A.What is required to convince men that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God?
B.For Nathanael, it only required this statement by Jesus: “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you” (John 1:48).
II.TEXT:JOHN 1:43-51
A.The setting for these events was the wilderness of Judea near the Jordan River.
1.This is the area where John the baptist was teaching and baptizing his followers (Matt. 3:1-6).
2.Jesus had come to this area to be baptized by John (Matt. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22).
3.While Jesus was there, he had encountered Andrew, Peter, and possibly John (one of the two in John 1:37), all of whom were disciples of John the baptist (John 1:35-42).They, along with nine others, would eventually become the Lord’s apostles.
B.Jesus called Philip, who in turn told Nathanael about the Lord (John 1:43-46).
1.Philip’s calling occurred in the simplest manner when Jesus said, “Follow Me” (v. 43).
a.Philip was from Bethsaida (meaning “house of fishing”), which was a village on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.It was also the city of Peter and Andrew.
b.Like Peter, Andrew, and John, Philip would become an apostle of Christ.
2.Whereas Jesus found Philip, Philip went to find Nathanael.
a.Nathanael was from the Galilean city of Cana (John 21:2), which was approximately eight miles north of Nazareth.
b.It is almost certain that Nathanael is the same person called Bartholomew by Matthew, Mark, and Luke, for Bartholomew is the only one of the twelve apostles not mentioned by John.
3.Philip described Jesus to Nathanael as “Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote” (v. 45).
a.When Moses repeated the Law to Israel on the plains of Moab, he said that God would raise up a prophet like himself to whom they were to listen (Deut. 18:15).Philip identified Jesus as that prophet.
b.Throughout the Old Testament, over three-hundred prophecies of the Messiah are given, and Philip recognized that Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph, was fulfilling those prophecies.
4.When Nathanael heard that Jesus was from Nazareth, he expressed his skepticism.
a.It is obvious from Nathanael’s response that he was unimpressed with the village of Nazareth, a place with which he must have been familiar.
b.In reply, Philip invited Nathanael to come and see for himself what good could come from Nazareth.
C.When Nathanael came to see Jesus, they testified of one another.
1.The Lord’s testimony concerning Nathanael was, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile” (v. 47).
a.Nathanael was surprised by the Lord’s recognition of him, for he and Jesus were unacquainted with one another.Therefore, Nathanael asked Jesus, “How do you know me?” (v. 48).
b.The Lord’s answer was, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you” (v. 48).
i.What Nathanael was doing under the fig tree is not disclosed in the Scripture.We can only speculate.
1.The phrase “under the fig tree” was used in the Old Testament to describe one’s personal place of comfort and safety (1Ki. 4:25; Mic. 4:4; Zech. 3:10).This phrase became a rabbinical saying used figuratively to describe one who was engaged in peaceful, Scriptural meditation.Perhaps Jesus used this figurative phrase in this way.
2.It seems most likely that Nathanael was literally under a fig tree and that he retreated there for a private, quiet moment, perhaps to engage in meditation or prayer.
ii.Whatever he was doing under the fig tree impressed Jesus to the point that He praised Nathanael with these great and noble words.
2.Because of the evidence of Christ’s divine insight, Nathanael declared to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel” (v. 49).
a.Whatever Nathanael was doing under the fig tree, it was a private and secret moment that he knew could not have been witnessed or perceived by any ordinary man.
b.This proof of the Son of God was only the beginning, for Jesus said, “You shall see greater things than these” (v. 50).
i.The Lord’s statement in verse 51 is reminiscent of Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28:10-22.The point is that the things Nathanael would witness would reveal Jesus to be the Mediator between heaven and earth.
ii.Certainly, Nathanael saw these great things, and they confirmed his conviction that Jesus was the Son of God and King of Israel.
III.LESSONS
A.Christ sees all things.
1.One of the qualities of God is that He is omniscient, meaning that He knows all things (Psa. 139:1-6).Moreover, He sees into our hearts where no one else can see (1Sam. 16:7; 1John 3:20).
2.Jesus Christ has this insight, for He is the Son of God.
a.John wrote that Jesus “knew what was in man” (John 2:25).
b.Jesus demonstrated this many times (Matt. 9:3-4; 12:24-25; 22:15, 18; Luke 6:7-8; 9:46-47; John 4:16-19).
3.Therefore, there is no time or place when we are not within the sight and knowledge of Christ.
a.For the faithful, this is a blessing and a comfort, just as it was for Nathanael.The Lord sees the outward deeds and “the hidden person of the heart” (1Pet. 3:4).
b.For the unfaithful, it is a fearful revelation that their wicked deeds and thoughts of their hearts are known unto the Lord before whom we must all give an account (2Cor. 5:10).
B.What we do in secret matters.
1.Our reputation is formed by what others see us doing.However, our character is the truth of who we are, and it is determined by both seen and unseen things.
2.Jesus gave special attention to our unseen, secret service to God in Matthew 6:1-18.
a.He spoke of almsgiving (charity) in verses 1-4.Do you secretly and discreetly help those who are in need both physically and spiritually?The Lord is watching.
b.He spoke of prayer in verses 5-15.Do you speak to God in your private and quiet moments?He is listening.
c.He spoke of fasting in verses 16-18.Do you elevate the spirit above the flesh when no one else is watching you?Christ knows.
3.What do you do “under the fig tree?”
a.Sinners usually practice their wickedness in secret (Eph. 5:11-12), but the righteous are righteous always.
b.Only the Lord and you know who you really are.Do not deceive yourself into thinking you are something you are not (Jas. 1:22).Be assured, God is not deceived (Gal. 6:7).
C.Consider Nathanael’s character.
1.Jesus said that Nathanael was an Israelite indeed.
a.A true Israelite is not a descendant of Abraham through the physical lineage of Isaac and Jacob.Rather, a true Israelite has faith like Abraham (Rom. 9:6-8; Gal. 3:7-9, 26-29).
b.Nathanael had such faith, which was evident by what he had done under the fig tree and by the way he accepted Christ (compare him to Thomas in John 20:26-29).
2.Jesus also said that there was no guile in Nathanael.
a.The word guile means “bait, snare, or deceit.”Nathanael spoke plain, sincere truth without any pretense of deceit or doubletalk.His words gave insight into his good heart and pure motivations toward God and men.
b.This same characteristic was attributed to Christ in 1Peter 2:22 (Isa. 53:9).
3.Can Jesus say of you, “Behold, a Christian indeed, in whom is no guile!”
a.Do you wear the name “Christian” as a title or as a description?
b.Does your heart lead you to speak plain, sincere truth in the image of Christ?
