Children’s Story: Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael as followers
Bible Accent: Peter calls Jesus the Messiah
Saint for Today: St. Guy of Anderlicht
Puzzle: Unscramble
Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael as followers
John was baptizing people in Bethany across the Jordan when he saw Jesus walking toward him.
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” John exclaimed as Jesus approached. “He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ I did not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he might be made known to Israel.”
The following day, John and two of his disciples were in the same place. Jesus again walked by.
“Behold, the Lamb of God,” John said.
John’s two disciples heard and followed Jesus.
“What are you looking for?” Jesus said as he turned and saw the men.
The men wanted to know where Jesus was staying, so Jesus brought them there.
Andrew was one of the two disciples of John who had followed Jesus. He left to find his brother, Simon Peter, and bring him to where Jesus was staying.
“We have found the Messiah,” Andrew told his brother.
The next day, Jesus went to Galilee, where he found Philip.
“Follow me,” Jesus said.
Philip, in turn, sought out his friend, Nathanael.
“We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth,” Philip said.
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked skeptically.
“Come and see,” Philip urged.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him.
“Here is a true child of Israel,” Jesus remarked. “There is no duplicity in him.”
“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked in surprise.
“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree,” Jesus replied.
Nathanael was amazed.
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel,” he exclaimed.
“Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?” Jesus asked. “You will see greater things than this.”
He added, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
READ MORE ABOUT IT:
John 1
Q&A
1. Who asked his brother to follow Jesus?
2. Whom did Jesus see under the fig tree?
TRIVIA: Who sent John the Baptist to testify about Jesus? (Hint: John 1:6-7)
Answer: God
Bible Accent: Peter calls Jesus the Messiah
John the Baptist was not the only person whom some people mistook as the prophet Elijah returned to earth.
In Matthew 16:13, we read that Jesus and the apostles went into the region of Caesarea Philippi.
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Jesus asked his friends.
“Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets,” they replied.
Jesus looked at the apostles.
“But who do you say that I am?” he wanted to know.
The apostles looked at each other.
Then Simon Peter spoke up.
“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” he said.
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah,” Jesus replied. “For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.”
“And so I say to you,” Jesus continued, “you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Saint for Today: St. Guy of Anderlicht
In the late 10th century, St. Guy of Anderlicht was born into a poor rural family near Brussels, Belgium.
Despite being poor and at one time homeless, he had great faith and shared what little he had with others in need.
His devout life impressed a parish priest, who made St. Guy a church sacristan.
St. Guy hoped to raise money for the poor by investing in a business scheme, which ultimately failed. To repent for his unwise decision, he made a seven-year pilgrimage on foot to Rome and Jerusalem.
Exhausted and sick from the journey, St. Guy returned to Anderlicht, Belgium, where he died in 1012. We remember him on Sept. 12.
Puzzle
Unscramble the letters in each word and arrange them to form a sentence from the children’s story.
het nufod ew shemais heav
Answers: the found we Messiah have
We have found the Messiah.
