We have seen in previous teachings some of the things that
Jesus made “new.” Jesus is the new
Divine Man on earth, the new Light and Life and the new Passover Lamb. John the
Baptist is a new witness and there is the new sign of the Dove. Next, Jesus
calls His new disciples. The first called ones of Jesus were Jews who began as
disciples of John the Baptist. John the
Baptist directed John and Andrew to Jesus. Andrew then led his brother Peter to
Jesus.
Andrew
and Peter
Andrew and Peter’s characters and ministries were very
different but each were important to the Kingdom of God. The bible doesn’t say
much about Andrew. Andrew pretty much stepped aside to let his brother Peter be
the leader of the chosen twelve. Andrew
stayed in the background while Peter took the leadership and was more visible. Jesus
loved all of His chosen twelve equally no matter what position they served.
This is also true in today’s church. Andrew was a “fisher of men” – a soul winner. Andrew brought his brother Peter,
the lad with the five loaves and two fish and some Greeks to Jesus. (see John 12:20-22)
Peter was bold, impatient, doubtful
and sometimes even violent, but Jesus would take him and transform him into a
living, spiritual stone in His Kingdom. Peter’s boldness and aggressiveness
made him a great leader, but these traits also got him into trouble at times.
Peter was also a risk-taker. Peter tried
walking on water. He also cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant making it necessary for
Jesus to heal and restore Peter's damage. Peter was often emotional and impulsive. Jesus
had to temper Peter’s emotions and impulses so he would be a great leader and
spokesman for the Lord. Jesus knew Peter’s heart in spite of his outer actions.
Jesus exercised patience with Peter as He transformed him into a mature,
powerful man of God. Paul called Peter a pillar in Christ’s Church. He became a
bold and mighty evangelist. In Acts, Peter was so overcome by the Holy Spirit
that he began to preach with fire and 3,000 people were saved by believing in
Jesus.
Peter was the first to confess Jesus as the Christ. God showed
Peter, who was leading Jews to Jesus, that he was also to preach to the
Gentiles. Peter began with the gentile Cornelius. (Acts 10:1-31) At the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem, Peter
defended the inclusion of the gentiles into the Church because God had shown Peter that they were to be included.
Philip
Jesus left Jerusalem for Galilee.
There He called Philip to follow Him. The Seeker of the lost finds us, not the
opposite. Philip was from Bethsaida, the “house
of fish.” Philip was an evangelist and soul seeker also. He was eager and
excited to share the Good News of salvation through Jesus. Philip along with
Andrew brought some Greeks to Jesus. These Greeks at their encounter with
Philip and Andrew said that they wanted to see Jesus for themselves. (see John 12:20-22) Philip also brought
the Ethiopian eunuch to Jesus. This man was reading Isaiah 53:7-8 about the Messiah being led like a lamb to the
slaughter. This Ethiopian eunuch asked Philip who Isaiah was talking about.
Philip used this very Older Testament scripture to tell him about Jesus who is the fulfillment
of Isaiah’s prophecy. Philip used the Older Testament in the proper way -- to point people to Christ. Then as Philip and the eunuch traveled on, they came to
some water and Philip baptized him. (see
Acts 8:30-39) Philip was doing what Jesus told them to do – baptize in the
Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey
everything. (see Matthew 28:19-20)
Philip also was the disciple to whom
Jesus said, “Where shall we buy bread
for these people to eat?” (John 6:5) There were 5,000+ hungry people
gathered to see and hear Jesus. 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 was
evident in his response, “Eight months
wages would not buy enough bread for each to have a bite.” V7 Jesus will
show Philip that little is much in His hands. He will supply all their needs according to His riches in glory.
When Jesus was explaining the way to
the Father to Thomas, Philip said, “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 Jesus wants
Philip to know that He is just like the Father in every way. They are One. They
have one will, one purpose, one Word, one Spirit, one mind, one plan and one
heart.
