Today ends Chapter 1 of St John Gospel, it has been great studying this chapter where John’s story begins as John the Baptist ministers near Bethany on the other side of the Jordan. (John 1:28) now let’s consider the following verses as we conclude Chapter 1 of John.
John 1:43-51
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”
44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.
45 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.”
46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.”
51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you [^10] will see ’heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ [^11] the Son of Man.”
The next day Jesus decided to go north to Galilee. Before leaving, however, He discovered Philip and said to him, Follow me. ( Philip was from Bethsaida, the same city that Andrew and Peter were from). Philip, the same day, found Nathaniel and said to him, We have found the One of Whom Moses wrote about in the Pentateuch and of Whom the prophets also wrote. This One is none other than Jesus of Nazareth, the son Joseph the carpenter. But Nathaniel said, The Scriptures do not say, do they, that the Messiah shall come out of Nazareth? Philip answered, Come and see for yourself. As Nathaniel was coming to Jesus, said, Look! A true son of Jacob in whom there is no deceit nor guile! Nathaniel said to Jesus, how do you know what my character is? Jesus answered him, saying, before Philip found you, when you thought yourself concealed under the fig tree, I could read your heart. Nathaniel said to Jesus, Teacher, you are indeed the Son of God – the King of Israel. Jesus said to Nathaniel, You believed when I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than these. I tell you truly, You shall see the way into Heaven and a measure of its glories revealed through the Son of man.
In summary today, Jesus gathers two more disciples. Philip, neighbor of Andrew and Peter, and Nathaniel, a true Israelite. Nathaniel’s quick faith is to be rewarded by visions of Glory. To God alone be the GLORY.
Soaking In The Word 