The Man Who Sneaked Up to the Roof At Night

By Mary Vee
John 2-3

From Nicodemus's Journal 

Photo by Mary Vee
Taken in Joppa, Israel. This was typical
housing used even in Jesus' day.
See the one section of roof above the light?

I was in Jerusalem during passover week. My name is Nicodemus and I have studied many years to become a Pharisee and be called one of the ruler of the Jews. I know a lot about the Scriptures, can quote words and tell you what they mean. There are many requirements and tests to pass before someone earns the right to be a Pharisee and I placed high in my class. But I must admit I have unanswered questions.

I've listened to the priests, read the Scriptures everyday, and spent so much time trying to find the answers to my questions. Then I saw this man who came to Jerusalem whose name was Jesus. From the moment I first saw him I knew this passover week would be different. 

People watched Jesus. They saw Him do miracles. They followed Him wherever He went and said things like they believed on His name. Jesus didn't seem moved by their words. It was as if He knew those people said those words just so they could see more miracles. 

I liked His honesty.

I wanted to speak with Him alone, maybe ask Him my questions. I didn't want to be seen by any of the other Pharisees so I went to the place where Jesus stayed. I waited until it was late at night. He was with a few other disciples on the roof. In Israel the weather is warm enough to use the roof as a room. Some use it for a bedroom, some use it for dining, or a gathering room.

Photo by Mary Vee
Taken in Joppa, Israel.
This shows how close the houses were
and the narrow streets. 

I went up the stairs to the roof and asked to speak with Him. He offered me a place to sit and patiently waited for me to speak. "Rabbi," I said. Rabbi means teacher. I know, a learned man such as myself wouldn't normally call someone he didn't know, Rabbi, but it just seemed to be the right thing to do. 

The other Pharisees had talked about Jesus and they seemed to agree that He was a teacher who had come from God based on the miracles he did and the words he spoke. I said, "Only someone who had God with him could do the miracles you do."

Jesus said to me, "I tell you the truth, unless a person is born from above, it is impossible to see the kingdom of God."

I heard his words but didn't understand what He meant. "How can a man be born when he is old? No one can go back inside his mother and be born again."

Jesus patiently spoke, "I will explain it differently. No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. As a human, you were given your human birth by your human mother, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. Look now, you can't be surprised at my words about being born again. All right, let's try again. The wind blows wherever it pleases, right?"

"Yes."

"You hear the wind, right?"

"Yes. At times more than others."

"Right. But can you tell where it comes from or where it is going?"

"No. It seems like we could but the wind changes without any reason, blowing in every direction."

"Life in the Spirit is like the wind of God."

All of this was new to me. I wanted to hear more. "I'm still not sure how this can be."

Jesus shook his head. "You are one of Israel's teachers and you do not understand these things? It is this way, we talk about what we know, and we tell others what we've seen, but even after the miracles and the words I've spoken people don't accept what I'm saying. I've even explained using things from the earth and you still don't believe. How then will you be able to understand the heavenly things?

He said, "No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven, that is the Son of Man." Jesus paused. 

I was thankful because I really wanted to understand. I really did. 

He said, "Think of it this way, Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

He smiled gently and said, "God didn't send his Son into the word to condemn the word, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in his Son is not condemned. Those who don't believe in God's Son are condemned already."

Jesus said, "I have another way to explain, Light has come into the world. Men, though loved darkness instead of light because the things they did were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light because they know their evil deeds will be seen. Those who live by the truth aren't afraid to come into he light because the things they have done have been done through God."

I finally understood. "Thank you, Rabbi."  I walked back to my home that night and replayed all the words Jesus said in my mind over and over. I was so glad He was willing to answer my questions.

Note from Mary: Jesus knew which explanation Nicodemus would need but he also gave the other explanations because He also knew many people like us would read or hear this story and would need one of the other explanations. He thought of all of us when He answered Nicodemus.

Come back for the next story.

*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.

Jonathan Goforth-One Window That Faced An Angry Crowd

By Mary Vee
Year: October 1901

Jonathan Goforth-42 years old

Jonathan Goforth's Journal

My name is Jonathan Goforth. My wife, Rosalind and I are missionaries to China. I say to because things aren't going as I had hoped.

Sounds like I have a story to share, right? 

