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need convincing?

John 1:45
"45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

We have started a new series about Jesus calling His followers. Titled "Follow Me," we are going to see how different our Lord and Savior IS. "Discipleship" is usually a student following a teacher. In our world, the STUDENT CHOOSES the teacher. In Jesus's situation, He CHOSE His students. Some responded right away and some needed convincing.

In the verses we are reading, Jesus has already called Andrew and Simon, who He renamed Peter. Jesus decided to go to Galilee and found Philip, saying to him, "Follow me". Notice Jesus actively seeks out people. In the example of Philip, who was found by Jesus before he had the opportunity to find Jesus himself. So, the call to follow Jesus is not solely based on human effort but is also a result of Jesus' initiative and divine purpose. We know the Holy Ghost is at work too.

Philip and Nathanael were at least, if not family. Possibly cousins? In today's verses, Philip is telling Nathaniel about Jesus. We could expect that they were students of the Torah. They knew the Holy Scriptures and the prophecies. Philip is trying to convince Nathaniel that Jesus is the Messiah!

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