is kind of like a cross between David and Goliath! He’s definitely a sword guy. One in each hand! Long black hair like Samson in his prime! Maybe a slingshot in His back pocket just in case. | |
| Andrew: (Visibly upset, loudly) Look, I think you should at least meet Him. Decide for yourself. | |
| (Sound Effect: The canine howls, the fire crackles.) |
| Peter: (Slowly…thinking, hoping) Okay, Brother. Take me to this Jesus. | |
| Narrator Peter: And so, Andrew brought me to Jesus. As we approached, I thought, “Could this humble looking man really someday defeat the Romans in battle?” (Action: Jesus makes His way downstage center, then Peter comes from the other direction.) Could He lead us to destroy them, and restore our temple and our faith in God from such vile corruption among our leaders, and become king and ruler of all Israel?” (Action: Peter arrives in front of Jesus, and Jesus does a subtle, but significant bow. Peter returns the bow.) Jesus looked at me and said, | |
| Jesus: (Action: Placing His hand on Peter’s shoulder)…You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Peter. |
| (Lights fade out, then fade back on) | |
| Isaiah: For He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; |
| Jesus: …I had no form or majesty that you should look at Me, and no beauty that you should desire Me. |
| Isaiah: He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; |
| Jesus: …and as one from whom men hide their faces I was despised, and you esteemed Me not. |
| Isaiah: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, |
| Jesus: …and with My wounds you are healed. |
| (Light/Curtains/End of Episode #1) |
Episode Spotlight:
In this episode, we find Peter and his companions out working by their fishing boats. While they are working, they are having a discussion about the various fees and taxes that they have to pay to the Roman government. We immediately see the oppression that the Romans have imposed on the Jewish people. But it gets worse if we continue in the scene. James, John, and Peter begin to discuss all of the fees they had to pay in the temple. The Jewish temple was the center of Jewish religious practice, but it was also an economic center that could cause a burden to the Jewish people. In both cases, we see the would-be disciples are looking for a messiah to come and resolve all of their issues. They were looking for a messiah to deliver them from their oppression.
We get to listen in on them as they describe what they think the Messiah would look like. It sounds more like a superhero than Jesus Christ. They were looking for a warrior that can rescue them from their oppression, but at the beginning of our story we see John describing Jesus. Let’s consider this his origin story. John says some really powerful things that while it may not look like Jesus is a superhero when his future disciples see him, it is clear that Jesus is more powerful than they ever could imagine. John describes Jesus as the physical manifestation of the Word of God. Not only is He the manifestation of the Word of God, but He is God himself. He is not just any superhero. He is the all-powerful Savior of the universe.
The beginning of the scene not only gives us an introduction to who Jesus is, but also why Jesus came to earth. There is a quotation from the prophet Isaiah that details Jesus’ plans. Jesus has come to bring liberty to people who are captive, to bring healing to people that are broken-hearted, and to bring good news to those that are downtrodden. This sounds like a superhero, but it doesn’t sound like someone who is coming to overthrow an empire. Rather, Jesus came to bring a different kind of power and a different way of looking at power. That’s not exactly what his future disciples were looking for at that point.
This is very important because this gives us an early look into how the disciples would view and receive Jesus. They were looking for a superhero, not just a religious leader. By the discussion that we imagined in the episode, we can tell that they were tired of their oppression, and they were looking for an answer. So when Andrew shows up, it is no wonder that they were so excited to go and meet Jesus.
Think back to when you first met Jesus. What was your life like? What needed to be changed about your life? What were the things that were oppressing you? This is important to remember so that we can share our testimony with others. If they know that Jesus delivered us from our oppression, they may be more inclined to let God deliver them from theirs. Remember how excited Andrew was when he came and told his brothers that he had seen the Messiah? Could you imagine what it felt like after living in darkness for so long, to see the light of Christ and know that your life was about to change? No wonder they wanted to follow him.
We see in this text three blueprints for Biblical witnesses. First of all, we learn from John that our discipleship is not to generate our own glory or make a name for ourselves, but to help people meet Jesus. Then we see that Jesus shows us that it’s not always our words that will convince us, but rather our actions that truly show the light of Christ. Finally, Andrew encourages us to bring others to Jesus after we have experienced His goodness. Look at the keyword “follow”. In the Greek, it means not only to go after, but also to obey. The fruit of these three witnessing events was that the disciples became obedient followers of Jesus. They weren’t just chasing after him, but they were also taking heed of his commandments.
| John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. |
| Jesus: I was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Me, and without Me was not any thing made that was made. In Me was life, and the life was the light of men. |
| John: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. |
| Narrator Peter: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. |
| John the Baptist: I, John the Baptist, came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through me. I was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. |
| John: The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. |
| Narrator Peter: He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. |
| Jesus: I came to My own, and My own people did not receive Me. But to all who did receive Me, who believed in My name, I gave the right to become children of God… |
| John: …who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. |
| Jesus: And I, the Word, became flesh and dwelt among you… |
| John: …and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. |
| John the Baptist: This was He of whom I, John The Baptist, said “He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me.” |
| John: For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. |
| Jesus: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Me. |
| John: No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, |
| Jesus: I have made God known. |
| Narrator Peter: I am Peter, known in those days as Simon, son of John. And these are the events leading up to the day I met Jesus, the Messiah, The Christ, the one Isaiah spoke of when he said: | |
| Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor… |
| Narrator Peter: To say we expected a Messiah, or “The Christ”, as a conquering King, is an understatement. We hoped for it. We longed for it. The times were oppressive indeed, not only from the Roman occupation of our homeland, but by our own leaders as well. And, as John the Baptist was receiving so much attention, and multitudes were coming to him for baptism, the religious and political leaders, the Pharisees, sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him… |
| Priest: Who are you? |
| John The Baptist: I am not the Christ. |
| Levite: What then? Are you Elijah? |
| John The Baptist: I am not. |
| Priest: Are you the prophet? |
| John The Baptist: No. |
| Levite: Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? |
| John the Baptist: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said. |
| Priest: Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? |
| John The Baptist: I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. |
| Narrator Peter: This took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said— |
| John the Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because He was before me.” I myself did not know Him; but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that He might be revealed to Israel. |
| Narrator Peter: And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him.” |
| John the Baptist: …I myself did not know Him; but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. |
| Narrator Peter: The next day again John the Baptist was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as He walked by and said— |
| John The Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God! |
| Narrator Peter: The two disciples heard Him say this, and they followed Jesus. One of them was Andrew, my brother. Jesus turned, and saw them following. |
| Jesus: What are you seeking? |
| Andrew: Teacher, where are you staying? |
| Jesus: Come and you will see. |
| Narrator Peter: So they came and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the 10th hour, which is 4pm. The next morning, Andrew came and found me. We were encamped not far away, curious also about this man named John, who baptized with water and lived a simple life in the wilderness. James and John, my partners in fishing, sat with me around the campfire, having some fish and bread. |
| (Sound Effect: A campfire crackles, a canine howls in the distance. We join Peter, James, and John mid conversation.) |
| Peter: …So, on one hand you have Rome taking over 12 percent of our haul, plus the head tax. So that’s an extra 2 days wages since I’m married, and by the time your little ones start being more of a help than a hindrance, you have to pay the head tax on them too! | |
| John: And then you have the road tolls, port fees, and the forced labor of moving all their dung around, that we don’t want here in the first place! A mile at a time. | |
| Peter: Don’t forget our fishing rights. | |
| James: Then you have our own people. | |
| Peter: I don’t claim them. So-called Godly men. Ha! | |
| John: Tithes. That’s ten percent! | |
| James: First fruit offering. | |
| Peter: Wave offering. | |
| John: Sin offering. | |
| James: The dreaded Temple tax! What are we forgetting? | |
| Peter: They’ll remind us. Don’t worry about that. I’m thinking the Essenes got it right. If you don’t make any money, there’s nothing to take. | |
| John: Yeah, when The Christ comes, He’ll fix all this. | |
| James: If He could just get rid of the Romans, I could deal with the rest! | |
| Peter: Yeah, but it’s almost worse, the Pharisees and especially those Sadducees getting fat off of our labor, selling us out! | |
| John: Messiah will sort that. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I’m beginning to think it’s like Roman and Greek folklore. I shouldn’t say that. I hope it is true. | |
| James: Hey, is that Andrew? | |
| Peter: (Calling out) Hey, Brother. | |
| John: Looks like John’s got him stirred up. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I thought I heard you howling at the moon. What are you doing out so early? | |
| Andrew: (Out of breath) We have found the Messiah. |
| Peter: (Unbelieving) Oh yeah? We were just talking about Him. I thought you were going to hear John the Baptist? | |
| Andrew: Yeah, I was with John yesterday, when this man walked by and John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” |
| Peter: John said that? And what do you think? | |
| Andrew: I followed Him and stayed with Him, this man named Jesus. He’s not what I expected, but there is something about Him. Something more than I can say. | |
| James: This John who baptizes, unlike my brother John here, has no ulterior motives. He takes in no money or goods, or even food. They say he eats locusts and wild honey. |
| Andrew: John says when he baptized Jesus some time back, that the heavens opened and God’s spirit came down like a dove, and rested on Him. |
| James: What if He really were The Christ, and we were just talking about Him? | |
| John: Yeah, well we talk about Him like every other day, so not much of a coincidence there. | |
| James: Yeah, my latest messiah has wings! I mean, they’re mostly there for decoration because he rides a gigantic horse and shoots a bow and arrow. But He can fly if He needs to. | |
| John: Sounds like a eunuch to me. Mine is kind of like a cross between David and Goliath! He’s definitely a sword guy. One in each hand! Long black hair like Samson in his prime! Maybe a slingshot in His back pocket just in case. | |
| Andrew: (Visibly upset, loudly) Look, I think you should at least meet Him. Decide for yourself. | |
| (Sound Effect: The canine howls, the fire crackles.) |
| Peter: (Slowly…thinking, hoping) Okay, Brother. Take me to this Jesus. | |
| Narrator Peter: And so, Andrew brought me to Jesus. As we approached, I thought, “Could this humble looking man really someday defeat the Romans in battle?” (Action: Jesus makes His way downstage center, then Peter comes from the other direction.) Could He lead us to destroy them, and restore our temple and our faith in God from such vile corruption among our leaders, and become king and ruler of all Israel?” (Action: Peter arrives in front of Jesus, and Jesus does a subtle, but significant bow. Peter returns the bow.) Jesus looked at me and said, | |
| Jesus: (Action: Placing His hand on Peter’s shoulder)…You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Peter. |
| (Lights fade out, then fade back on) | |
| Isaiah: For He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; |
| Jesus: …I had no form or majesty that you should look at Me, and no beauty that you should desire Me. |
| Isaiah: He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; |
| Jesus: …and as one from whom men hide their faces I was despised, and you esteemed Me not. |
| Isaiah: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, |
| Jesus: …and with My wounds you are healed. |
| (Light/Curtains/End of Episode #1) |
Episode Spotlight:
In this episode, we find Peter and his companions out working by their fishing boats. While they are working, they are having a discussion about the various fees and taxes that they have to pay to the Roman government. We immediately see the oppression that the Romans have imposed on the Jewish people. But it gets worse if we continue in the scene. James, John, and Peter begin to discuss all of the fees they had to pay in the temple. The Jewish temple was the center of Jewish religious practice, but it was also an economic center that could cause a burden to the Jewish people. In both cases, we see the would-be disciples are looking for a messiah to come and resolve all of their issues. They were looking for a messiah to deliver them from their oppression.