I'd barely survives my injuries brought on by Chinese villagers who were ordered to kill all foreigners. The foreigners who managed to escape fled to other countries. I took my family back home to Canada to rest and heal.

Each day in Canada, my thoughts were of the Chinese, the church we'd set up, the Christian Chinese. I wanted so badly to go back but had to wait for the Chinese government to allow visitors back into the country.

One year and one month later, news reporters said the Chinese government changed their minds. Visitors would be allowed in China. I didn't know how long the Chinese government would allow foreigners to visit and didn't want to miss the opportunity to return. I packed my bags and bought a ticket for the next boat. I kissed my wife, Rosalind, good bye. "I don't know what will happen. You and the kids need to stay here until I'm sure it is safe for you to come."

She placed her hand on my face. "Be careful."

I didn't want her to see my tear as the boat pulled away. I would miss her and the children, but staying away from China would drive me crazy. God asked me to go and be a witness, so I had to go.

It took a long time to sail to Shanghai then change to a river boat and finish the journey on land back to our mission compound in Changte. I was tired, but not too tired to find the church and our house and see what condition they were in. 

Everything of value had been taken from the compound. I had expected that. There were repairs that would need to be made. I expected that too. We'd rebuild in time. As I walked through the house, I heard a noise outside. A voice calling my name. I walked to the front yard and saw Mr. Ho. He ran to me, laughing as he always did when he was happy.

I invited him inside. "Come. Tell me what has happened."

We sat on the floor in the kitchen. 

"Ku-Mu-shih." That is the name he called me. "After you left, I camped inside the church to protect it."

"But I asked you not to. You could have been killed."

He lowered his head. "I know. But I had to. That place was more than a church. It held the memories of you and the other missionaries. I tried. I tried so hard. On the second day, though, soldiers came. They tied my arms and pulled me through the city leaving me in the center. A mob swarmed around me, yelling, spitting, and throwing rocks. They said I should be cut apart for listening to the foreign devils."

He rubbed one arm then continued. "The soldiers finally untied me and dragged me to the courthouse, leaving the mob outside. They took me to a room and locked the door. I was alone. But there was a window. I looked outside and saw it faced the mob that had grown even larger."

He laughed. "This may sound crazy but I saw it as a chance to speak to a thousand people." He laughed again. "So I did."

"You did?" 

"Yes. What was the worst that could happen? They'd kill me? Even if I didn't speak they'd kill me. So I did. I stood at the window and," he paused, "I told them all about the God who loves them and what He did for them." He closed his eyes.

"What happened?"

He opened his eyes. "The mob seemed curious at first. A few minutes later the yelling started." He sighed. "They said I had been poisoned with your medicine. I didn't care. I spoke as long as I could. Soon the soldiers came and took me to the magistrate. I knew he had the power to kill me."

I wanted to know what happened next as badly as you do, but this post is getting long. I'll finish Ho's story next week.

There is more to this story. Come back next time.

Jonathan has many stories to share. Come back each Monday to find out what happened next.



Resources Used for This Series
Being, Janet, and Geoff Benge. Jonathan Goforth: An Open Door in China. Seattle. WA: YWAM Pub., 2001.Print
Doyle, G. Wright. Builders of the Chinese Church: Pioneer Protestant Missionaries and Chinese Church Leaders. Eugene Oregon: Pickwick Pub, 2015. Print.
Goforth, Jonathan, and Rosaline Goforth, Miracle Lives of China, London" Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1931, Print.
Goforth, Jonathan. "By My Spirit" Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1942. Print
Goforth, Rosalind. Climbing; Memories of a Missionary's Wife. Chicago: Moody Pub, n.d. Print
Goforth, Rosalind, How I Know God Answers Prayers; The Personal Testimony of One Life-time, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1921. Print
Goforth, Rosalind. Jonathan Goforth. Minneapolis, MN: Bethan House, 1986. Print
Goforth, Rosalind, How God Answers Prayer: The Mighty Miracles of God from the Mission Field of Jonathan Goforth. USA: Revival, 2016. Print Original copyright not stated.
Jackson, Dave, and Neta Jackson. Mask of the Wolf Boy: Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1999. Print.
McCleary, Walter. An Hour with Jonathan Goforth: A Biography. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1938. Print.
Meloche, Renee Taft., and Bryan Pollard. Jonathan Goforth: Never Give up. Seattle, WA: YWAM, 2004. Print.

.

Let Jonathan hear from you!

