Introduction: A bloodhound on the trail of a criminal may be thrown off track by the scent of an animal crossing its path. It is easy for Christians to get side-tracked from the path of serving Jesus by all the issues of the day which are crying out for attention: politics, gays, women in the military, evolution, problems in the schools, taxes, and so on. The Christian must learn to keep his eyes fixed on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2). We are running a race, and we must keep fixed on the finish line. In Philippians 3:7-10 Paul expressed his philosophy of life (read it). "That I may know Him..." Other issues demand our attention, but this must be our primary concern. Here in John chapter one, we have more information about Jesus:

I. He is our Rabbi (John 1:37-38).

A. "Rabbi" means literally "my master," and was used as a title for a teacher. In olden days we spoke of a "school master" or a "school mistress." Today the teacher is called "master" chiefly in the martial arts. Young Quai Chang Cain in the TV series "Kung Fu" was always calling his Shaolin monk teachers "Master."

B. Jesus is our teacher/master. We are His students/servants/disciples. In the schools today, students would never think to call a teacher "master," because students no longer have an attitude of humility, reverence and obedience toward their teachers. But that is the relationship we are to have to Jesus. He is our Rabbi, our master/teacher, and we are his servant/students. If you are not a true "disciple" of Jesus, you do not yet know what it means to be a real Christian.

II. He is our Leader (John 1:37-43).

A. In these verses there is an emphasis on following Jesus. Men saw Him. They sought Him out. They followed Him. They remained with Him. They brought others to Him. They also decided to follow Him.

B. What is a "leader?" The leader is a person who has a goal, an agenda. He is going somewhere, and he is taking others along with him. Jesus, the God/man, was a man that other men wanted to follow. He taught with authority. He spoke the word of God. He had a goal clearly in mind. He didn't lead from behind a desk from someplace far from the battlefield, but He Himself went first onto the field of battle, and gave His life for His followers. He said "I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." He said, "All authority is given unto me in Heaven and on earth, go therefore and make disciples of all the nations." He inspired people to be devoted both to Him and to His goals.

C. Paul presents Jesus as our Commander in Chief, and Christians as His foot soldiers. (Read 2 Timothy 2:1-4).

III. Jesus is the ladder to Heaven, and the Master of Angels (John 1:44-51).

A. The ladder is a reference to Jacob's ladder in Genesis 28:10-16.

B. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (I Timothy 2:5).

C. Jesus is the Master of Angels (Matt. 4:6, 11; Matt. 13:41; Matt. 26:53; Heb. 1:6).
We should beware of giving devotion to angels (Col. 2:18).

IV. Jesus is the "Son of Man" (John 1:51).

At first glance "Son of Man" seems to be a demotion from "Son of God," as John the Baptist had called Jesus. But it must be seen in the context of Jesus' Jewish culture and the Old Testament. "Son of Man" is actually a claim to be the Messiah (Daniel 7:13-14).

Conclusion: Jesus is our Rabbi. Have you become His disciple? He is our Leader, our Commander in chief. Have you enrolled to be his foot-soldier? He is the Master of angels, and He is the Son of Man, soon to come in the clouds with power and glory to reign in person over the earth. May the Lord help each of us to learn more about our Savior, and to serve Him daily.