We get to listen in on them as they describe what they think the Messiah would look like. It sounds more like a superhero than Jesus Christ. They were looking for a warrior that can rescue them from their oppression, but at the beginning of our story we see John describing Jesus. Let’s consider this his origin story. John says some really powerful things that while it may not look like Jesus is a superhero when his future disciples see him, it is clear that Jesus is more powerful than they ever could imagine. John describes Jesus as the physical manifestation of the Word of God. Not only is He the manifestation of the Word of God, but He is God himself. He is not just any superhero. He is the all-powerful Savior of the universe.
The beginning of the scene not only gives us an introduction to who Jesus is, but also why Jesus came to earth. There is a quotation from the prophet Isaiah that details Jesus’ plans. Jesus has come to bring liberty to people who are captive, to bring healing to people that are broken-hearted, and to bring good news to those that are downtrodden. This sounds like a superhero, but it doesn’t sound like someone who is coming to overthrow an empire. Rather, Jesus came to bring a different kind of power and a different way of looking at power. That’s not exactly what his future disciples were looking for at that point.
This is very important because this gives us an early look into how the disciples would view and receive Jesus. They were looking for a superhero, not just a religious leader. By the discussion that we imagined in the episode, we can tell that they were tired of their oppression, and they were looking for an answer. So when Andrew shows up, it is no wonder that they were so excited to go and meet Jesus.
Think back to when you first met Jesus. What was your life like? What needed to be changed about your life? What were the things that were oppressing you? This is important to remember so that we can share our testimony with others. If they know that Jesus delivered us from our oppression, they may be more inclined to let God deliver them from theirs. Remember how excited Andrew was when he came and told his brothers that he had seen the Messiah? Could you imagine what it felt like after living in darkness for so long, to see the light of Christ and know that your life was about to change? No wonder they wanted to follow him.
We see in this text three blueprints for Biblical witnesses. First of all, we learn from John that our discipleship is not to generate our own glory or make a name for ourselves, but to help people meet Jesus. Then we see that Jesus shows us that it’s not always our words that will convince us, but rather our actions that truly show the light of Christ. Finally, Andrew encourages us to bring others to Jesus after we have experienced His goodness. Look at the keyword “follow”. In the Greek, it means not only to go after, but also to obey. The fruit of these three witnessing events was that the disciples became obedient followers of Jesus. They weren’t just chasing after him, but they were also taking heed of his commandments.
| John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. |
| Jesus: I was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Me, and without Me was not any thing made that was made. In Me was life, and the life was the light of men. |
| John: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. |
| Narrator Peter: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. |
| John the Baptist: I, John the Baptist, came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through me. I was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. |
| John: The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. |
| Narrator Peter: He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. |
| Jesus: I came to My own, and My own people did not receive Me. But to all who did receive Me, who believed in My name, I gave the right to become children of God… |
| John: …who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. |
| Jesus: And I, the Word, became flesh and dwelt among you… |
| John: …and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. |
| John the Baptist: This was He of whom I, John The Baptist, said “He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me.” |
| John: For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. |
| Jesus: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Me. |
| John: No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, |
| Jesus: I have made God known. |
| Narrator Peter: I am Peter, known in those days as Simon, son of John. And these are the events leading up to the day I met Jesus, the Messiah, The Christ, the one Isaiah spoke of when he said: | |
| Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor… |
| Narrator Peter: To say we expected a Messiah, or “The Christ”, as a conquering King, is an understatement. We hoped for it. We longed for it. The times were oppressive indeed, not only from the Roman occupation of our homeland, but by our own leaders as well. And, as John the Baptist was receiving so much attention, and multitudes were coming to him for baptism, the religious and political leaders, the Pharisees, sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him… |
| Priest: Who are you? |
| John The Baptist: I am not the Christ. |
| Levite: What then? Are you Elijah? |
| John The Baptist: I am not. |
| Priest: Are you the prophet? |
| John The Baptist: No. |
| Levite: Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? |
| John the Baptist: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said. |
| Priest: Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? |
| John The Baptist: I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. |
| Narrator Peter: This took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said— |
| John the Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because He was before me.” I myself did not know Him; but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that He might be revealed to Israel. |
| Narrator Peter: And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him.” |
| John the Baptist: …I myself did not know Him; but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. |
| Narrator Peter: The next day again John the Baptist was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as He walked by and said— |
| John The Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God! |
| Narrator Peter: The two disciples heard Him say this, and they followed Jesus. One of them was Andrew, my brother. Jesus turned, and saw them following. |
| Jesus: What are you seeking? |
| Andrew: Teacher, where are you staying? |
| Jesus: Come and you will see. |
| Narrator Peter: So they came and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the 10th hour, which is 4pm. The next morning, Andrew came and found me. We were encamped not far away, curious also about this man named John, who baptized with water and lived a simple life in the wilderness. James and John, my partners in fishing, sat with me around the campfire, having some fish and bread. |
| (Sound Effect: A campfire crackles, a canine howls in the distance. We join Peter, James, and John mid conversation.) |
| Peter: …So, on one hand you have Rome taking over 12 percent of our haul, plus the head tax. So that’s an extra 2 days wages since I’m married, and by the time your little ones start being more of a help than a hindrance, you have to pay the head tax on them too! | |
| John: And then you have the road tolls, port fees, and the forced labor of moving all their dung around, that we don’t want here in the first place! A mile at a time. | |
| Peter: Don’t forget our fishing rights. | |
| James: Then you have our own people. | |
| Peter: I don’t claim them. So-called Godly men. Ha! | |
| John: Tithes. That’s ten percent! | |
| James: First fruit offering. | |
| Peter: Wave offering. | |
| John: Sin offering. | |
| James: The dreaded Temple tax! What are we forgetting? | |
| Peter: They’ll remind us. Don’t worry about that. I’m thinking the Essenes got it right. If you don’t make any money, there’s nothing to take. | |
| John: Yeah, when The Christ comes, He’ll fix all this. | |
| James: If He could just get rid of the Romans, I could deal with the rest! | |
| Peter: Yeah, but it’s almost worse, the Pharisees and especially those Sadducees getting fat off of our labor, selling us out! | |
| John: Messiah will sort that. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I’m beginning to think it’s like Roman and Greek folklore. I shouldn’t say that. I hope it is true. | |
| James: Hey, is that Andrew? | |
| Peter: (Calling out) Hey, Brother. | |
| John: Looks like John’s got him stirred up. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I thought I heard you howling at the moon. What are you doing out so early? | |
| Andrew: (Out of breath) We have found the Messiah. |
| Peter: (Unbelieving) Oh yeah? We were just talking about Him. I thought you were going to hear John the Baptist? | |
| Andrew: Yeah, I was with John yesterday, when this man walked by and John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” |
| Peter: John said that? And what do you think? | |
| Andrew: I followed Him and stayed with Him, this man named Jesus. He’s not what I expected, but there is something about Him. Something more than I can say. | |
| James: This John who baptizes, unlike my brother John here, has no ulterior motives. He takes in no money or goods, or even food. They say he eats locusts and wild honey. |
| Andrew: John says when he baptized Jesus some time back, that the heavens opened and God’s spirit came down like a dove, and rested on Him. |
| James: What if He really were The Christ, and we were just talking about Him? | |
| John: Yeah, well we talk about Him like every other day, so not much of a coincidence there. | |
| James: Yeah, my latest messiah has wings! I mean, they’re mostly there for decoration because he rides a gigantic horse and shoots a bow and arrow. But He can fly if He needs to. | |
| John: Sounds like a eunuch to me. Mine is kind of like a cross between David and Goliath! He’s definitely a sword guy. One in each hand! Long black hair like Samson in his prime! Maybe a slingshot in His back pocket just in case. | |
| Andrew: (Visibly upset, loudly) Look, I think you should at least meet Him. Decide for yourself. | |
| (Sound Effect: The canine howls, the fire crackles.) |
| Peter: (Slowly…thinking, hoping) Okay, Brother. Take me to this Jesus. | |
| Narrator Peter: And so, Andrew brought me to Jesus. As we approached, I thought, “Could this humble looking man really someday defeat the Romans in battle?” (Action: Jesus makes His way downstage center, then Peter comes from the other direction.) Could He lead us to destroy them, and restore our temple and our faith in God from such vile corruption among our leaders, and become king and ruler of all Israel?” (Action: Peter arrives in front of Jesus, and Jesus does a subtle, but significant bow. Peter returns the bow.) Jesus looked at me and said, | |
| Jesus: (Action: Placing His hand on Peter’s shoulder)…You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Peter. |
| (Lights fade out, then fade back on) | |
| Isaiah: For He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; |
| Jesus: …I had no form or majesty that you should look at Me, and no beauty that you should desire Me. |
| Isaiah: He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; |
| Jesus: …and as one from whom men hide their faces I was despised, and you esteemed Me not. |
| Isaiah: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, |
| Jesus: …and with My wounds you are healed. |
| (Light/Curtains/End of Episode #1) |
Episode Spotlight:
In this episode, we find Peter and his companions out working by their fishing boats. While they are working, they are having a discussion about the various fees and taxes that they have to pay to the Roman government. We immediately see the oppression that the Romans have imposed on the Jewish people. But it gets worse if we continue in the scene. James, John, and Peter begin to discuss all of the fees they had to pay in the temple. The Jewish temple was the center of Jewish religious practice, but it was also an economic center that could cause a burden to the Jewish people. In both cases, we see the would-be disciples are looking for a messiah to come and resolve all of their issues. They were looking for a messiah to deliver them from their oppression.