Leave a comment below.

The Day Peter Saw Jesus Chase the Merchants

By Mary Vee
John 2

From Peter's Journal 

Photo by Mary Vee - A Synagogue in Capernaum

I had only followed Jesus a short time. Everything He said intrigued me. Yes, I believed He is the Messiah, but I wasn't sure what that meant. Was He the one who would free us from Roman rule? He said He would save us, but from what? I hoped it meant having a free Israel, but I wasn't sure and for that reason I followed Jesus.

Mary Vee on the Capernaum shore
of the Sea of Galilee - Photo by Hank

I saw his first miracle at a wedding in Cana. His mother asked him to help the bridegroom when the celebration ran out of wine. Jesus did as she asked, although He spoke with her privately about it. I don't recall her asking him to help like that again.



After the wedding, we walked over to Capernaum, which is on the north side of the Sea of Galilee.The shore is rocky which made gathering materials to make buildings easy. His mother, brothers, and those of us who followed Jesus went as a group. We stayed there a few days enjoying the breeze off the lake, the fresh fish, and listening to Jesus teach. It was a good time to rest and prepare for what was to come.





When Passover time had neared, we walked south to Jerusalem. The journey was about sixty miles, much of it up hill. 

Jesus directed us to the Temple, as expected. I say that because I didn't know His plans, but was very willing to go where He said.

There was a huge crowd of people milling about in the courts of the Temple. Some families brought their own offerings for the Temple. A long time ago, merchants figured out they could set up booths to sell items for offerings to weary travelers who didn't want to chance bringing an offering so many miles from home. Money changers set up their own booths ready to convert coins to whatever currency the buyer needed. 

The area assigned to these merchants was outside the courts and Temple area. But over time, more businesses moved inside the courts to better serve all the people. I'd seen them there and hadn't thought much about it.

But.

Jesus did.

Before we walked into the courts, Jesus' movements, every one from His steps to His words, even His breath moved with abrupt motion. Something angered Him.

He'd barely taken a step inside the courts when He looked from one merchant to another. 

Sheep, goats, cattle, and birds sounded from their captivity. Coins clanked, shuffled from merchant to buyer. I'd seen it all before. Merchants calling to the people to come to their booth. The noise. The confusion. The clamor in the Temple courts.

We had a few traveling supplies packed, cord was among them. Jesus took the cord and made a whip. His face grew red with anger as he walked to a merchant's booth. He grabbed the table and flipped it over. He swung the whip and yelled at those who sold birds. "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"

Jesus moved from booth to booth. I stood there, just watching Him force the merchants out of the courts. There were so many booths, yet His energy never diminished. He rushed from corner to corner waving the whip and demanding they leave until the last one had cleared the Temple area.

He didn't call this place the Temple. Not even the place to worship. He called it my Father's house. My Father's House. My thoughts ran fast. This would mean that Jesus was not only the one who would save us, but He is God's Son. Curiosity swelled inside me. I wanted to hear every word He'd say. 

He now stood on the other side of the courts and some Jews gathered around Him. I ran to hear what they would say. 

Their faces showed anger. Their stance firm ready to accuse Jesus. Maybe throw Him out of the Temple. They asked him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove you have the authority to chase these businessmen away?"

Jesus said, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."

The same Jews then said, "You've got to be crazy. It took forty-six years to build this temple and now you think you can raise it in three days?"

Three years later, I remembered these words because the true meaning became clear to me. I also learned the deeper reason why those men could have never thrown Jesus, the Son of God, out of those courts. But I'll tell you more about that later.



Note: Jesus knew before He stepped into the Temple courts what He would see. Two responses were going on inside Him. One was His response as Jesus in human body form, angry at the disrespect the merchants had toward God, the Holy Father and His place of worship. The other was Jesus very much God seeing the disrespect to the place set aside for worship of the Almighty Father. Those feelings were much deeper than what we feel when others disrespect our human parents because God is our Creator and He alone is worthy of all praise.

Jesus loves us so much that He HAD to demonstrate/teach us how to respect His Holy Father's house.

Come back for the next story.

*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.

Marriage at Cana-The Finest and the Best

By Mary Vee
John 2

From A Servant's Journal 

I am a servant. Have been my entire life. 

This past week I, along with many of the other servants, have been called to help prepare for the wedding. The master is getting married. 

