The
next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow
me.”
Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come
and see,” said Philip.
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:43-51)
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1:43-51)
The next day…. That means the previous day
was the day in which Andrew, Peter, and the unnamed disciple (probably John) met
the Messiah. This is day two. It says that Jesus found Philip, and Philip found
Nathanael. Again, we tend to think of Jesus as walking up to complete strangers
and saying, “Follow me.” But Philip clearly knew Nathanael, so finding someone
doesn’t mean meeting them for the first time. That could be the case, but it
doesn’t have to.
We’re also used to rather monotonous disciples. Jesus says “follow me” and everyone drops everything and follows obediently. That’s why I love Nathanael’s response. It’s not politically correct. It’s not polite? It’s not non-judgmental. “Can anything good come there?” It’s like he’s saying, “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding. Nazareth?” I don’t know where the other side of the tracks is in your town, but Nazareth was clearly the wrong side of town from Nathanael’s perspective. Nathanael’s response was a loud and clear, “I doubt it.”
I also love Philip’s response to Nathanael, because it’s exactly not the response I would have given. I would have wanted to present evidence. “But John said….” I’m more like Nathanael.
Philip just says, “Come and see.”
I’d love to have been there, to see the looks on the faces, to hear the inflections in the voices for the conversation between Jesus and Nathanael. I used to think that Jesus complimented Nathaniel. But now I wonder if Jesus was saying Nathanael was a really good Israelite, or that Nathanael was the sort of guy who called it like he saw it, no holds barred, no punches pulled. Polite? Snort. PC? Double snort. The Messiah? From Nazareth? Add a guffaw. “Prove it and while you’re at it, tell me who has been talking behind my back.
Jesus’ answer wasn’t what Nathanael expected. Was the fig tree a hiding place of sorts for Nathanael? At the very least, he didn’t believe anyone could have tipped Jesus off. The only way Jesus could have known is if Philip was right. Jesus was the Messiah – and while Peter proclaimed Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16), Nathanael said it the day the met Jesus. Were this event in Matthew, it would have been before Matthew 5.
Even after he declared Jesus to be the Son of God and the King of Israel, Jesus doesn’t seem impressed. If Nathanael thought Jesus knowing he’d been under the fig tree was something, well…. According to some commentators, the crack about seeing the heavens open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man was a reference to Genesis 28:12, when Jacob dreamed of the ladder between heaven and earth on which the angels ascended and descended, and Jesus was telling Nathanael exactly what he’d been reading while sitting under the fig tree.
We don’t hear much more about Nathanael. He’s mentioned seven times in John as “Nathanael” (most of them in this passage) and (according to some) once each in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts as Bartholomew, generally as a member of the chorus. There are some who claim he spread the gospel to India, and others who say it was to Armenia. Some say he was beheaded, others that he was flayed while hanging head down.
Today’s passage has been a delight to me, because I like discovering the personalities of the people with whom Jesus interacted. Peter was the sort who wore chocolate sandals so they wouldn’t taste so bad when he opened his mouth to change feet. I get the impression that Nathanael was the sort who drew a line in the sand and waited for someone to show they had what it took to step across it.
We’re also used to rather monotonous disciples. Jesus says “follow me” and everyone drops everything and follows obediently. That’s why I love Nathanael’s response. It’s not politically correct. It’s not polite? It’s not non-judgmental. “Can anything good come there?” It’s like he’s saying, “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding. Nazareth?” I don’t know where the other side of the tracks is in your town, but Nazareth was clearly the wrong side of town from Nathanael’s perspective. Nathanael’s response was a loud and clear, “I doubt it.”
I also love Philip’s response to Nathanael, because it’s exactly not the response I would have given. I would have wanted to present evidence. “But John said….” I’m more like Nathanael.
Philip just says, “Come and see.”
I’d love to have been there, to see the looks on the faces, to hear the inflections in the voices for the conversation between Jesus and Nathanael. I used to think that Jesus complimented Nathaniel. But now I wonder if Jesus was saying Nathanael was a really good Israelite, or that Nathanael was the sort of guy who called it like he saw it, no holds barred, no punches pulled. Polite? Snort. PC? Double snort. The Messiah? From Nazareth? Add a guffaw. “Prove it and while you’re at it, tell me who has been talking behind my back.
Jesus’ answer wasn’t what Nathanael expected. Was the fig tree a hiding place of sorts for Nathanael? At the very least, he didn’t believe anyone could have tipped Jesus off. The only way Jesus could have known is if Philip was right. Jesus was the Messiah – and while Peter proclaimed Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16), Nathanael said it the day the met Jesus. Were this event in Matthew, it would have been before Matthew 5.
Even after he declared Jesus to be the Son of God and the King of Israel, Jesus doesn’t seem impressed. If Nathanael thought Jesus knowing he’d been under the fig tree was something, well…. According to some commentators, the crack about seeing the heavens open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man was a reference to Genesis 28:12, when Jacob dreamed of the ladder between heaven and earth on which the angels ascended and descended, and Jesus was telling Nathanael exactly what he’d been reading while sitting under the fig tree.
We don’t hear much more about Nathanael. He’s mentioned seven times in John as “Nathanael” (most of them in this passage) and (according to some) once each in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts as Bartholomew, generally as a member of the chorus. There are some who claim he spread the gospel to India, and others who say it was to Armenia. Some say he was beheaded, others that he was flayed while hanging head down.
Today’s passage has been a delight to me, because I like discovering the personalities of the people with whom Jesus interacted. Peter was the sort who wore chocolate sandals so they wouldn’t taste so bad when he opened his mouth to change feet. I get the impression that Nathanael was the sort who drew a line in the sand and waited for someone to show they had what it took to step across it.
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