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MAY 12
Philip said to him, “Come and see.” “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, King of Israel!”
and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Be-
in whom is no deceit!” cause I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig
48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater
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me?” things than these.” And He said to him,
Jesus answered and said to him, “Before “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you
Philip called you, when you were under the fig shall see heaven open, and the angels of God
tree, I saw you.” ascending and descending upon the Son of
49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, Man.”
DAY 11: How did John the Baptist characterize Jesus Christ?

John the Baptist’s witness to Jesus in John 1 introduces a lengthy list of titles applied to Jesus:
Lamb of God (vv.29,36),Rabbi (vv.38,49),Messiah/Christ (v.41),Son of God (vv.34,49),King of Israel
(v. 49), Son of Man (v. 51), and “Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote”(v. 45).
In John 1:29,John the Baptist refers to Jesus as “The Lamb of God.”The use of a lamb for sacrifice
was very familiar to Jews. A lamb was used as a sacrifice during Passover (Ex. 12:1–36); a lamb was
led to the slaughter in the prophecies of Isaiah (Is.53:7); a lamb was offered in the daily sacrifices of
Israel (Lev.14:12–21;Heb.10:5–7).John the Baptist used this expression as a reference to the ultimate
sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to atone for the sins of the world,a theme which John the apostle carries
throughout his writings (19:36;see Rev.5:1–6;7:17;17:14) and that appears in other New Testament
writings (e.g., 1 Pet. 1:19).
“Who takes away the sin of the world.”In this context “world”has the connotation of humanity
in general, not specifically every person. The use of the singular “sin” in conjunction with “of the
world”indicates that Jesus’sacrifice for sin potentially reaches all human beings without distinction
(1 John 2:2).John makes clear,however,that its efficacious effect is only for those who receive Christ
(vv. 11,12).
John adds that “I saw the Spirit descending…upon Him” (v. 32). God had previously communi-
cated to John that this sign was to indicate the promised Messiah (v. 33), so when John witnessed
this act, he was able to identify the Messiah as Jesus (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22).“I have seen
and testified that this is the Son of God”(v. 34). Although, in a limited sense, believers can be called
“sons of God”(v.12;Matt.5:9;Rom.8:14),John uses this phrase with the full force as a title that points
to the unique oneness and intimacy that Jesus sustains to the Father as “Son.”The term carries the
idea of the deity of Jesus as Messiah (v. 49; 5:16–30; 2 Sam. 7:14; Ps. 2:7; Heb. 1:1–9).

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May 12 around him. Then David answered, and said to
Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of
Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go
down with me to Saul in the camp?”
1 Samuel 26:1–27:12
And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.”
Now the Ziphites came to Saul at 7 So David and Abishai came to the people
26 Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding in by night; and there Saul lay sleeping within
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the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?” Then the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground
Saul arose and went down to the Wilderness of by his head. And Abner and the people lay all
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Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of around him. Then Abishai said to David, “God
Israel with him, to seek David in the Wilder- has delivered your enemy into your hand this
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ness of Ziph. And Saul encamped in the hill of day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at
Hachilah, which is opposite Jeshimon, by the once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will
road. But David stayed in the wilderness, and not have to strike him a second time!”
he saw that Saul came after him into the 9 But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy
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wilderness. David therefore sent out spies, him; for who can stretch out his hand against
and understood that Saul had indeed come. the LORD’s anointed, and be guiltless?” David
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5 So David arose and came to the place said furthermore, “As the LORD lives, the LORD
where Saul had encamped. And David saw the shall strike him, or his day shall come to die,
place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of or he shall go out to battle and perish. The
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Ner, the commander of his army. Now Saul lay LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand
within the camp, with the people encamped all against the LORD’s anointed. But please, take
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