Even I can see how excited the bridegroom is. He wants all his friends to come. He invited everyone from the city, and, of course, he hopes to impress the bride's father. 

We've been busy preparing for his big wedding every hour these past weeks. Oh, I know, in your day it's the bride's job to arrange and prepare for the wedding, but not in mine. Nope, it's the bridegroom's job. We servants have been up before the sun and working long after it sets to keep up with the extra work.

Each day the bridegroom leaves instructions for the preparations then tends to his matters which sometimes takes him away from the grounds. When he returns, he expects everything to the last detail completed exactly the way he wants.

The bridegroom is not rich. I'd know that. He'd give us more if he had it, because he is a fair man, but he doesn't have a lot.

This morning the bridegroom kept his head, mostly, although I could tell he is a bit nervous. He leaves instructions then goes off to dress for the ceremony.

Men and women pour into the grounds from all over the city to attend the wedding. I'm not allowed to watch the ceremony, but it seems everyone is happy, which means the bridegroom is happy.

At the end of the ceremony, the people move to the banquet hall and take their assigned seats. We servants have to work fast to get the food served to all the guests. The wine glasses empty faster than we can keep them filled! I run back to get more and see we'd run out.

One of the guests, a woman named Mary from Nazareth, happens to stand near me when I mentioned the problem to another servant. She turns to a man standing near her. I'd seen him before. The man is her son. Jesus. That's right. His name is Jesus, son of Joseph the carpenter. From Nazareth. 

I didn't mean to listen in on their conversation, but they stand close enough for me to hear their words. She says to him, "They have no more wine." 

What a strange thing for her to say because a carpenter's family doesn't have a lot of money, and I doubt they have extra wine at their home to share. Not only that, there isn't time for servants to go to their home and bring back any wine.

Jesus says, "Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come."

What a strange thing to say. What time did he mean? 

Mary turned to me and a few other servants near me. I step back thinking she would yell at me for hearing the conversation. Instead she points to Jesus, while still looking at us, and says, "Do whatever he tells you."

Jesus looks at the six stone water jars behind me. The ones used for ceremonial washing. Each holds twenty to thirty gallons of liquid. He says, "Fill the jars with water."

The majority of the guests had drunk enough wine to not know what they were drinking any more. Serving them water instead of wine, though, seems like a crazy idea. Still, we servants do what he says. 

We fill the jars with water. It took more than one of us to carry each jar back to the ceremony. I wipe sweat from my head and wait for the next instruction. 

Jesus says, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."

In my head I know I will be punished for serving the master water, but I and the others with me obey the instructions. We carry the wine to the master and served him.

He takes the wine and tastes it. There is no way he knows where the wine had come from. He sips more and calla the bridegroom to come over. The master has a huge smile on his face and sips more wine while waiting then swallows. "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and saves the cheaper wine to serve after the guests have had too much to drink. But you--you have save the best wine until now."

The best wine? But it is water. Some has spilled on my hand. I taste it and am as shocked as the master at the delicious, fine wine taste. How could that be? This was water. I was one who filled the jugs. 

This man Jesus had changed the water we'd put into the jugs into the finest of all wines for the this wedding. I couldn't help but wonder who Jesus really is. Is He the Messiah?



Note: The Bible goes on to say this is the first of Jesus' miraculous signs. Here he revealed his glory, and His disciples put their faith in him.

Jesus loves us so much that He would never do or give us anything less than the best.

Come back for the next story.

*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.

Jonathan Goforth-Conquest is Not Resolution

By Mary Vee
Year: August 1900

Jonathan Goforth-41 years old

Jonathan Goforth's Journal

My name is Jonathan Goforth. My wife, Rosalind and I are missionaries in China. 

At least we have been.

I am healing slowly from my wounds here in Canada where I use to live. 

When we arrived home from that frightening escape, hundreds of Canadians welcomed us. So many hugged us. "We didn't think you'd make it out of China alive. They wept and begged us to tell the story of what happened.

We must have told the story of how God protected us a thousand times. We had no clue there were so many who cared about us.

Rosalind, the children, and I needed time to heal. Time to rest. Time to learn what God wanted us to do next. We prayed asking God to show us the way. In our hearts we all knew the answer. As soon as foreigners were allowed back in China, we would go back to help the people and tell them about the God who loves them.