We get to listen in on them as they describe what they think the Messiah would look like. It sounds more like a superhero than Jesus Christ. They were looking for a warrior that can rescue them from their oppression, but at the beginning of our story we see John describing Jesus. Let’s consider this his origin story. John says some really powerful things that while it may not look like Jesus is a superhero when his future disciples see him, it is clear that Jesus is more powerful than they ever could imagine. John describes Jesus as the physical manifestation of the Word of God. Not only is He the manifestation of the Word of God, but He is God himself. He is not just any superhero. He is the all-powerful Savior of the universe.
The beginning of the scene not only gives us an introduction to who Jesus is, but also why Jesus came to earth. There is a quotation from the prophet Isaiah that details Jesus’ plans. Jesus has come to bring liberty to people who are captive, to bring healing to people that are broken-hearted, and to bring good news to those that are downtrodden. This sounds like a superhero, but it doesn’t sound like someone who is coming to overthrow an empire. Rather, Jesus came to bring a different kind of power and a different way of looking at power. That’s not exactly what his future disciples were looking for at that point.
This is very important because this gives us an early look into how the disciples would view and receive Jesus. They were looking for a superhero, not just a religious leader. By the discussion that we imagined in the episode, we can tell that they were tired of their oppression, and they were looking for an answer. So when Andrew shows up, it is no wonder that they were so excited to go and meet Jesus.
Think back to when you first met Jesus. What was your life like? What needed to be changed about your life? What were the things that were oppressing you? This is important to remember so that we can share our testimony with others. If they know that Jesus delivered us from our oppression, they may be more inclined to let God deliver them from theirs. Remember how excited Andrew was when he came and told his brothers that he had seen the Messiah? Could you imagine what it felt like after living in darkness for so long, to see the light of Christ and know that your life was about to change? No wonder they wanted to follow him.
We see in this text three blueprints for Biblical witnesses. First of all, we learn from John that our discipleship is not to generate our own glory or make a name for ourselves, but to help people meet Jesus. Then we see that Jesus shows us that it’s not always our words that will convince us, but rather our actions that truly show the light of Christ. Finally, Andrew encourages us to bring others to Jesus after we have experienced His goodness. Look at the keyword “follow”. In the Greek, it means not only to go after, but also to obey. The fruit of these three witnessing events was that the disciples became obedient followers of Jesus. They weren’t just chasing after him, but they were also taking heed of his commandments.
| John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. |
| Jesus: I was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Me, and without Me was not any thing made that was made. In Me was life, and the life was the light of men. |
| John: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. |
| Narrator Peter: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. |
| John the Baptist: I, John the Baptist, came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through me. I was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. |
| John: The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. |
| Narrator Peter: He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. |
| Jesus: I came to My own, and My own people did not receive Me. But to all who did receive Me, who believed in My name, I gave the right to become children of God… |
| John: …who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. |
| Jesus: And I, the Word, became flesh and dwelt among you… |
| John: …and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. |
| John the Baptist: This was He of whom I, John The Baptist, said “He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me.” |
| John: For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. |
| Jesus: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Me. |
| John: No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, |
| Jesus: I have made God known. |
| Narrator Peter: I am Peter, known in those days as Simon, son of John. And these are the events leading up to the day I met Jesus, the Messiah, The Christ, the one Isaiah spoke of when he said: | |
| Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor… |
| Narrator Peter: To say we expected a Messiah, or “The Christ”, as a conquering King, is an understatement. We hoped for it. We longed for it. The times were oppressive indeed, not only from the Roman occupation of our homeland, but by our own leaders as well. And, as John the Baptist was receiving so much attention, and multitudes were coming to him for baptism, the religious and political leaders, the Pharisees, sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him… |
| Priest: Who are you? |
| John The Baptist: I am not the Christ. |
| Levite: What then? Are you Elijah? |
| John The Baptist: I am not. |
| Priest: Are you the prophet? |
| John The Baptist: No. |
| Levite: Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? |
| John the Baptist: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said. |
| Priest: Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? |
| John The Baptist: I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. |
| Narrator Peter: This took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said— |
| John the Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because He was before me.” I myself did not know Him; but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that He might be revealed to Israel. |
| Narrator Peter: And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him.” |
| John the Baptist: …I myself did not know Him; but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. |
| Narrator Peter: The next day again John the Baptist was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as He walked by and said— |
| John The Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God! |
| Narrator Peter: The two disciples heard Him say this, and they followed Jesus. One of them was Andrew, my brother. Jesus turned, and saw them following. |
| Jesus: What are you seeking? |
| Andrew: Teacher, where are you staying? |
| Jesus: Come and you will see. |
| Narrator Peter: So they came and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the 10th hour, which is 4pm. The next morning, Andrew came and found me. We were encamped not far away, curious also about this man named John, who baptized with water and lived a simple life in the wilderness. James and John, my partners in fishing, sat with me around the campfire, having some fish and bread. |
| (Sound Effect: A campfire crackles, a canine howls in the distance. We join Peter, James, and John mid conversation.) |
| Peter: …So, on one hand you have Rome taking over 12 percent of our haul, plus the head tax. So that’s an extra 2 days wages since I’m married, and by the time your little ones start being more of a help than a hindrance, you have to pay the head tax on them too! | |
| John: And then you have the road tolls, port fees, and the forced labor of moving all their dung around, that we don’t want here in the first place! A mile at a time. | |
| Peter: Don’t forget our fishing rights. | |
| James: Then you have our own people. | |
| Peter: I don’t claim them. So-called Godly men. Ha! | |
| John: Tithes. That’s ten percent! | |
| James: First fruit offering. | |
| Peter: Wave offering. | |
| John: Sin offering. | |
| James: The dreaded Temple tax! What are we forgetting? | |
| Peter: They’ll remind us. Don’t worry about that. I’m thinking the Essenes got it right. If you don’t make any money, there’s nothing to take. | |
| John: Yeah, when The Christ comes, He’ll fix all this. | |
| James: If He could just get rid of the Romans, I could deal with the rest! | |
| Peter: Yeah, but it’s almost worse, the Pharisees and especially those Sadducees getting fat off of our labor, selling us out! | |
| John: Messiah will sort that. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I’m beginning to think it’s like Roman and Greek folklore. I shouldn’t say that. I hope it is true. | |
| James: Hey, is that Andrew? | |
| Peter: (Calling out) Hey, Brother. | |
| John: Looks like John’s got him stirred up. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I thought I heard you howling at the moon. What are you doing out so early? | |
| Andrew: (Out of breath) We have found the Messiah. |
| Peter: (Unbelieving) Oh yeah? We were just talking about Him. I thought you were going to hear John the Baptist? | |
| Andrew: Yeah, I was with John yesterday, when this man walked by and John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” |
| Peter: John said that? And what do you think? | |
| Andrew: I followed Him and stayed with Him, this man named Jesus. He’s not what I expected, but there is something about Him. Something more than I can say. | |
| James: This John who baptizes, unlike my brother John here, has no ulterior motives. He takes in no money or goods, or even food. They say he eats locusts and wild honey. |
| Andrew: John says when he baptized Jesus some time back, that the heavens opened and God’s spirit came down like a dove, and rested on Him. |
| James: What if He really were The Christ, and we were just talking about Him? | |
| John: Yeah, well we talk about Him like every other day, so not much of a coincidence there. | |
| James: Yeah, my latest messiah has wings! I mean, they’re mostly there for decoration because he rides a gigantic horse and shoots a bow and arrow. But He can fly if He needs to. | |
| John: Sounds like a eunuch to me. Mine is kind of like a cross between David and Goliath! He’s definitely a sword guy. One in each hand! Long black hair like Samson in his prime! Maybe a slingshot in His back pocket just in case. | |
| Andrew: (Visibly upset, loudly) Look, I think you should at least meet Him. Decide for yourself. | |
| (Sound Effect: The canine howls, the fire crackles.) |
| Peter: (Slowly…thinking, hoping) Okay, Brother. Take me to this Jesus. | |
| Narrator Peter: And so, Andrew brought me to Jesus. As we approached, I thought, “Could this humble looking man really someday defeat the Romans in battle?” (Action: Jesus makes His way downstage center, then Peter comes from the other direction.) Could He lead us to destroy them, and restore our temple and our faith in God from such vile corruption among our leaders, and become king and ruler of all Israel?” (Action: Peter arrives in front of Jesus, and Jesus does a subtle, but significant bow. Peter returns the bow.) Jesus looked at me and said, | |
| Jesus: (Action: Placing His hand on Peter’s shoulder)…You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Peter. |
| (Lights fade out, then fade back on) | |
| Isaiah: For He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; |
| Jesus: …I had no form or majesty that you should look at Me, and no beauty that you should desire Me. |
| Isaiah: He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; |
| Jesus: …and as one from whom men hide their faces I was despised, and you esteemed Me not. |
| Isaiah: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, |
| Jesus: …and with My wounds you are healed. |
| (Light/Curtains/End of Episode #1) |
Episode Spotlight:
In this episode, we find Peter and his companions out working by their fishing boats. While they are working, they are having a discussion about the various fees and taxes that they have to pay to the Roman government. We immediately see the oppression that the Romans have imposed on the Jewish people. But it gets worse if we continue in the scene. James, John, and Peter begin to discuss all of the fees they had to pay in the temple. The Jewish temple was the center of Jewish religious practice, but it was also an economic center that could cause a burden to the Jewish people. In both cases, we see the would-be disciples are looking for a messiah to come and resolve all of their issues. They were looking for a messiah to deliver them from their oppression.
