Matthew 4:17-25

Mark 1:16-28

 

After Jesus had been baptized and had fasted to be close to his Father in Heaven, he began teaching people about repentance and about our Father in Heaven’s kingdom.  He called disciples who were to be his 12 Apostles.  Some of them had been fishermen before they knew Jesus.  As he saw them fishing in their boat on the Sea of Galilee, he called to Simon Peter and his brother Andrew and said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  Jesus meant that he would teach them how to gather people into the kingdom of God rather than gathering fish into nets.  They immediately listened and obeyed.  The Bible says they “straightway left their nets and followed him.” 

Like Peter and Andrew, James and John were brothers and fishermen.  They were in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets when Jesus came to invite them to be his disciples and follow him.  They also “immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.”

Like Peter and Andrew, James and John were brothers and fishermen.   They were also at the Sea of Galilee, in their boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets when Jesus came to invite them to be his disciples and follow him.  They also “immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.”

Simon, Andrew, James, and John went with Jesus into Capernaum.  On the sabbath day, Jesus went to the synagogue and taught.  People were astonished at what he taught.  The Bible says that he “taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.”  The scribes were very educated in the scriptures and the law.  They were the experts, yet the people recognized in Jesus an authority to teach that the scribes did not have.

There in the synagogue was a man with an evil spirit in him.  The evil spirit told Jesus, “I know thee, who thou art, the Holy One of God.”

Jesus, said, “Hold thy peace, and come out of him.”  

The spirit cried with a loud voice and came out.  The evil spirit was gone.

The people there were amazed.  Word spread about him through the region.

Jesus went about teaching the gospel and healing people from all kinds of sickness.  Jesus was always kind and helpful.  People started talking about him in many of the countries around there and began bringing their sick people to him and he would heal them.  He began to have followers from many places; there began to be thousands of people coming to see him.

What do you think?

• Why would Jesus ask these men to filo him?
• If these disciples felt the importance of following Jesus, what do you think about how quickly they obeyed?
• What would it be like to hear Jesus teach?
• What would it be like to be healed by Jesus?

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