Advanced Level, Block 9—Jesus’ Closest Followers
Week 84
James and John—Following Together
Point to Emphasize: We should be those following with our family.
Reference Reading: Matt. 4:21-22, footnote 221; Mark 1:19-20
Memory Verse: And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old; we will go with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds, for we must hold Jehovah’s feast. (Exodus 10:9)
Sample Story
Let’s consider this list of names: James and John, Andrew and Peter, Philip and Nathanael. What could we say about them? [Lead them to discuss that none were famous people. They were regular people. They are listed in pairs, as brothers.] It is so interesting that these six names are listed as pairs. Have you ever thought about it? [Let them answer this question. Also, bring them to discuss why Jesus might have called brothers together.] The first ones the Lord Jesus called to follow Him were brothers, members of the same family.
I am sure that when you think of being called by the Lord Jesus, you think only of Him calling you and you alone. And in a way this is true. The Lord Jesus does calls us personally BUT He also calls us together with our family. We are not going to be the “one and only” following Him through thick and thin. NO! We are going to follow Him along with our family.
I hope that all of you already do something with your family. I know of a family with four children ages 5-10. Each week they have a Saturday morning breakfast time together. As they all fix breakfast together, they sing children’s meeting songs and help each other say a Bible verse. Then as they eat, they read through a story in the Bible and talk about it. The whole family enjoys this weekly time. Do you have a time like this with your family? [Let them talk about what they are doing.]
Those of us who have a weekly or daily time with our family can look forward to continuing this as we grow up to be those who are called by the Lord Jesus personally and follow Him. Our parents then become much more than only our moms and dads. Your mom will also become your “sister in the Lord” and your father will also become your “brother in the Lord”. In this way our parents will be a real help to us in following the Lord. Many children just a little older than you have prayed with their parents to receive the Lord Jesus. And they have enjoyed it when their parents have gone with them to the young people’s meetings and young people’s conferences. It is so normal to follow Him with our families!
And for those who have not yet started a family time, be encouraged. It is not too late to start. You can easily talk to your folks about reading verses and singing children’s meeting songs together. Both you and your family will be glad for such a time.
I am sorry to admit this, but when I was at your age I was not so happy to hear that I would follow the Lord Jesus along with my family. It meant that I would have to put up with my younger sister all the time! And I would also have to like my older sister! I did not want my younger sister around me and I did not like the way my older sister was. What would you say about my heart toward my sisters? [Let them discuss – unkind, selfish, hard hearted, uncaring. Storyteller, use a personal example.]
I am sure that while we are talking about this, some of you are feeling a little bit uncomfortable inside, because sometimes you are like that, too. And when I talk about my heart when I was your age, you may feel that the talk is about your heart now. But in order to have a time with our families to read the Bible or sing children’s meeting songs, we must learn to resolve our disagreements with our brothers and sisters and not let our attitudes toward them remain negative. Again, talking to your parents about your poor attitudes will help. If we don’t admit our poor attitudes to ourselves first, those attitudes can simmer within us, making us unkind and hard-hearted. I hope none of us wants that kind of heart.
Of course, James and John, Andrew and Peter, along with Philip and Nathanael, were a little older than any of you when the Lord Jesus called them BUT they still were not called to stand out on their own. They were with other family members. Eventually, there was a small group who closely followed the Lord Jesus. They had each other. They were following together.