Eyewitnesses Who Saw and Followed
Month 3: Come, Follow Me · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 1:39 & 1 John 1:1-3
39 “Come and see,” He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour. — John 1:39
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have gazed upon and touched with our own hands—this is the Word of life. 2 And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. — 1 John 1:1-3
Memory Verse
“The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.””— John 1:43 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Joshua 16-18
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Day 63 of 365 — the remaining tribes receive their inheritance.)The Heart of It
When those first two disciples followed Jesus, He turned and asked what they were looking for. They ended up spending the whole day with Him. John even remembered the exact time. He says it was "about the tenth hour" (). That's the kind of detail you remember from a day you were really there for. It's the kind of small, specific memory you only have because you lived it. Decades later, that same John would write, "what we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes... and our hands have handled" (). He's almost shouting it. I'm not passing on a rumor. I touched Him. I watched Him. I followed Him.
This matters so much. Our faith doesn't rest on clever ideas someone dreamed up. It rests on real things that real people saw with their own eyes. And then they refused to take it back, even when it cost them everything. The men who walked behind Jesus were the very ones who told the world about Him. Many of them died rather than deny what they had seen. We follow Jesus today because the people who saw Him first staked their lives on it. Christianity is not a fairy tale you have to "just believe." It's the report of people who were there. And you can trust it.
Around the Table
John really saw Jesus with his own eyes. He really heard Him with his own ears! It's a true story, not a make-believe one.
Let's do it: Point to your eyes, your ears, and your hands like John did. Say, "I saw, I heard, I touched!"
John even remembered what time of day it was. That's how you remember something that really happened to you.
Let's talk: What's the difference between a story someone made up and a story someone actually lived?
The people who saw Jesus became the ones who told everyone about Him. And they stuck to their story even when it could get them killed. That's powerful evidence.
Let's go deeper: Why is "they were there and wouldn't take it back" stronger than "it's a nice idea"?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's a memory so real you could describe exactly where you were and what time it was?— John had a memory like that. It was the day he met Jesus.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says, "The Bible is just stories people made up," you can kindly point them to verses like and . Peter says, "we did not follow cunningly devised fables... but were eyewitnesses." The Gospels read like reports from people who were actually present. They are full of names, places, and times. And the witnesses got nothing for their story. Many were killed for refusing to deny it. People will die for what they sincerely believe. But they don't die defending what they know they made up. As reminds us, we can answer "with gentleness and respect." We can speak gently and confidently, because the evidence is on our side.
For Dad · Go Deeper
One of the most stubborn facts in history is the change that came over Jesus' followers. The same men who scattered when He was arrested became bold, joyful witnesses who would not be silenced. The best explanation is the one they gave. They saw the risen Christ. Teach your kids that faith and evidence are friends, not enemies. God never asks us to switch off our brains. But also model the deeper point. The eyewitnesses didn't just report about Jesus. They followed Him. A father who can defend the resurrection but won't walk with the risen Lord has missed it. Let your answers flow out of a life that's actually following.
Draws on: Richard Bauckham, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses; J. Warner Wallace, Cold-Case Christianity.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that our faith stands on real things that real people saw. Help us believe the ones who were there. And help us follow the same Jesus they followed. In Jesus' name, amen."
Our faith rests on people who saw Jesus, touched Jesus, and wouldn't take it back.