The
calling of all of Jesus' disciples went in stages:
- They were called but returned to their everyday life.
- Then they were called to ministry. They must leave all to go with Jesus. Luke 5
- Some were chosen to be apostles. Matthew 10:1-4; Luke 6:12-16
- After His resurrection, Jesus taught them how to fish His way to bring in the great catch. (John 21:6) When they did it Jesus' way, they brought in a catch so great that they were unable to haul the net to the shore. It is Jesus' resurrection power and doing things His way through obedience to His Word that will bring in the great harvest during the time of the end.
- They were called to make disciples of all nations. Matthew 28:18
- None of Jesus' disciples came without the Father and the Holy Spirit drawing them to the Son. The Godhead always works in harmony and agreement.
Philip
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. John
1: 43-45
Jesus
found and called Philip to follow Him. Philip was also from
Bethsaida, the house of
fish.
The first thing Philip did after believing in Jesus was to find
Nathanael and tell him about Jesus.
Philip
was the disciple to whom Jesus said, “Where
shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” There
were 5,000 hungry people gathered to see and hear Jesus. (see
John 6:5) Jesus
already knew what He was going to do to feed them, but He would test
Philip's faith in Him. Philip's lack of faith in Jesus was evident
in his response, “Eight
months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite.”
v7
He also showed a lack of understanding and faith in John
14:8. Jesus
was explaining the way to the Father to Thomas after which Philip
asked, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus gently rebuked Philip saying, “Don't
you know Me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long
time? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say,
'Show us the Father?' Don't you know that I am in the Father, and
that the Father is in Me.” vv9-10 As
Christ is in the Father and the Father is in Him as One, Christ is in
us and we are in Him as one. Philip didn't grasp this oneness yet.
Philip
along with Andrew brought some Greeks to Jesus. These Greeks said to
Philip and Andrew, “We want to see Jesus.” (see
John 12:20-22) Philip
was an evangelist and a soul-seeker. (See
Acts 21:8)
He brought both Jews and Gentiles to Jesus.
Philip
is not mentioned again until the Upper Room in Acts
1:13. The
12 chosen ones and others were praying in one accord. The Holy
Spirit came down and empowered them for ministry. Once empowered,
Philip went to Samaria to share the good news of Jesus. God
performed many signs and wonders through Philip and many were saved
and baptized.
Philip
also brought the Ethiopian (gentile) to Jesus. This man was reading Isaiah
53:7-8 about
the Messiah being led like a lamb to the slaughter. The Ethiopian
eunuch asked Philip who Isaiah was talking about. Philip used that
very scripture to tell him about Jesus who is the fulfillment of the
scripture. Then as they traveled on, they came to some water and
Philip baptized the Ethiopian. (see
Acts 8:30-39) He
was doing what Jesus commissioned him to do.
Philip
continued to travel to various areas to preach the good news of Jesus
Christ. Salvation is of the Jews but it is not just for the Jews.
Jesus made that clear by His actions.
Nathanael
Nathanael
was the first Jewish convert that Philip brought to Jesus. God used
Philip to bring both Jews and Gentiles to Christ. Nathanael came
from Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed His first miracle at the
wedding. Nathanael means “gift
of God.” Many
think that Nathanael and Bartholomew are the same person because
Nathanael is not mentioned in the other three gospels but Bartholomew
is. Bartholomew is always closely connected to Philip, as Nathanael was. Nathanael is listed as one of the apostles in John.
Philip
describes Jesus to Nathanael as the one whom Moses in the Law and the
Prophets wrote about. The Law and the Prophets represent the whole
Older Testament. Jesus Himself told the two disciples on the road to
Emmaus in Luke
24:27 that
He was throughout the Older Testament scriptures. And
beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what
was said in all the scriptures concerning Himself. Nathanael
was a student of the Torah, so Philip saying that Jesus is the One
Moses and the Prophets wrote about would interest him.
Philip
also introduced Jesus to Nathanael as “Jesus of Nazareth, the son
of Joseph.”