We get to listen in on them as they describe what they think the Messiah would look like. It sounds more like a superhero than Jesus Christ. They were looking for a warrior that can rescue them from their oppression, but at the beginning of our story we see John describing Jesus. Let’s consider this his origin story. John says some really powerful things that while it may not look like Jesus is a superhero when his future disciples see him, it is clear that Jesus is more powerful than they ever could imagine. John describes Jesus as the physical manifestation of the Word of God. Not only is He the manifestation of the Word of God, but He is God himself. He is not just any superhero. He is the all-powerful Savior of the universe.
The beginning of the scene not only gives us an introduction to who Jesus is, but also why Jesus came to earth. There is a quotation from the prophet Isaiah that details Jesus’ plans. Jesus has come to bring liberty to people who are captive, to bring healing to people that are broken-hearted, and to bring good news to those that are downtrodden. This sounds like a superhero, but it doesn’t sound like someone who is coming to overthrow an empire. Rather, Jesus came to bring a different kind of power and a different way of looking at power. That’s not exactly what his future disciples were looking for at that point.
This is very important because this gives us an early look into how the disciples would view and receive Jesus. They were looking for a superhero, not just a religious leader. By the discussion that we imagined in the episode, we can tell that they were tired of their oppression, and they were looking for an answer. So when Andrew shows up, it is no wonder that they were so excited to go and meet Jesus.
Think back to when you first met Jesus. What was your life like? What needed to be changed about your life? What were the things that were oppressing you? This is important to remember so that we can share our testimony with others. If they know that Jesus delivered us from our oppression, they may be more inclined to let God deliver them from theirs. Remember how excited Andrew was when he came and told his brothers that he had seen the Messiah? Could you imagine what it felt like after living in darkness for so long, to see the light of Christ and know that your life was about to change? No wonder they wanted to follow him.
We see in this text three blueprints for Biblical witnesses. First of all, we learn from John that our discipleship is not to generate our own glory or make a name for ourselves, but to help people meet Jesus. Then we see that Jesus shows us that it’s not always our words that will convince us, but rather our actions that truly show the light of Christ. Finally, Andrew encourages us to bring others to Jesus after we have experienced His goodness. Look at the keyword “follow”. In the Greek, it means not only to go after, but also to obey. The fruit of these three witnessing events was that the disciples became obedient followers of Jesus. They weren’t just chasing after him, but they were also taking heed of his commandments.
| John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. |
| Jesus: I was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Me, and without Me was not any thing made that was made. In Me was life, and the life was the light of men. |
| John: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. |
| Narrator Peter: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. |
| John the Baptist: I, John the Baptist, came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through me. I was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. |
| John: The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. |
| Narrator Peter: He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. |
| Jesus: I came to My own, and My own people did not receive Me. But to all who did receive Me, who believed in My name, I gave the right to become children of God… |
| John: …who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. |
| Jesus: And I, the Word, became flesh and dwelt among you… |
| John: …and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. |
| John the Baptist: This was He of whom I, John The Baptist, said “He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me.” |
| John: For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. |
| Jesus: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Me. |
| John: No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, |
| Jesus: I have made God known. |
| Narrator Peter: I am Peter, known in those days as Simon, son of John. And these are the events leading up to the day I met Jesus, the Messiah, The Christ, the one Isaiah spoke of when he said: | |
| Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor… |
| Narrator Peter: To say we expected a Messiah, or “The Christ”, as a conquering King, is an understatement. We hoped for it. We longed for it. The times were oppressive indeed, not only from the Roman occupation of our homeland, but by our own leaders as well. And, as John the Baptist was receiving so much attention, and multitudes were coming to him for baptism, the religious and political leaders, the Pharisees, sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him… |
| Priest: Who are you? |
| John The Baptist: I am not the Christ. |
| Levite: What then? Are you Elijah? |
| John The Baptist: I am not. |
| Priest: Are you the prophet? |
| John The Baptist: No. |
| Levite: Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? |
| John the Baptist: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said. |
| Priest: Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? |
| John The Baptist: I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. |
| Narrator Peter: This took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said— |
| John the Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because He was before me.” I myself did not know Him; but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that He might be revealed to Israel. |
| Narrator Peter: And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him.” |
| John the Baptist: …I myself did not know Him; but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. |
| Narrator Peter: The next day again John the Baptist was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as He walked by and said— |
| John The Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God! |
| Narrator Peter: The two disciples heard Him say this, and they followed Jesus. One of them was Andrew, my brother. Jesus turned, and saw them following. |
| Jesus: What are you seeking? |
| Andrew: Teacher, where are you staying? |
| Jesus: Come and you will see. |
| Narrator Peter: So they came and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the 10th hour, which is 4pm. The next morning, Andrew came and found me. We were encamped not far away, curious also about this man named John, who baptized with water and lived a simple life in the wilderness. James and John, my partners in fishing, sat with me around the campfire, having some fish and bread. |
| (Sound Effect: A campfire crackles, a canine howls in the distance. We join Peter, James, and John mid conversation.) |
| Peter: …So, on one hand you have Rome taking over 12 percent of our haul, plus the head tax. So that’s an extra 2 days wages since I’m married, and by the time your little ones start being more of a help than a hindrance, you have to pay the head tax on them too! | |
| John: And then you have the road tolls, port fees, and the forced labor of moving all their dung around, that we don’t want here in the first place! A mile at a time. | |
| Peter: Don’t forget our fishing rights. | |
| James: Then you have our own people. | |
| Peter: I don’t claim them. So-called Godly men. Ha! | |
| John: Tithes. That’s ten percent! | |
| James: First fruit offering. | |
| Peter: Wave offering. | |
| John: Sin offering. | |
| James: The dreaded Temple tax! What are we forgetting? | |
| Peter: They’ll remind us. Don’t worry about that. I’m thinking the Essenes got it right. If you don’t make any money, there’s nothing to take. | |
| John: Yeah, when The Christ comes, He’ll fix all this. | |
| James: If He could just get rid of the Romans, I could deal with the rest! | |
| Peter: Yeah, but it’s almost worse, the Pharisees and especially those Sadducees getting fat off of our labor, selling us out! | |
| John: Messiah will sort that. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I’m beginning to think it’s like Roman and Greek folklore. I shouldn’t say that. I hope it is true. | |
| James: Hey, is that Andrew? | |
| Peter: (Calling out) Hey, Brother. | |
| John: Looks like John’s got him stirred up. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I thought I heard you howling at the moon. What are you doing out so early? | |
| Andrew: (Out of breath) We have found the Messiah. |
| Peter: (Unbelieving) Oh yeah? We were just talking about Him. I thought you were going to hear John the Baptist? | |
| Andrew: Yeah, I was with John yesterday, when this man walked by and John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” |
| Peter: John said that? And what do you think? | |
| Andrew: I followed Him and stayed with Him, this man named Jesus. He’s not what I expected, but there is something about Him. Something more than I can say. | |
| James: This John who baptizes, unlike my brother John here, has no ulterior motives. He takes in no money or goods, or even food. They say he eats locusts and wild honey. |
| Andrew: John says when he baptized Jesus some time back, that the heavens opened and God’s spirit came down like a dove, and rested on Him. |
| James: What if He really were The Christ, and we were just talking about Him? | |
| John: Yeah, well we talk about Him like every other day, so not much of a coincidence there. | |
| James: Yeah, my latest messiah has wings! I mean, they’re mostly there for decoration because he rides a gigantic horse and shoots a bow and arrow. But He can fly if He needs to. | |
| John: Sounds like a eunuch to me. Mine is kind of like a cross between David and Goliath! He’s definitely a sword guy. One in each hand! Long black hair like Samson in his prime! Maybe a slingshot in His back pocket just in case. | |
| Andrew: (Visibly upset, loudly) Look, I think you should at least meet Him. Decide for yourself. | |
| (Sound Effect: The canine howls, the fire crackles.) |
| Peter: (Slowly…thinking, hoping) Okay, Brother. Take me to this Jesus. | |
| Narrator Peter: And so, Andrew brought me to Jesus. As we approached, I thought, “Could this humble looking man really someday defeat the Romans in battle?” (Action: Jesus makes His way downstage center, then Peter comes from the other direction.) Could He lead us to destroy them, and restore our temple and our faith in God from such vile corruption among our leaders, and become king and ruler of all Israel?” (Action: Peter arrives in front of Jesus, and Jesus does a subtle, but significant bow. Peter returns the bow.) Jesus looked at me and said, | |
| Jesus: (Action: Placing His hand on Peter’s shoulder)…You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Peter. |
| (Lights fade out, then fade back on) | |
| Isaiah: For He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; |
| Jesus: …I had no form or majesty that you should look at Me, and no beauty that you should desire Me. |
| Isaiah: He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; |
| Jesus: …and as one from whom men hide their faces I was despised, and you esteemed Me not. |
| Isaiah: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, |
| Jesus: …and with My wounds you are healed. |
| (Light/Curtains/End of Episode #1) |
Episode Spotlight:
In this episode, we find Peter and his companions out working by their fishing boats. While they are working, they are having a discussion about the various fees and taxes that they have to pay to the Roman government. We immediately see the oppression that the Romans have imposed on the Jewish people. But it gets worse if we continue in the scene. James, John, and Peter begin to discuss all of the fees they had to pay in the temple. The Jewish temple was the center of Jewish religious practice, but it was also an economic center that could cause a burden to the Jewish people. In both cases, we see the would-be disciples are looking for a messiah to come and resolve all of their issues. They were looking for a messiah to deliver them from their oppression.
