John 1:43-51 (WEL) The next day, Jesus decided to go into Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found the one written about by Moses in the law and written about in the prophets, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael sneered, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip replied, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said, “Behold, a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied to him, “Before Philip called out to you when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered and said to him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I saw you under the fig tree, you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 Then he said to him, “Very truly, I say to you, from now on, you will see heaven open up and the angels of God going up and coming down to the Son of Man.”
V43 The next day, Jesus decided to go into Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”
Mostly likely, Philip was already a follower of John the Baptist; he was ready to meet the Messiah. He had heard the messages of John the Baptist, saw Jesus baptized, etc. So, when Jesus invited him to follow, Philip was ready. Application: He already knew so when the invitation came, he was ready. Are you?
V44 Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
Bethsaida is on the north side of the Sea of Galilee. There is possibly another one closer to the Jordan River. Peter and his brother, Andrew, are from the same city.
V45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found the one written about by Moses in the law and written about in the prophets, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Immediately, Philip went to find his friend Nathanael and gave a simple Gospel message. Note the points of his message: 1) Moses wrote about Messiah and 2) the prophets wrote about him. Philip also identifies him but not perfectly. Jesus is the son of God, not the son of Joseph. All of us would have done the same. It takes time to learn.
V46 Nathanael sneered, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip replied, “Come and see.”
Nazareth was not a city well thought of.
(Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary):
“However, Nazareth itself was situated in something of a basin, a high valley about 366 meters (1,200 feet) above sea level overlooking the Esdraelon valley. To the north and east were steep hills, while on the west the hills rose to an impressive 488 meters (1,600 feet). Nazareth, therefore, was somewhat secluded and isolated from nearby traffic.
“This apparent isolation of Nazareth as a frontier town on the southern border of Zebulun contributed to the reputation that Nazareth was not an important part of the national and religious life of Israel. This, coupled with a rather bad reputation in morals and religion and a certain crudeness in the Galilean dialect, prompted Nathanael, when he first learned of Jesus of Nazareth, to ask, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
V47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said, “Behold, a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile!”
When Philip told Nathanael to come and see, Nathanael did just that. He was surprised at Jesus’s assessment of him. This is the spiritual gift of knowledge, that the Lord Jesus has in full measure. Believers can have the same gift but not to the degree of fullness that our Lord Jesus had (1 Corinthians 13:2).
Nathanael is a true Israelite, that is, one who fears God and strives to obey Mosaic Law. Compare the same term in Galatians 6:16 (Israel of God).
V48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied to him, “Before Philip called out to you when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
Though in shock, Nathanael is even more shocked when the Lord Jesus tells him, “Before Philip called out to you when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Principle: God knows everything about us, including who we are, our character traits, our thoughts, desires, words, and deeds. We cannot hide from God. Adam and Eve tried without success. Nor will running away like the prophet Jonah. God knows all. See Hebrews 4:12 and Matthew 12:33-37.
V49 Nathanael answered and said to him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel.”
Nathanael was convinced (John 16:8) and believed. He believed that Jesus is the Son of God (Messiah as in Proverbs 30:4 and Psalm 2:7). He expressed his faith in Jesus alone.
V50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I saw you under the fig tree, you believe? You will see greater things than these.”
Jesus asks a rhetorical question, then He makes a statement. There is much for Nathanael to learn and see, which he accomplished.
V51 Then he said to him, “Very truly, I say to you, from now on, you will see heaven open up and the angels of God going up and coming down to the Son of Man.”
Another specific prophecy.
(Zondervan King James Version Commentary, New Testament) “Ye shall see … the angels … ascending and descending upon the Son of man alludes to a definitive moment in Israel’s history when it was similarly revealed that Jacob was God’s elect one and would be the progenitor of God’s people (see Gen. 28:12 and discussion). Here the symbolism of angelic traffic between heaven and earth marked Jesus, the Son of Man, as God’s elect one through whom redemption would come to the world, perhaps identifying Jesus as the true Israelite.”
We learn:
- Some principles of evangelism and God’s knowledge.
- Some character traits of Jesus Christ.
Questions:
- What have you done with Jesus Christ?
- Are you seeking God and learning more of Him?