Nathanael
had a negative reaction at first. “Can
anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nazareth
was a small village of uncultured people. Cana of Galilee,
Nathanael's hometown, was not far from Nazareth. In biblical times,
there was often rivalry between towns so Nathanael didn't have good
feelings toward Nazareth. His judgments of Nazareth made him think
that nothing good could come out of that place.
Jesus
grew up in Nazareth, but was born in Bethlehem. Nathanael being a
student of the Torah knew that the Messiah was to be born in
Bethlehem and come through the tribe of Judah so he questions whether
Jesus is the true Messiah because of Philip's description of Him.
In
spite of the amazing teaching of Jesus and the miraculous signs and
powers He performed, the people of Nazareth did not believe in Him.
(see Matthew 13:54)
Jesus
began His ministry there but the people threw Him out of the
synagogue and were even plotting to kill Him by throwing Him off a
cliff. (see Luke
4:16, 24) In
His discourse to them, Jesus said that no prophet is accepted in his
hometown. Why? He is too familiar. He is seen in his earthly life
– the son of Joseph, not in His spiritual life and power as the Son
of God. Many times people see anointed ones in Christ's body in the
same way. Because they knew us “when,” they don't recognize the
spiritual gift and anointing in us and sometimes reject it. Jesus is
far more than the so-called son of Joseph, He is the Son of God.
Philip saw Jesus as the son of Joseph, but Nathanael eventually saw
Jesus as the Son of God, the King of Israel. People today also
sometimes don't see Jesus as He is in all of His power and glory as
the Son of God. They reduce Him and relate to Him as just a man
because we are human. We tend to see others as we see ourselves.
Instead of debating or
arguing with Nathanael, Philip just says, “Come and see.” In
other words, come and see for yourself if a good thing can come out
of Nazareth! Each one of us must see Jesus for ourselves. Jesus
wants us to share what we have seen and heard with others, but people
must also study the Word and see for themselves. A person can
testify of Him or even bring you to Jesus, but ultimately we must all
see Jesus for ourselves. He will reveal Himself progressively to
each one of us through the Word, the Spirit of Truth, anointed
teachers, pastors, evangelists, apostles, prophets, signs and
miracles and revelation knowledge. He will open our spiritually
blind eyes.
Jesus
reveals Nathanael's character and heart
When
Jesus saw Nathanael coming, He said to him, “Here
is a true Israelite in whom there is no guile (deceit).” John 1:47
Jesus knew Nathanael's
character and heart. Nathanael truly loved and worshiped God and was
honest. He had no pretense or false estimation of himself like some
of the Jewish religious leaders. Instead of being a light and
blessing, these religious leaders saw their chosenness pridefully as
a privilege. The power and authority went to their head and as a
result their attitude trickled down to the other Jews. Some of them viewed their status in a similar way. After all, they were the chosen ones so they must keep it for themselves. This
is even happening today. God is no respecter of persons. He doesn't
exalt one nation over another or one person over another. We are
all, Jew and Gentile, seen alike in the eyes of God because we are
all sinners who fall short of the glory of God. God is not impressed
with our race. He is impressed with our heart and character, just
as Jesus was with Nathanael. Romans
2:28-29: A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is
circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew
if he is one inwardly and circumcision is circumcision of the heart,
by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not
from man, but from God. Jesus praised Nathanael, the humble, righteous Jew.
Nathanael
was not a hypocrite but an honest and sincere man seeking the Truth
and worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth. Jesus attests that there
is nothing false in Nathanael. Psalm
32:2: Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against
him, and in whose spirit is no deceit. Perhaps
Nathanael, the Torah student, remembered Isaiah's prophecy of the
Messiah in Chapter 53,
verse 9 that there would
be “no deceit in His
mouth.”
Nathanael
asks Jesus, “How do you
know me?” v48 Jesus
who is not just Man, but also fully God sees and knows all. Jesus
responds to Nathanael, “I
saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called
you.” v48 The Jews
believed that one who has Divine revelation is a true prophet of God.
In the heat of the desert land of Israel, men and women would go to
the shade of a fig tree to study scripture, ponder, mediate and pray.