We get to listen in on them as they describe what they think the Messiah would look like. It sounds more like a superhero than Jesus Christ. They were looking for a warrior that can rescue them from their oppression, but at the beginning of our story we see John describing Jesus. Let’s consider this his origin story. John says some really powerful things that while it may not look like Jesus is a superhero when his future disciples see him, it is clear that Jesus is more powerful than they ever could imagine. John describes Jesus as the physical manifestation of the Word of God. Not only is He the manifestation of the Word of God, but He is God himself. He is not just any superhero. He is the all-powerful Savior of the universe.
The beginning of the scene not only gives us an introduction to who Jesus is, but also why Jesus came to earth. There is a quotation from the prophet Isaiah that details Jesus’ plans. Jesus has come to bring liberty to people who are captive, to bring healing to people that are broken-hearted, and to bring good news to those that are downtrodden. This sounds like a superhero, but it doesn’t sound like someone who is coming to overthrow an empire. Rather, Jesus came to bring a different kind of power and a different way of looking at power. That’s not exactly what his future disciples were looking for at that point.
This is very important because this gives us an early look into how the disciples would view and receive Jesus. They were looking for a superhero, not just a religious leader. By the discussion that we imagined in the episode, we can tell that they were tired of their oppression, and they were looking for an answer. So when Andrew shows up, it is no wonder that they were so excited to go and meet Jesus.
Think back to when you first met Jesus. What was your life like? What needed to be changed about your life? What were the things that were oppressing you? This is important to remember so that we can share our testimony with others. If they know that Jesus delivered us from our oppression, they may be more inclined to let God deliver them from theirs. Remember how excited Andrew was when he came and told his brothers that he had seen the Messiah? Could you imagine what it felt like after living in darkness for so long, to see the light of Christ and know that your life was about to change? No wonder they wanted to follow him.
We see in this text three blueprints for Biblical witnesses. First of all, we learn from John that our discipleship is not to generate our own glory or make a name for ourselves, but to help people meet Jesus. Then we see that Jesus shows us that it’s not always our words that will convince us, but rather our actions that truly show the light of Christ. Finally, Andrew encourages us to bring others to Jesus after we have experienced His goodness. Look at the keyword “follow”. In the Greek, it means not only to go after, but also to obey. The fruit of these three witnessing events was that the disciples became obedient followers of Jesus. They weren’t just chasing after him, but they were also taking heed of his commandments.
| John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. |
| Jesus: I was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Me, and without Me was not any thing made that was made. In Me was life, and the life was the light of men. |
| John: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. |
| Narrator Peter: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. |
| John the Baptist: I, John the Baptist, came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through me. I was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. |
| John: The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. |
| Narrator Peter: He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. |
| Jesus: I came to My own, and My own people did not receive Me. But to all who did receive Me, who believed in My name, I gave the right to become children of God… |
| John: …who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. |
| Jesus: And I, the Word, became flesh and dwelt among you… |
| John: …and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. |
| John the Baptist: This was He of whom I, John The Baptist, said “He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me.” |
| John: For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. |
| Jesus: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Me. |
| John: No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, |
| Jesus: I have made God known. |
| Narrator Peter: I am Peter, known in those days as Simon, son of John. And these are the events leading up to the day I met Jesus, the Messiah, The Christ, the one Isaiah spoke of when he said: | |
| Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor… |
| Narrator Peter: To say we expected a Messiah, or “The Christ”, as a conquering King, is an understatement. We hoped for it. We longed for it. The times were oppressive indeed, not only from the Roman occupation of our homeland, but by our own leaders as well. And, as John the Baptist was receiving so much attention, and multitudes were coming to him for baptism, the religious and political leaders, the Pharisees, sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him… |
| Priest: Who are you? |
| John The Baptist: I am not the Christ. |
| Levite: What then? Are you Elijah? |
| John The Baptist: I am not. |
| Priest: Are you the prophet? |
| John The Baptist: No. |
| Levite: Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? |
| John the Baptist: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said. |
| Priest: Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? |
| John The Baptist: I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. |
| Narrator Peter: This took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said— |
| John the Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because He was before me.” I myself did not know Him; but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that He might be revealed to Israel. |
| Narrator Peter: And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him.” |
| John the Baptist: …I myself did not know Him; but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. |
| Narrator Peter: The next day again John the Baptist was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as He walked by and said— |
| John The Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God! |
| Narrator Peter: The two disciples heard Him say this, and they followed Jesus. One of them was Andrew, my brother. Jesus turned, and saw them following. |
| Jesus: What are you seeking? |
| Andrew: Teacher, where are you staying? |
| Jesus: Come and you will see. |
| Narrator Peter: So they came and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the 10th hour, which is 4pm. The next morning, Andrew came and found me. We were encamped not far away, curious also about this man named John, who baptized with water and lived a simple life in the wilderness. James and John, my partners in fishing, sat with me around the campfire, having some fish and bread. |
| (Sound Effect: A campfire crackles, a canine howls in the distance. We join Peter, James, and John mid conversation.) |
| Peter: …So, on one hand you have Rome taking over 12 percent of our haul, plus the head tax. So that’s an extra 2 days wages since I’m married, and by the time your little ones start being more of a help than a hindrance, you have to pay the head tax on them too! | |
| John: And then you have the road tolls, port fees, and the forced labor of moving all their dung around, that we don’t want here in the first place! A mile at a time. | |
| Peter: Don’t forget our fishing rights. | |
| James: Then you have our own people. | |
| Peter: I don’t claim them. So-called Godly men. Ha! | |
| John: Tithes. That’s ten percent! | |
| James: First fruit offering. | |
| Peter: Wave offering. | |
| John: Sin offering. | |
| James: The dreaded Temple tax! What are we forgetting? | |
| Peter: They’ll remind us. Don’t worry about that. I’m thinking the Essenes got it right. If you don’t make any money, there’s nothing to take. | |
| John: Yeah, when The Christ comes, He’ll fix all this. | |
| James: If He could just get rid of the Romans, I could deal with the rest! | |
| Peter: Yeah, but it’s almost worse, the Pharisees and especially those Sadducees getting fat off of our labor, selling us out! | |
| John: Messiah will sort that. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I’m beginning to think it’s like Roman and Greek folklore. I shouldn’t say that. I hope it is true. | |
| James: Hey, is that Andrew? | |
| Peter: (Calling out) Hey, Brother. | |
| John: Looks like John’s got him stirred up. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I thought I heard you howling at the moon. What are you doing out so early? | |
| Andrew: (Out of breath) We have found the Messiah. |
| Peter: (Unbelieving) Oh yeah? We were just talking about Him. I thought you were going to hear John the Baptist? | |
| Andrew: Yeah, I was with John yesterday, when this man walked by and John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” |
| Peter: John said that? And what do you think? | |
| Andrew: I followed Him and stayed with Him, this man named Jesus. He’s not what I expected, but there is something about Him. Something more than I can say. | |
| James: This John who baptizes, unlike my brother John here, has no ulterior motives. He takes in no money or goods, or even food. They say he eats locusts and wild honey. |
| Andrew: John says when he baptized Jesus some time back, that the heavens opened and God’s spirit came down like a dove, and rested on Him. |
| James: What if He really were The Christ, and we were just talking about Him? | |
| John: Yeah, well we talk about Him like every other day, so not much of a coincidence there. | |
| James: Yeah, my latest messiah has wings! I mean, they’re mostly there for decoration because he rides a gigantic horse and shoots a bow and arrow. But He can fly if He needs to. | |
| John: Sounds like a eunuch to me. Mine is kind of like a cross between David and Goliath! He’s definitely a sword guy. One in each hand! Long black hair like Samson in his prime! Maybe a slingshot in His back pocket just in case. | |
| Andrew: (Visibly upset, loudly) Look, I think you should at least meet Him. Decide for yourself. | |
| (Sound Effect: The canine howls, the fire crackles.) |
| Peter: (Slowly…thinking, hoping) Okay, Brother. Take me to this Jesus. | |
| Narrator Peter: And so, Andrew brought me to Jesus. As we approached, I thought, “Could this humble looking man really someday defeat the Romans in battle?” (Action: Jesus makes His way downstage center, then Peter comes from the other direction.) Could He lead us to destroy them, and restore our temple and our faith in God from such vile corruption among our leaders, and become king and ruler of all Israel?” (Action: Peter arrives in front of Jesus, and Jesus does a subtle, but significant bow. Peter returns the bow.) Jesus looked at me and said, | |
| Jesus: (Action: Placing His hand on Peter’s shoulder)…You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Peter. |
| (Lights fade out, then fade back on) | |
| Isaiah: For He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; |
| Jesus: …I had no form or majesty that you should look at Me, and no beauty that you should desire Me. |
| Isaiah: He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; |
