The Lord Jesus Christ Appears to the People – His First Disciples
Returning form the wilderness, Jesus Christ again went to the shore of the Jordan where John was baptizing. Seeing Jesus, John said to the people, “Behold the Lamb of God that taketh upon Himself the sins of the world;” — that is, Jesus Christ, the Lamb of the God, Who for as many as a thousand years had been prefigured in sacrificial offerings. Like the innocent lambs and calves slaughter for burnt offerings, He meekly takes upon Himself suffering and death and sheds His blood for the sins of the whole world in order to save people from eternal death.
And John witnessed saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven as a dove, and He abode upon Him. And I saw and bore record that this is the Son of God.”
Again the next day, John looking upon Jesus as He walked said to two of his disciples standing by him, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
The two disciples heard John spoke, and they followed Jesus. One of them was Andrew, who, because he was the first to follow Christ, was called the “First-called.” The other one was John the Theologian. Then, Andrew brought to Jesus Christ his brother . The Saviour perceiving the strong faith in him said, “Thou art Simon the son of Joan; thou shalt be called Cephas (Peter);” which is, by interpretation, a stone. The following day the Saviour called Philip, and Philip brought to Him Nathaniel.
After this, Jesus Christ went to the cities and towns of the Hebrew land to preach to the people the Gospel, the joyful news that He was promised Messiah, came to the earth to save people from the power of the Devil, sins, and eternal death, and to give people eternal salvation — the Kingdom of God.
Jesus Christ often set forth the teaching about the Kingdom of God in parables, that is, in images, comparisons, or examples from the daily life in order to more graphically and more fully set for His teaching. Both the visible and invisible were created by God. There exists a marvellous unity and affinity between the two worlds. Therefore, the visible world speaks to us about the law of the invisible, heavenly world. Our entire earthy life with all life of the invisible world is a great parable of God about the laws of the future life in the Kingdom of Heaven.
In order to convince people that He is the promised Messiah and Son of God, Jesus Christ performed many miracles, that is, unusual deeds which a person with an ordinary power could not do and which could be accomplished only by the special power of God. Many of the Jews believed in Jesus Christ, and multitudes followed after Him listening to His divine teaching. others, especially rulers of Hebrew people, Pharisees, Sadducees, elders, and priests wishing to exercise power and to rule people, having evil hearts did not wish to accept His teaching of truth and to believe that He is the Saviour; and they become the enemies of Christ.
Notes: See the Gospel of John 1:29-51; Luke 4:14-15, 32-37; Mathew 4:17, 5:23-25, 21:45-46, 26:3-4.
by Fr. Seraphim Slobodskoy)