Philip is not mentioned again until the Upper Room in Acts 1:13. The apostles and others were
praying in one accord for the promise that Jesus had given them that He would
send another Counselor to them. As they were praying in unity, the Holy Spirit
came down in tongues of fire empowering those present 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 continued to travel to various areas to preach the good news.
Nathanael
Philip brought Nathanael to Jesus.
Nathanael came from Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed His first miracle at
the Jewish wedding. Philip describes
Jesus to Nathanael as the One whom Moses and the Prophets wrote about. “We have found the One whom Moses wrote
about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth,
the son of Joseph.” Moses had told the Israelites that God would raise up a
prophet like him from among their brethren, and they were to listen to Him. (See Deuteronomy 18:15-20) Nathanael
immediately responds, “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 was born in Bethlehem, but He grew up
in Nazareth. Nathanael being a student of the Torah knew that the Messiah was
to be born in Bethlehem and come through the tribe of Judah. The revelation that Jesus was from Nazareth made Nathanael question
whether Jesus is the true Messiah. In spite of the amazing teaching of Jesus and the miraculous signs and miracles
He performed, the people of Nazareth did not believe in Him. (see Matthew 13:54) Jesus began His ministry in Nazareth but
the people threw Him out of the synagogue and were even plotting to kill Him by
throwing Him off a cliff. They couldn’t get past the fact that Jesus was the
son of the carpenter Joseph. They were only seeing with "natural" eyes!
At Nathanael’s response, Philip doesn’t get dogmatic or
argumentative. He merely 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 about Jesus with others, but Jesus is the One who will open their eyes of understanding.
“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 about Jesus with others, but Jesus is the One who will open their eyes of understanding.
When Jesus sees Nathanael coming toward Him, He said, “Here is a true Israelite in whom there is
no guile (deceit).” John 1:47 Jesus reveals Nathanael’s
heart. Jesus knew Nathan’s character and heart because He is all-knowing. Jesus knew that Nathanael truly loved and
worshiped God. He was an honest man of God. He had no
pretense or false estimation of himself like some of the Jewish religious
leaders. Psalm 32:2: Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord does not count against him, and in whose spirit is no
deceit. Nathanael was not a Jew in
name only, nor was he a hypocrite. Nathanael was also not close-minded. He was
a seeker of truth. Perhaps Nathanael,
the Torah rabbi, remembered Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah saying that there
would be “no deceit in His mouth.” 53:9
Nathanael is somewhat perplexed by
Jesus’ assessment of him. He says to Jesus, “How do you know me?” v48 The all-knowing Jesus responds, “I saw you while you were still under the
fig tree before Philip called you.” Often Jews would go under the shade of
a fig tree to pray and study God’s Word. At this revelation, Nathanael says, “Rabbi. You are the Son of God; You are the
King of Israel.” John 1:49 Philip knew Jesus as the prophet whom Moses
wrote about, but Nathanael recognized Jesus as the Son of God, the King of
Israel. Nathanael saw this before Peter and the others. Nathanael had great
spiritual depth and had been cleansed of pride and prejudice, so he saw more
deeply and received Jesus more quickly.
Jesus made a promise to Nathanael that he would see even
greater things than this, and have even deeper revelation knowledge because he
has met and believed in the Son of God who is the fulfillment of the Older Testament
scriptures that Nathanael studied and loved.
Nathanael was at the beginning of Christ’s public ministry and
at the end (see John 1:50-51; John
21:2) Nathanael remained with Jesus
to the end! He was one of the seven disciples who were at the Sea of Galilee
going fishing when Jesus appeared to them in his resurrected body. I am sure
that Jesus’ commendation and revelation of Nathanael’s heart was music to his
ears! May we also stay with Jesus to the end and with unveiled faces long to
hear from our precious Savior and Lord, “well
done my good and faithful servant.”
Next teaching: New Wine
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