| Jesus: …and as one from whom men hide their faces I was despised, and you esteemed Me not. |
| Isaiah: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, |
| Jesus: …and with My wounds you are healed. |
| (Light/Curtains/End of Episode #1) |
| John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. |
| Jesus: I was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Me, and without Me was not any thing made that was made. In Me was life, and the life was the light of men. |
| John: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. |
| Narrator Peter: There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. |
| John the Baptist: I, John the Baptist, came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through me. I was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. |
| John: The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. |
| Narrator Peter: He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. |
| Jesus: I came to My own, and My own people did not receive Me. But to all who did receive Me, who believed in My name, I gave the right to become children of God… |
| John: …who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. |
| Jesus: And I, the Word, became flesh and dwelt among you… |
| John: …and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. |
| John the Baptist: This was He of whom I, John The Baptist, said “He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me.” |
| John: For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. |
| Jesus: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Me. |
| John: No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, |
| Jesus: I have made God known. |
| Narrator Peter: I am Peter, known in those days as Simon, son of John. And these are the events leading up to the day I met Jesus, the Messiah, The Christ, the one Isaiah spoke of when he said: | |
| Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor… |
| Narrator Peter: To say we expected a Messiah, or “The Christ”, as a conquering King, is an understatement. We hoped for it. We longed for it. The times were oppressive indeed, not only from the Roman occupation of our homeland, but by our own leaders as well. And, as John the Baptist was receiving so much attention, and multitudes were coming to him for baptism, the religious and political leaders, the Pharisees, sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him… |
| Priest: Who are you? |
| John The Baptist: I am not the Christ. |
| Levite: What then? Are you Elijah? |
| John The Baptist: I am not. |
| Priest: Are you the prophet? |
| John The Baptist: No. |
| Levite: Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? |
| John the Baptist: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord,” as the prophet Isaiah said. |
| Priest: Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet? |
| John The Baptist: I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. |
| Narrator Peter: This took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said— |
| John the Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks before me, because He was before me.” I myself did not know Him; but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that He might be revealed to Israel. |
| Narrator Peter: And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him.” |
| John the Baptist: …I myself did not know Him; but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God. |
| Narrator Peter: The next day again John the Baptist was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as He walked by and said— |
| John The Baptist: Behold, the Lamb of God! |
| Narrator Peter: The two disciples heard Him say this, and they followed Jesus. One of them was Andrew, my brother. Jesus turned, and saw them following. |
| Jesus: What are you seeking? |
| Andrew: Teacher, where are you staying? |
| Jesus: Come and you will see. |
| Narrator Peter: So they came and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the 10th hour, which is 4pm. The next morning, Andrew came and found me. We were encamped not far away, curious also about this man named John, who baptized with water and lived a simple life in the wilderness. James and John, my partners in fishing, sat with me around the campfire, having some fish and bread. |
| (Sound Effect: A campfire crackles, a canine howls in the distance. We join Peter, James, and John mid conversation.) |
| Peter: …So, on one hand you have Rome taking over 12 percent of our haul, plus the head tax. So that’s an extra 2 days wages since I’m married, and by the time your little ones start being more of a help than a hindrance, you have to pay the head tax on them too! | |
| John: And then you have the road tolls, port fees, and the forced labor of moving all their dung around, that we don’t want here in the first place! A mile at a time. | |
| Peter: Don’t forget our fishing rights. | |
| James: Then you have our own people. | |
| Peter: I don’t claim them. So-called Godly men. Ha! | |
| John: Tithes. That’s ten percent! | |
| James: First fruit offering. | |
| Peter: Wave offering. | |
| John: Sin offering. | |
| James: The dreaded Temple tax! What are we forgetting? | |
| Peter: They’ll remind us. Don’t worry about that. I’m thinking the Essenes got it right. If you don’t make any money, there’s nothing to take. | |
| John: Yeah, when The Christ comes, He’ll fix all this. | |
| James: If He could just get rid of the Romans, I could deal with the rest! | |
| Peter: Yeah, but it’s almost worse, the Pharisees and especially those Sadducees getting fat off of our labor, selling us out! | |
| John: Messiah will sort that. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I’m beginning to think it’s like Roman and Greek folklore. I shouldn’t say that. I hope it is true. | |
| James: Hey, is that Andrew? | |
| Peter: (Calling out) Hey, Brother. | |
| John: Looks like John’s got him stirred up. | |
| Peter: Yeah, I thought I heard you howling at the moon. What are you doing out so early? | |
| Andrew: (Out of breath) We have found the Messiah. |
| Peter: (Unbelieving) Oh yeah? We were just talking about Him. I thought you were going to hear John the Baptist? | |
| Andrew: Yeah, I was with John yesterday, when this man walked by and John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” |
| Peter: John said that? And what do you think? | |
| Andrew: I followed Him and stayed with Him, this man named Jesus. He’s not what I expected, but there is something about Him. Something more than I can say. | |
| James: This John who baptizes, unlike my brother John here, has no ulterior motives. He takes in no money or goods, or even food. They say he eats locusts and wild honey. |
| Andrew: John says when he baptized Jesus some time back, that the heavens opened and God’s spirit came down like a dove, and rested on Him. |
| James: What if He really were The Christ, and we were just talking about Him? | |
| John: Yeah, well we talk about Him like every other day, so not much of a coincidence there. | |
| James: Yeah, my latest messiah has wings! I mean, they’re mostly there for decoration because he rides a gigantic horse and shoots a bow and arrow. But He can fly if He needs to. | |
| John: Sounds like a eunuch to me. Mine is kind of like a cross between David and Goliath! He’s definitely a sword guy. One in each hand! Long black hair like Samson in his prime! Maybe a slingshot in His back pocket just in case. | |
| Andrew: (Visibly upset, loudly) Look, I think you should at least meet Him. Decide for yourself. | |
| (Sound Effect: The canine howls, the fire crackles.) |
| Peter: (Slowly…thinking, hoping) Okay, Brother. Take me to this Jesus. | |
| Narrator Peter: And so, Andrew brought me to Jesus. As we approached, I thought, “Could this humble looking man really someday defeat the Romans in battle?” (Action: Jesus makes His way downstage center, then Peter comes from the other direction.) Could He lead us to destroy them, and restore our temple and our faith in God from such vile corruption among our leaders, and become king and ruler of all Israel?” (Action: Peter arrives in front of Jesus, and Jesus does a subtle, but significant bow. Peter returns the bow.) Jesus looked at me and said, | |
| Jesus: (Action: Placing His hand on Peter’s shoulder)…You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Peter. |
| (Lights fade out, then fade back on) | |
| Isaiah: For He grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; |
| Jesus: …I had no form or majesty that you should look at Me, and no beauty that you should desire Me. |
| Isaiah: He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; |
| Jesus: …and as one from whom men hide their faces I was despised, and you esteemed Me not. |
| Isaiah: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, |
| Jesus: …and with My wounds you are healed. |
| (Light/Curtains/End of Episode #1) |
Episode Spotlight
Episode Spotlight
In this episode, we find Peter and his companions having a discussion about the various fees and taxes that they have to pay to the Roman government. We immediately see the oppression that the Romans have imposed on the Jewish people. But it gets worse if we continue in the scene. James, John, and Peter begin to discuss all of the fees they had to pay in the temple. The Jewish temple was the center of Jewish religious practice. It was also an economic center that could cause a burden to the Jewish people, which is not what God intended. In both cases, we see the would-be disciples are looking for a messiah to come and resolve all of their issues. They were looking for a messiah to deliver them from their oppression.
We get to listen in on them as they describe what they think the Messiah would look like. It sounds more like a superhero than Jesus Christ. They were looking for a conquering king that can rescue them from their oppression, but at the beginning of our story we see the disciple John giving a description of Jesus from John chapter 1. Let’s consider this His origin story. John says some really powerful things that while it may not look like Jesus is a superhero when His future disciples see Him, it is clear that Jesus is more powerful than they ever could imagine. John describes Jesus as the physical manifestation of the Word of God. Not only is He the manifestation of the Word of God, but He is God himself. He is not just any superhero. He is the all-powerful Savior of the universe.
The beginning of the scene not only gives us an introduction to who Jesus is, but also why Jesus came to earth. There is a quotation from the prophet Isaiah that details Jesus’ plans. Jesus has come to bring liberty to people who are captive, to bring healing to people that are broken-hearted, and to bring good news to those that are downtrodden. This sounds like a superhero, but it doesn’t sound like someone who is coming to overthrow an empire. Rather, Jesus came to bring a different kind of power and a different way of looking at power. That’s not exactly what His future disciples were looking for at that point.
This is very important because this gives us an early look into how the disciples would view and receive Jesus. They were looking for a superhero, not just a religious leader. By the discussion that we imagined in the episode, we can tell that they were tired of their oppression, and they were looking for an answer. So when Andrew shows up, it is no wonder that they were so excited to go and meet Jesus.
