God's Story: Jesus Calls Disciples

God's Story Jesus Calls Disciples So part of God's story is about how Jesus called his disciples, and it goes like this. When Jesus lived here on earth, he did amazing things, like healing people of their sickness and forgiving people of their sins. Jesus came to show us what God is like, and he chose some people to follow him and learn his ways. Those people were called disciples. That means someone who follows Jesus. One of these disciples was named Andrew. One day, Andrew was listening to John the Baptist when Jesus walked by. John the Baptist had been teaching that Jesus was the Son of God, so Andrew decided to follow Jesus home. Andrew wanted to learn from him, so he spent the day getting to know Jesus. After that, Andrew went and told his brother Peter that he had found the Messiah, their long-awaited rescuer. So Peter went to meet Jesus too. Later, when Peter had spent the whole night fishing without catching anything, Jesus got into Peter's boat. He said, Go out into deep water. Let down the nets so you can catch some fish. Peter obeyed, even though it didn't make much sense. And guess what? He and all the other fishermen caught so many fish that their boats began to sink. After that, Peter realized that Jesus was more than just a great teacher. He was God's Son and the rescuer God had promised. Jesus said, Don't be afraid. From now on, you will be catching men. Jesus wanted Peter to know that he would help others follow Jesus too. Another time, Jesus was going to Galilee when he met a man named Philip. Jesus said, Follow me. And Philip did. Then, Philip went and found his friend Nathanael sitting under a fig tree and told him that he had found Jesus of Nazareth, the one that the prophets had written about and who would become the king. But Nathanael wasn't so sure. So he went to see Jesus because he wanted to know if it was true. And when he did meet Jesus, Nathanael knew he wanted to follow him. After that, Jesus saw a man named Matthew working at a tax collector's booth. Back then, tax collectors were some of the most hated people around because they took more money than they were supposed to and usually didn't get in trouble for it. But Jesus went right up to Matthew and said, Follow me. So Matthew did. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, other tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. The religious leaders saw this and they asked why Jesus would eat with people like Matthew and his friends. Jesus said that it's not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. Kids, everyone messes up and we all need a rescuer, even if we try to act like we're perfect. Religious leaders thought they didn't need any help, but Matthew knew that he did. Anyway, Jesus called 12 disciples, Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Nathanael, Thomas, Matthew, another James, Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas. And through them, many amazing things were done in Jesus's name. Some of them wrote books in the Bible that we read today and they helped others follow Jesus all over the world. Some of the first disciples were poor and even outcasts, but Jesus still called them to follow him because Jesus wants his kingdom to have all kinds of people, no matter where they live, what they look like, what they own, how old they are, or what cool dance moves they can do. Anyone who chooses to follow Jesus is a disciple, whether it's someone who got to see and hear Jesus in person or whether you learn about him today. That means we can follow and obey Jesus. We can learn from him and live like he wants us to live. We can teach others and show them what Jesus was like, and we can trust that Jesus will help us understand what it means to follow him. And that's the story of how Jesus called his disciples. So in case you missed it, here's the quick version. A disciple is someone who follows Jesus. Some of the first disciples were Andrew, Peter, Philip, Nathanael, and Matthew. Jesus showed Peter that he could help others follow Jesus. Jesus showed Nathanael that he knows everything about him. Jesus called Matthew, even though others thought he was a sinner. And Jesus calls all of us to be his disciples.