The Chinese were not able to solve the problem on their own. Their country was ripped apart with the violence and destruction. Russia, Great Britain, Germany, France, Japan, and the United States came together and sent soldiers to stop the war. They directed their efforts in Peking where the dowager Tz'u-hsi lived. 

Dowager Tz'u-hsi encouraged the Chinese people to kill foreigners, burn factories, and churches including ones owned by Chinese who were Christians.

The foreign soldiers fought the Imperial Chinese soldiers and the Boxer Rebellion. They forced the dowager to run away to the north. The war finally ended. Violence and destruction stopped. Thousands had died during the uprising.

It took over a year to negotiate a peace agreement.

During that time I spent my days traveling and telling everyone I knew about the problems in China. How they would need help healing. How missionaries were needed.

The signed government agreement was not good, in my opinion. The Chinese lost mostly everything. The government has to pay large amounts of money for the destruction of foreign businesses, they had to take down their coastal defenses, and they had to allow trade that wasn't allowed before.

This wasn't an agreement. This was a take over. How could those foreign negotiators think they solved anything by bullying the Chinese? No one listens to a bully. The Chinese people may do what the bully says on the outside but on the inside they will still be angry. What was done will only turn the Chinese men and women more against foreigners.

Even those who want to help.

Even those who want to show they care.

I know missionaries will be able to return soon. When they do, the time to help and share the love of the living God will be short. 

The job will be difficult. 

I listened to the news throughout the day and learned the Chinese boarders would open in the middle of October, a little more than a year from when we left. I planned to be among the first to go in and help. I'll leave my family here in Canada, until I know it is safe for them to join me in China.

Healed from my physical wounds as best as could be, I boarded the ship for China then turned and waved good bye to my family standing on the shore. My insides were tangled with excitement about returning to China, sadness for leaving my family behind, love for the Chinese people, curiosity if my Changte home was still there. I could hardly focus on anything.

May God save us all. War and destruction is such an ugly thing.


There is more to this story. Come back next time.

Jonathan has many stories to share. Come back each Monday to find out what happened next.



Resources Used for This Series
Being, Janet, and Geoff Benge. Jonathan Goforth: An Open Door in China. Seattle. WA: YWAM Pub., 2001.Print
Doyle, G. Wright. Builders of the Chinese Church: Pioneer Protestant Missionaries and Chinese Church Leaders. Eugene Oregon: Pickwick Pub, 2015. Print.
Goforth, Jonathan, and Rosaline Goforth, Miracle Lives of China, London" Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1931, Print.
Goforth, Jonathan. "By My Spirit" Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1942. Print
Goforth, Rosalind. Climbing; Memories of a Missionary's Wife. Chicago: Moody Pub, n.d. Print
Goforth, Rosalind, How I Know God Answers Prayers; The Personal Testimony of One Life-time, New York: Harper & Brothers, 1921. Print
Goforth, Rosalind. Jonathan Goforth. Minneapolis, MN: Bethan House, 1986. Print
Goforth, Rosalind, How God Answers Prayer: The Mighty Miracles of God from the Mission Field of Jonathan Goforth. USA: Revival, 2016. Print Original copyright not stated.
Jackson, Dave, and Neta Jackson. Mask of the Wolf Boy: Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1999. Print.
McCleary, Walter. An Hour with Jonathan Goforth: A Biography. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1938. Print.
Meloche, Renee Taft., and Bryan Pollard. Jonathan Goforth: Never Give up. Seattle, WA: YWAM, 2004. Print.

.

Let Jonathan hear from you!

Leave a comment below.

Nathanael-How Did He See Me Under The Fig Tree?

By Mary Vee
John 1

From the Apostle Nathanael's Notes

Photo Courtey

My name is Nathanael. I'd finished mending my nets for today and was taking a break by sitting under a fig tree. The shade felt good. The breeze felt good too.

I must have fallen asleep because I woke and found Philip shaking my shoulder. Philip and I have been friends a long time.

Anyway, he shook my shoulder and told me to wake up. He rambled on about seeing some man and how he wanted me to go with him to see this person.

Not likely. I wanted to rest before taking the boat out to fish tonight.

"Nathanael, I'm telling you this is for real. I heard him."

"Heard who?"

"I saw Peter and Andrew walking with a man." Philip laughed. "I spoke with the man. It's him!"

"Him who?" This was getting annoying.