Life Through the Cross by Debbie Clark
Think back to when you first met Jesus. What was your life like? What needed to be changed about your life? What were the things that were oppressing you? This is important to remember so that we can share our testimony with others. If they know that Jesus delivered us from our oppression, they may be more inclined to let God deliver them from theirs. Remember how excited Andrew was when he came and told his brothers that he had seen the Messiah? Could you imagine what it felt like after living in darkness for so long, to see the light of Christ and know that your life was about to change? No wonder they wanted to follow Him.
We see in this text three examples for Biblical witnesses. First of all, we learn from John the Baptist that our discipleship is not to generate our own glory or make a name for ourselves, but to help people meet Jesus. Then we see that Jesus shows us that it’s not always just our words that will convince people, but also our actions that truly show the light of Christ. When the would-be disciples asked Jesus for information, He simply said, “Come and you will see”. Jesus knew His actions would speak for themselves. Once they saw His actions it was easier to listen to the good news He preached. Doing good things is no substitute for evangelism, rather our actions amplify our words. Finally, Andrew encourages us to bring others to Jesus after we have experienced His goodness. Look at the keyword “follow”. In the Greek, it means not only to go after, but also to obey. The fruit of these three witnessing events was that the disciples became obedient followers of Jesus. They weren’t just chasing after Him, but they were also taking heed of His commandments.
Let’s Discuss
Let’s Discuss
1. Did anything stand out to you as you experienced the Scripture?
2. How does God want you to respond to His Word today?
3. Think back to when you first met Jesus.
What was your life like?
What needed to be changed about your life?
What were the things that were oppressing you?
This is important to remember so that we can share our testimony with others. If they know that Jesus delivered us from our oppression, they may be more inclined to let God deliver them from theirs.
4. Remember how excited Andrew was when he came and told his brothers that he had seen the Messiah?
Could you imagine what it felt like, after living in darkness for so long, to see the light of Christ and know that your life was about to change?
Character Spotlight
Character Spotlight
John the Baptist
What was it like to be John the Baptist?
John was a peculiar man. He did not eat what most people ate and he didn’t speak the way most people speak. John had disciples, but he wasn’t trying to have them follow him. As he spoke, he talked about the Messiah, someone whose sandals he wasn’t worthy to buckle. Think about the humility it takes to be John. People are listening to you, and you are gaining popularity, but you cannot point to yourself. Rather, you are pointing to the Messiah, one who is coming to save the world.
As you meditate on John, think about the way you influence others in your own life.
Is it to gain fortune or popularity?
Or is it pointing to something bigger than yourself?
We should all be willing to point to Jesus, for He is the one that can truly save us from our sins.
Andrew
Andrew must have been looking for the Messiah. When we find Andrew, he is already following John the Baptist, who is preaching about the coming of the Messiah. When John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Christ, Andrew immediately chases after him.
Who in your life is waiting for an answer?
Who is waiting to find Jesus?
There is someone in your life who is questioning and looking to find God.
What are you doing to point them to the Messiah?
Peter
We don’t learn much about Peter in this first episode. What we do know is he is looking for an answer to this oppressive Roman system. Maybe that is why he decided to follow his brother Andrew to meet Jesus. The narrator describes Peter’s first impression of Jesus. Could Jesus be the person that Peter was looking for?
When Jesus sees Peter, who was usually called Simon, He immediately calls him Peter, which means the rock.
How did Jesus know Peter?
Could it be that Jesus’ immediate response to Peter formed a connection? What happened when you first came in contact with Jesus?
Did you feel convicted?
Did you feel seen?
Did you feel loved?
And…Action!
And…Action!
At the beginning of the script, in John 1, we experience Jesus’ origin story, like pulling back the curtain to see Jesus before the manger, when He was the Creator of the Universe with His Father, God. We have the benefit of the full story, but do you feel the anticipation of the would-be disciples, not knowing when and how the Messiah would come? God became mortal man for us, God incarnate. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:14). God knowingly sent His Son to Earth to be sacrificed for us, to pay the penalty of death for our sins, to provide a way for us to be with Him, to be rescued from this world of sin, oppression, and pain. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:17). His mission was clear from the beginning, Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).
John the Baptist also had a unique origin story, he knew his mission, identity, and purpose and he clearly communicated it to others. Spoiler alert, Peter eventually did too. 1 Peter 3:15 says, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”.
Have you considered your own origin story? We have a responsibility to share our origin story as a testimony to spread the hope of the Gospel. Do you have the hope of the Gospel, have you considered how your story will end? If not, you can know your eternal destination and have hope today! 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Let today be the day of your salvation and freedom from oppression. Know the truth and grace of Jesus and experience light and life. John 1:12 shows us how, “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God”. To become a child of God, is to be transformed into Christ’s likeness. Jesus came to Earth to bring good news to the afflicted, heal the brokenhearted, and free people from their oppression! (Isaiah 61:1-2)
If you have the hope of the Gospel, then spread the hope! Share your own origin story, like John the Baptist. He knew his mission and always pointed people to Jesus. He was brave enough to obey God to say the hard things, are we?
Action: Be ready to share your own origin story, the reason for the hope within you. Reveal your journey to knowing Jesus with transparency, openness, gentleness and respect. There is value in your testimony!
How:
- Be authentic, share your own adversities and struggles and how Jesus healed your broken heart, freed you from oppression, and is the good news to you!
- Who is the villain in your story, maybe your own selfish behavior or pride?
- Share what shapes your beliefs and values. How have you changed/transformed into a new creation? (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- What motivates you, what is your hope, what is the mission God has created you for?
Ways To Share:
- Write your story and practice telling it to others.
- Video your story and share it on social media..
This is a powerful example of how God can use your story through video. The Ripple of Obedient Faith
3. Illustrate your life before and after Jesus through an artistic medium and make it available to others. For example, use the gifts God has given you such as painting, sculpting, music, drama, or digital art.
The Beauty of Walking With Jesus by Annalisa V. Sawtell
Speaking Through Art: A Testimony of God’s Faithfulness
4. Obey God to share in the ways He has put before you, wherever He has placed you, even when it means facing your fears!
Extras
ExtrasJohn the Apostle
John the Apostle, brother of James the “Greater” (Matt.4:21;10:2; Mark 1:19; 3:17; 10:35). He was one of the sons of Zebedee, probably the younger Matt.4:21) and Salome (Matt.27:56; Mark 15:40) and was born at Bethsaida. His father was apparently a man of some wealth (comp. Mark 1:20; Luke 5:3; John 19:27). He was doubtless trained in all that constituted the ordinary education of Jewish youth. When he grew up he followed the occupation of a fisherman on the Lake of Galilee. When John the Baptist began his ministry in the wilderness of Judea, John, with many others, gathered around him, and was deeply influenced by his teaching. There he heard the announcement, “Behold the Lamb of God,” and on the invitation of Jesus, became a disciple and ranked among his followers for a time (John 1:36, 37). He and his brother then returned to their former avocation, for how long is uncertain. Jesus again called them (Matt. 4: 21; Luke 5:1-11), and now they left all and permanently attached themselves to the company of his disciples. He became one of the innermost circle (Mark 5:37; Matt. 17:1; 26:37; Mark 13:3). He was the disciple whom Jesus loved.
Easton’s Bible Dictionary 1897
Jesus
The Savior; the name of the Son of God as announced by the angel to his parents; the personal name of Our Lord, in distinction from Christ. The life of Jesus on earth may be divided into two great periods, (1) that of his private life, until he was about thirty years of age; and (2) that of his public life, which lasted about three years.
In the “fulness of time” he was born at Bethlehem, in the reign of the emperor Augustus, of Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter (Matt. 1:1; Luke 3:23; comp. John 7:42). His birth was announced to the shepherds (Luke 2:8-20). Wise men from the east came to Bethlehem to see him who was born “King of the Jews,” bringing gifts with them (Matt. 2:1-12). Herod’s cruel jealousy led to Joseph’s flight into Egypt with Mary and the infant Jesus, where they tarried till the death of this king (Matt. 2:13-23), when they returned and settled in Nazareth, in Lower Galilee (2:23; comp. Luke 4:16; John 1:46, etc.). At the age of twelve years, he went up to Jerusalem to the Passover with his parents. There, in the temple, “in the midst of the doctors,” all that heard him were “astonished at his understanding and answers”(Luke 2:41).
Eighteen years pass, of which we have no record beyond this, that he returned to Nazareth and “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).
He entered on his public ministry when he was about thirty years of age. It is generally believed to be about three years.
(1.) The first year may be called the year of obscurity, both because the records of it which we possess are very scanty, and because he seems during it to have been only slowly emerging into public notice. It was spent for the most part in Judea.
(2.) The second year was the year of public favor, during which the country had become thoroughly aware of him; his activity was incessant, and his frame rang through the length and breadth of the land. It was almost wholly passed in Galilee.
(3.) The third was the year of opposition, when the public favor ebbed away. His enemies multiplied and assailed him with more and more pertinacity, and at last he fell a victim to their hatred. The first six months of this final year were passed in Galilee, and the last six in other parts of the land.
The only reliable sources of information regarding the life of Christ on earth are the Gospels, which present in historical detail the words and the work of Christ in so many different aspects.
Easton’s Bible Dictionary 1897
Peter
Peter, originally called Simon (Simeon, “hearing”), a very common Jewish name in the New Testament. He was the son of Jona (Matt. 16:17). His mother is nowhere named in Scripture. He had a younger brother called Andrew, who first brought him to Jesus (John 1:40-42). His native town was Bethsaida, on the western coast of the Sea of Galilee, to which also Philip belonged. Here he was brought up by the shores of the Sea of Galilee and was trained to the occupation of a fisher. His father had probably died while he was still young, and he and his brother were brought up under the care of Zebedee and his wife Salome (Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40; 16:1). There the four youths, Simon, Andrew, James, and John, spent their boyhood and early manhood in constant fellowship. Simon and his brother doubtless enjoyed all the advantages of a religious training and were early instructed in an acquaintance with the Scriptures and with the great prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah. They did not probably enjoy, however, any special training in the study of the law under any of the rabbis. When Peter appeared before the Sanhedrin, he looked like an “unlearned man” (Acts 4:13).
