Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-07-29
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
For August 3rd-The First Discples-John 1851
BY DR. MARION MCH. HULL

1t is impossible to state doSmatl-
cally the exact order of events in the
early DAYS of Jesus public ministry
After the baptism He was led into
the wilderness to be tempted of the
devil, and there remained for forty
days. 1t would seem that John con-
tinued his ministry during that Pc
riod and continued to gather many
disciples. At least two of these we
know; they were partners in the
fishing business up on the Sea OF
Galilee. Each had a brother, also
in the partnership. They had come
down to Bethabara and the fords of
the Jordan, attracted by the reports
of Johns ministry, and had become
followers of his - at least two of
them had.
One day they were walking alOnS
the shore of the river when Jesus
passed by. He had come back now
from that wilderness experience and
was preparing to so back into Cali
lee. This may have been about
three months after his baptism for
He remained in Judea that length
of time. On this particular day, how
ever. in those early days Of His pub
lie life, John caught sight of Him,
and pointing these two disciples to
him, said Behold the Lamb of God"'
Then strangely enough-Or it may
be that was just what John intend
ed they should do-these two left
their master and followed Jesus. 1t
was not long before He turned and
seeing them following Him, spoke to
them. This was His first public ut
terance since His baptism. Note how
very gracious it Wasi Does it not
give us the key to His whole after
life?
What seek ye?" he said. Was it
not as though He was saying to
them-"I see you are looking for
something or someone; can | be of
| any assistance to your" Think of it,
the Son of God, the only begotten
of the Father, condescending to ask
two fishermen if He could be of any
service to them! Going out of His
way to help them with their prob
lem, whatever it was!
We'll, they knew what they wanted
at least. Immediately they replied
Rabbi, what's your address? Where
do you live?' Really they wanted to
know, so they could call on Him and
have Him teach them. for John had
been telling them about the One
who was coming and also about the
strange things that happened when
He was baptized.
And His answer now was even
more gracious: Come and see"
Now we haven't that address-we
should like to know where He
stopped-but all we know is that
these two men went home with Him
and spent the day-from 10 o'clock
in the morning until dusk. You may
be sure it was a wonderful day. The
questions they must have asked
| Would you not have liked to have
listened in on them? Well, the
result of that days visit was that
| both of them were convinced that He
was the long expected Messiah (oI
| the Christ, for this is the Greek
form of the same world. But better
than this, it resulted in complete
change in their lives. They became
| His first disciples, and the first
| reason for it was what John said
about Him!
| DO you know their names? One OF
| them was Andrew; q quiet body who
| didn't have much to say, but always
said much when he spoke. He was
brother to Simon and another sor
of Jonas. We are not sure who the
other one was-oh, yes, we are, too
| for he was somodest that he never
| once mentions his, own name. He
was John, the writer of this gospel
and of three letters and of the book
| of unveiling of Jesus Christ. He be
came the beloved disciple--a young
| man full of fire and loyal to the core
| He doesn't tell us that he, too, went
| first and found his own brothe,
James and brought him to Jesus too
but we are quite sure that he did
And when these two brothers
brought their brothers to Jesus il
was because of what they told then