January 18, 2026
Teacher: Mike Laughrun
John 1:35-51
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Big Truth:
Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away sin.
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’
That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell.
You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
CS Lewis – Mere Christianity
John 20:31
but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John 1:6-8
(6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (7) He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. (8) He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
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John 1:29
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world
Testimony of First followers
John 1:35-42
(35) The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, (36) and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (37) The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. (38) Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” (39) He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. (40) One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. (41) He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). (42) He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
John 1:43-51
(43) The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” (44) Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. (45) Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” (46) Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” (47) Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” (48) Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” (49) Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” (50) Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” (51) And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
John 1:35-36
(35) The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, (36) and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
BIg Idea:
Jesus the Lamb is the promised Savior.
Devastation of Sin
Genesis 3:6-8
(6) So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
(7) Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. (8) And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
Isaiah 59:2
but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
God’s Provision
Genesis 3:21
And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.
Genesis 4:3-4
(3) In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, (4) and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering
Formal Sacrificial System
Leviticus 1:1-2, 10-11
(1) The LORD called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, (2) “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock. … (10) he shall bring a male without blemish, (11) and he shall kill it… the priests shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar.
Leviticus 17:11
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
Leviticus 4:20
And the priest shall make atonement for them, and they shall be forgiven.
Hebrews 10:1, 3-4
(1) For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. … (3) But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. (4) For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Prophecy of One who is coming
Isaiah 53:5-6, 11
(5) But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. (6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned–every one–to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. … (11) Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
John 1:35-36
(35) The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, (36) and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
How did the disciples of John respond?
John 1:37-39
(37) The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. (38) Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” (39) He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.
John 1:40-41
(40) One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. (41) He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).
Big Idea:
Jesus the Messiah is the promised anointed one.
Ultimate Prophet
Deuteronomy 18:15
“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers–it is to him you shall listen–
Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor…
Ultimate Priest
Psalm 110:4
The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”
Isaiah 53:12
… because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Ultimate King
Genesis 49:10
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
2 Samuel 7:12-13
(12) I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. (13) He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
John 1:41
He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).
Summarized in Hebrews:
Hebrews 1:1-3, 8
(1) God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, (2) in these last days has spoken to us in His Son,… (3) When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…
(8) But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.”
John 1:43-46
(43) The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” (44) Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. (45) Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” (46) Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
BIg Idea:
Jesus fulfills the entire Old Testament.
John 5:39-40
(39) You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, (40) yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
Luke 24:27, 32
(27) And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. … (32) They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”
John 1:47-49
(47) Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” (48) Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” (49) Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
Big Idea:
Jesus the Son is God in the flesh.
John 1:50-51
(50) Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” (51) And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
John 20:31
(31) but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
this week: John 1:35-51
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