"Nathanael, we have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and the prophets wrote about later. He is here! It's Jesus of Nazareth. The son of Joseph the carpenter."

"You have to be kidding me. Nazareth? Can anything good come from there?" I didn't mean Nazareth was a bad city. It just, well, Nazareth is off the main road and on the other side of the mountains. They don't keep up with the times in anything. Food. Clothes. All the new ways of doing things. Nazareth is just a small nothing of a city.

Philip put his hands on his hips. "All right then. Come and see." 

I had to admit, Philip was pretty determined and he was my friend. So, I dragged myself up to a stand and walked with him. "Where are we going?"

"Just a little farther. Hurry. I don't want him to leave before we get there." Philip sped up the pace. 

Just because he was my friend, and only because he was my friend, I walked faster.

We stopped near a small group of men. I saw Peter and Andrew and greeted them. There was a man standing with them that I did not recognize. He looked at me and said, "Ahh, now here is a true Israelite in whom there is nothing false."

How strange. He acted like we'd met before. "How do yo know me?"

Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip woke you and asked you to go with him."

That was all I needed to hear. I believed what Philip said earlier right then. "Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel." I hardly knew what to do. Should I bow? Should I fall to the ground? Should I...I didn't know.

Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that." 

I was very curious what he meant by that. 

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, you will see heaven open, and the angels of God going up and coming down to the Son of Man."

He definitely had my interest. And yes I did believe this man was the Messiah. I just never imagined that I would live to see him. Yet there He was.



Come back for the next story.

*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary

Philip - The Day Jesus Found Me

By Mary Vee
John 1

From the Apostle Philip's Notes

The area of Bethsaida. A community where those in need
could use these stones to grind if they didn't have one
at home. This was a marketplace where fishermen sold
their daily catch. A place where people came for food.
Photo by Mary Vee

My name is Philip. For those who have read through the Scriptures, you will know that there isn't much written about my life. That's because I am a quiet, behind the scenes kind of person.

I was working the day a man came to me. I didn't know who he was.

He stopped as if he wanted to speak to me personally. I was curious so I set aside my work and waited for him to speak.

The man simple said, "Follow me."

On the inside of my head I should have sensed caution, but I didn't. I didn't know this man, and yet he intrigued me. I became curious, wanting to know more about him. 

I saw two other men with the stranger. They were fishermen I recognized from my home town. Brothers named, Peter and Andrew. These were hard working men. They seemed confident in connecting with this man. Peter and Andrew practically blurted at the same time, "This is the One we've been looking for. The Messiah."

The man spoke, "I am Jesus from Nazareth." 

I listened to him for a short time. It didn't take much for me to see this man was different. He was someone I wanted to listen to.

I'd heard about the carpenter Joseph and his son Jesus. This was that son, now a man. I didn't have to hear any more. Somehow, in my heart, I knew that this man truly was the one. I hardly knew what to say other than, "Do you mind if I find my friend and bring him to you?"

He acted as if He knew I would ask.

I ran as fast as I could searching in all the normal spots for my friend Nathanael. Friends always tell friends about good things. He had to believe me. I looked at his house. I searched where he worked. Where was he?

Finally found him sitting under a fig tree taking a break from the heat. "Nathanael. Get up. I have someone you need to meet."

"Why?" He didnt move. "I'm comfortable here." 

Unbelievable. I didn't want to miss the chance to take Nathanael to meet Jesus. "Look, I saw Peter and Andrew."

"So?"

"They were with this man."

"What man?"

I rolled my eyes. "The man I want to show you." I ran my hand over my beard and laughed. The most amazing thing happened. We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law. The one whom the prophets also wrote. His name is Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

Nathanael shook his head in total disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me. I'm not going anywhere. Can anything good come from Nazareth? And you want me to meet this Jesus who is from Nazareth?"

I folded my arms and dipped my head. "I guess you will have to come and see for yourself. What would it hurt. If I'm right, you will be a surprised as I was. If I'm wrong you get to make fun of me."

"Oh, all right. I guess I could come." He stood. "You better not be wrong."

"Oh, I won't be," I said. I took off at a sprint, expecting Nathanael to keep up. 

I got to thinking as I ran. Why did Jesus choose to talk to me when there were so many other people around. I'm nothing special. 

I guess I'll have to ask.


Come back for the next story.

*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary

* Jewish History.org
*Jewish Virtual Library.org

*My research in Israel.