A fig tree bore fruit before the leaves came, so they were a perfect
place of shelter and peace under its leaves to communicate with God
and study His scriptures. Praying for the Messiah to come as the
consolation of Israel was every Jew's desire. Nathanael could have
been praying for this too. The Messiah was talking to him!
At
the revelation of Jesus about Nathanael's heart, character and being
under the fig tree, Nathanael declared, “Rabbi
(Master and Teacher),
You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.” John 1:49
Philip knew Jesus as the
son of Joseph at this point, but Nathanael knew Him as the Son of
God, the King of Israel. “King of Israel” is a term used for the
Messiah – the Anointed One of God. Philip saw Jesus as the prophet
that Moses wrote about, but Nathanael saw Jesus as the Son of God.
Jesus is far more than a Prophet, He is the very Word of God brought
to life (Living) and
the Son of God who will fulfill all of the promises of God from
Abraham to David and throughout the Older Testament scriptures. The
very gospel of John is written to testify that Jesus is the Son of
God. Nathanael saw this even before Peter and the others. He had
great spiritual depth.
Jesus'promise
to Nathanael
“You
believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall
see greater things than that. I tell you the truth, you shall see
heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the
Son of Man.” vv 50-51
Perhaps
Nathanael was reading and studying about Jacob's ladder in Genesis
28 when he was sitting
under the fig tree. Jacob was full of deceit until he wrestled with
the spiritual Man who broke Jacob's fleshly willfulness so he would
walk with God as Israel. (see
Genesis 32:22-32)
Nathanael, on the other hand, had no deceit.
Jesus
called Himself the Son of Man because Jesus was that spiritual Man
who wrestled with Jacob and then changed his name to Israel which
means “one who strives
with God.” Jacob would
no longer walk in deceit and his fleshly ways. He will now walk with
God and His ways. As the Son of Man, Jesus is every man because He
created us. As the Son of God, He is the only One begotten of the
Father who is holy, righteous and good.
Jacob
rested upon a rock when he had the dream of a ladder whose top
reached into the heavens and angels were ascending and descending on
it. (see Genesis
28:10-13) After Jacob
awakened from this dream, he anointed the rock with oil and named the
place Bethel which means “house
of God.” Jesus is the
Anointed Rock of God in whom God is housed. Jesus is saying, “I am
that dream!” Jesus is also the ladder as the bridge between heaven
and earth -- the spiritual and the natural. Jesus is giving
this revelation knowledge to Nathanael, the righteous Jew. Jesus
promises Nathanael that he will have even deeper revelation knowledge
because He met and believes in Jesus the Messiah who is the
fulfillment of all of scripture – the Living Word.
At the ascension of
Christ, two angels dressed in white came down and told Jesus'
disciples that He will come back the same way He left. The heavens
opened and He ascended in a cloud of glory and the heavens will open
and He will descend in a cloud of glory at His second coming.
Notice that Jesus said
to honest Nathanael, “I tell you the Truth...” Jesus only
speaks Truth. There is no guile (deceit) in Him because He is
God of whom it is said that He is “not a man that He should lie,
nor the son of man that He should repent.” Numbers 23:19
No, Jesus is holy and pure as God , Truth and as Man.
Fruitful
Vines and Fig Trees
Fruitful
vines and fig trees symbolize spiritual fruit, rest, peace and
prosperity. The fig tree also is symbolic of Israel. Jesus cursed
the fig tree in Matthew
21:19 because
it was full of leaves but had no fruit. A tree with no fruit is
useless. Jesus told the religious leaders who were full of pride and
arrogance that they were white-washed sepulchers. In other words,
they looked good on the outside but inside they were full of pride.
Jesus wants us to allow Him to circumcize our hearts so we are full
of the fruit of the Holy Spirit and are a benefit to His Kingdom and
others.
Jesus'
commendation and revelation of Nathanael's heart was, I am sure,
music to Nathanael's ears. May we all with unveiled faces long to
hear “well done my good and faithful servant” from our precious
Savior and Lord.
Lord,
we thank you for Nathanael and his godly example of a righteous life.
Help us to be like him. Amen
Blessings,
Sandy
No comments:
Post a Comment