“Simon was a Galilean, and he was that out and out…The Galileans had a marked character of their own. They had a reputation for an independence and energy which often ran out into turbulence. They were at the same time of a franker and more transparent disposition than their brethren in the south. In all these respects, in bluntness, impetuosity, headiness, and simplicity, Simon was a genuine Galilean. They spoke a particular dialect. They had a difficulty with the guttural sounds and some others, and their pronunciation was reckoned harsh in Judea. The Galilean accent stuck to Simon all through his career. It betrayed him as a follower of Christ when he stood within the judgment-hall (Mark 14:70). It betrayed his own nationality and that of those conjoined with him on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:7).” It would seem that Simon was married before he became an apostle. His wife’s mother is referred to (Matt. 8:14; Mark 1:30; Luke 4:38). He was in all probability accompanied by his wife on his missionary journeys (1 Cor. 9:5; comp. 1 Pet. 5:13).
He appears to have been settled at Capernaum when Christ entered on his public ministry and may have reached beyond the age of thirty. His house was large enough to give a home to his brother Andrew, his wife’s mother, and to Christ, who seems to have lived with him (Mark 1:29, 36; 2:1), as well as to his own family. It was apparently two stories high (2:4).
At Bethabara (R.V., John 1:28, “Bethany”), beyond Jordan, John the Baptist had borne testimony concerning Jesus as the “Lamb of God” (John 1:29-36). Andrew and John hearing it, followed Jesus, and abode with him where he was. They were convinced, by his gracious words and by the authority with which he spoke, that he was the Messiah (Luke 4:22; Matt. 7:29); and Andrew went forth and found Simon and brought him to Jesus (John 1:41).
Jesus at once recognized Simon, and declared that hereafter he would be called Cephas, an Aramaic name corresponding to the Greek Petros, which means “a mass of rock detached from the living rock.” The Aramaic name does not occur again, but the name Peter gradually displaces the old name Simon, though our Lord himself always uses the name Simon when addressing him (Matt. 17:25; Mark 14:37; Luke 22:31, comp. 21:15-17). We are not told what impression the first interview with Jesus produced on the mind of Simon. When we next meet him, it is by the Sea of Galilee (Matt. 4:18-22). There the four (Simon and Andrew, James and John) had had an unsuccessful night’s fishing. Jesus appeared suddenly, and entering Simon’s boat, bade him launch forth and let down the nets. He did so and enclosed a great multitude of fishes. This was plainly a miracle wrought before Simon’s eyes. The awe-stricken disciple cast himself at the feet of Jesus, crying, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8). Jesus addressed him with the assuring words, “Fear not,” and announced to him his life’s work. Simon responded at once to the call to become a disciple, and after this we find him in constant attendance on our Lord.
He is next called into the rank of the apostleship and becomes a “fisher of men” (Matt. 4:19) in the stormy seas of the world of human life (Matt. 10:2-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:13-16) and takes a more and more prominent part in all the leading events of our Lord’s life. It is he who utters that notable profession of faith at Capernaum (John 6:66-69), and again at Caesarea Philippi (Matt. 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30; Luke 9:18-20). This profession at Caesarea was one of supreme importance, and our Lord in response used these memorable words: “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.”
Easton’s Bible Dictionary 1897
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was the “forerunner of our Lord.” We have but fragmentary accounts of him in the Gospels. He was of priestly descent. His father, Zacharias, was a priest of the course of Abia (1 Chr. 24:10), and his mother, Elisabeth, was of the daughters of Aaron (Luke 1:5). The mission of John was the subject of prophecy (Matt. 3:3; Isa. 40:3; Mal. 3:1). His birth, which took place six months before that of Jesus, was foretold by an angel. He spent his early years in the mountainous tract of Judah lying between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea (Matt. 3:1-12).
The sum of his preaching was the necessity of repentance. He denounced the Sadducees and Pharisees as a “generation of vipers,” and warned them of the folly of trusting to external privileges (Luke 3:8). “As a preacher, John was eminently practical and discriminating. Self-love and covetousness were the prevalent sins of the people at large. He taught charity and consideration for others. The publicans he cautioned against extortion, the soldiers against crime and plunder.” His doctrine and manner of life roused the entire south of Palestine, and the people from all parts flocked to the place where he was, on the banks of the Jordan. There he baptized thousands unto repentance.
The fame of John reached the ears of Jesus in Nazareth (Matt. 3:5), and he came from Galilee to Jordan to be baptized of John, on the special ground that it became him to “fulfil all righteousness” (3:15). John’s special office ceased with the baptism of Jesus, who must now “increase” as the King come to his kingdom. He continued, however, for a while to bear testimony to the Messiahship of Jesus. He pointed him out to his disciples, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God.” Our Lord himself testified regarding him that he was a “burning and a shining light” (John 5:35).
Easton’s Bible Dictionary 1897
Isaiah
(Heb. Yesh’yahu, “the salvation of Jehovah”). He was a prophet during the reigns of Uzziah (or Azariah), Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (1:1). His first call to the prophetical office is not recorded. A second call came to him “in the year that King Uzziah died” (Isa. 6:1). He exercised his ministry in a spirit of uncompromising firmness and boldness regarding all that bore on the interests of religion. He conceals nothing and keeps nothing back from fear of man. He was also noted for his spirituality and for his deep-toned reverence toward “the holy One of Israel.”
Easton’s Bible Dictionary 1897
Priest
Priest always denotes one who offers sacrifices. At first every man was his own priest and presented his own sacrifices before God. Afterwards that office devolved on the head of the family, as in the cases of Noah (Gen. 8:20), Abraham (12:7; 13:4), Isaac (26:25), Jacob (31:54), and Job (Job 1:5).
The name first occurs as applied to Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18). Under the Levitical arrangements the office of the priesthood was limited to the tribe of Levi, and to only one family of that tribe, the family of Aaron. Certain laws respecting the qualifications of priests are given in Lev. 21:16-23. There are ordinances also regarding the priests’ dress (Ex. 28:40-43) and the manner of their consecration to the office (29:1-37).
Their duties were many. (Ex. 27:20, 21; 29:38-44; Lev. 6:12; 10:11; 24:8; Num. 10:1-10; Deut. 17:8-13; 33:10; Mal. 2:7). They represented the people before God, and offered the various sacrifices prescribed in the law. In the time of David, the priests were divided into twenty-four courses or classes (1 Chr. 24:7-18). This number was retained after the Captivity (Ezra 2:36-39; Neh. 7:39-42).
The whole priestly system of the Jews was a shadow of which the body is Christ. The priests all prefigured the great Priest who offered “one sacrifice for sins” “once for all” (Heb. 10:10, 12). There is now no human priesthood. The term “priest” is indeed applied to believers (1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6), but in these cases it implies no sacerdotal functions. All true believers are now “kings and priests unto God.” As priests they have free access into the holiest of all, and offer up the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving, and the sacrifices of grateful service from day to day.
Easton’s Bible Dictionary 1897
Levite
A Levite was a descendant of the tribe of Levi (Ex. 6:25; Lev. 25:32; Num. 35:2; Josh. 21:3, 41). This name is, however, generally used as the title of that portion of the tribe which was set apart for the subordinate offices of the sanctuary service (1 Kings 8:4; Ezra 2:70), as assistants to the priests. The Levites were scattered among the tribes to keep alive among them the knowledge and service of God.
Easton’s Bible Dictionary 1897
Andrew
(Greek, “manliness”) Andrew was one of the apostles of Jesus. He was from Bethsaida in Galilee (John 1:44) and was the brother of Simon Peter (Matt. 4:18; 10:2). At first, he was a disciple of John the Baptist. On one occasion John the Baptist, pointing to Jesus, said, “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:40); and Andrew, hearing him, immediately became a follower of Jesus, the first of Jesus’ disciples. After he had been led to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, his first care was to bring also his brother Simon to Jesus. The two brothers seem to have after this pursued for a while their usual calling as fishermen and did not become Apostles of the Lord until after John’s imprisonment (Matt. 4:18, 19; Mark 1:16, 17). Very little is related of Andrew. He was one of the confidential disciples (John 6:8; 12:22), and with Peter, James, and John inquired of our Lord privately regarding his future coming (Mark 13:3). He was present at the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:9), and he introduced the Greeks who desired to see Jesus (John 12:22); but of his subsequent history little is known. It is noteworthy that Andrew brings others to Christ three times, (1) Peter; (2) the boy with the loaves; and (3) certain Greeks. These incidents may be regarded as a key to his character.
Easton’s Bible Dictionary 1897
James
The son of Zebedee and Salome; an elder brother of John the apostle. He was one of the twelve apostles. He was by trade a fisherman, in partnership with Peter (Matt. 20:20; 27:56). With John and Peter, he was present at the transfiguration (Matt. 17:1; Mark 9:2), at the raising of Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:37-43), and in the garden with our Lord (14:33). Because, probably, of their boldness and energy, he and John were called Boanerges, i.e., “sons of thunder.” He was the first martyr among the apostles, having been beheaded by King Herod Agrippa (Acts 12:1, 2), A.D. 44 (Comp. Matt. 4:21; 20:20-23).
Easton’s Bible Dictionary 1897
Maps
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