Joh 1:45-50 | KingComments | STEP | Philip, too, cannot remain silent about his ‘Finding’. He finds Nathanael to whom he testifies that he has found “Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph”. He too speaks in plural: “We have found Him.” He supports his testimony and its certainty, by referring to what Moses wrote about Him, as well as the prophets ( ; ; ). Philip knows and believes the Scriptures and therefore sees them fulfilled when he meets Christ. Therefore, there is no doubt with him that this humble Man from Nazareth known as “Jesus, the Son of Joseph” is the promised Messiah. The testimony of Philip does not have an immediate result. According to Nathanael, nothing good can come from Nazareth and certainly the Messiah cannot come from there. Philip has to deal with prejudices with Nathanael. If he had said that he had found the Christ, the Son of David, of Bethlehem, the reaction would have been different. This is how Nathanael expected Him. Prejudice is not a small impediment. We must learn that someone is not simply won over to the Lord. Nor should we be discouraged by prejudices that others have about Him. Philip is not going to reason, but suggests to Nathanael to come along and see Him for himself. Then Nathanael goes with him to see Who He may be, but discovers that the Lord has seen him before. Everywhere in this Gospel the Lord Jesus is God. He sees what Nathanael is thinking about. Like many others, Nathanael will have been impressed by the preaching of John. It must have made him think that the coming of the Messiah could be very close. The Lord knows Nathanael as a sincere Jew who looked forward to His coming. That is why He can speak to him in this way. Nathanael is surprised that He speaks to him in this way. His question “how do You know me?” makes it clear that he does not yet know Who he has in front of him. The Lord convinces Nathanael by telling him that He had already seen him before Philip called him and also saw the place where he was. While Nathanael thought that no one saw him, the Lord saw him there, under the fig tree. And while he sat there, the Lord also saw the reflections of his heart. The fact that the Lord mentions the fig tree is not without meaning. The fig tree is a symbol of Israel. In Nathanael we can therefore see a picture of the believing remnant that to Christ is the true Israel. There is no deceit in it, but the true Israel knows Him and looks forward to Him. The true Israel shows the characteristics of the Messiah of Whom it is said: “Nor was there any deceit in His mouth” ( ). After these words, Nathanael is convinced in his heart and conscience that He is the Son of God, God’s chosen King. After the initial hesitation when Philip called him, there is now a spontaneous confession. The confession of Nathanael is the confession of every God-fearing Jew. It is the confession that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God as Man on earth, but limited to Israel.

‏ John 1:45-50

Philip Brings Nathanael to the Lord.

Philip, too, cannot remain silent about his ‘Finding’. He finds Nathanael to whom he testifies that he has found “Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph”. He too speaks in plural: “We have found Him.” He supports his testimony and its certainty, by referring to what Moses wrote about Him, as well as the prophets (Deu 18:18; Isa 7:14 ; Isa 9:6; Lk 24:27). Philip knows and believes the Scriptures and therefore sees them fulfilled when he meets Christ. Therefore, there is no doubt with him that this humble Man from Nazareth known as “Jesus, the Son of Joseph” is the promised Messiah.

The testimony of Philip does not have an immediate result. According to Nathanael, nothing good can come from Nazareth and certainly the Messiah cannot come from there. Philip has to deal with prejudices with Nathanael. If he had said that he had found the Christ, the Son of David, of Bethlehem, the reaction would have been different. This is how Nathanael expected Him. Prejudice is not a small impediment. We must learn that someone is not simply won over to the Lord. Nor should we be discouraged by prejudices that others have about Him. Philip is not going to reason, but suggests to Nathanael to come along and see Him for himself.

Then Nathanael goes with him to see Who He may be, but discovers that the Lord has seen him before. Everywhere in this Gospel the Lord Jesus is God. He sees what Nathanael is thinking about. Like many others, Nathanael will have been impressed by the preaching of John. It must have made him think that the coming of the Messiah could be very close.

The Lord knows Nathanael as a sincere Jew who looked forward to His coming. That is why He can speak to him in this way. Nathanael is surprised that He speaks to him in this way. His question “how do You know me?” makes it clear that he does not yet know Who he has in front of him. The Lord convinces Nathanael by telling him that He had already seen him before Philip called him and also saw the place where he was. While Nathanael thought that no one saw him, the Lord saw him there, under the fig tree. And while he sat there, the Lord also saw the reflections of his heart.

The fact that the Lord mentions the fig tree is not without meaning. The fig tree is a symbol of Israel. In Nathanael we can therefore see a picture of the believing remnant that to Christ is the true Israel. There is no deceit in it, but the true Israel knows Him and looks forward to Him. The true Israel shows the characteristics of the Messiah of Whom it is said: “Nor was there any deceit in His mouth” (Isa 53:9).

After these words, Nathanael is convinced in his heart and conscience that He is the Son of God, God’s chosen King. After the initial hesitation when Philip called him, there is now a spontaneous confession. The confession of Nathanael is the confession of every God-fearing Jew. It is the confession that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God as Man on earth, but limited to Israel.

Greater Things

The Lord reminds Nathanael that his faith is based on his Jewish expectations. These expectations find their ground in Psalm 2, where is spoken of God’s King for His people (Psa 2:6-7). This is already a great blessing, but the blessing will become even greater. The Lord promises him that he will see greater things than the things that are connected with Israel. With a double “truly” and an emphatic “I say to you” Christ tells what the greater things are, that Nathanael will see. He will see things that are in connection with a heaven that is open above Him as “the Son of Man”. Those things we find in Psalm 8, where we see that God has set the Son of Man over all the works of His hands (Psa 8:4-9).

The title “Son of Man” is the title of the Lord Jesus indicating, on the one hand, His rejection – see Matthew 8 (Mt 8:20), where this title appears for the first time in the New Testament – and, on the other hand, His future glory. That glory is not only connected with Israel, but with His dominion over all creation (Heb 2:5-8).

Here the Lord presents Himself to Nathanael as the Son of Man on earth. We see that the angels of God first ascend, that is to say, He sends them from earth to heaven, and then they descend again from heaven. Heaven is open, for wherever Christ is, heaven is open and He is the object of an opened heaven (Mt 3:16; Mk 1:10; Lk 3:21; Acts 7:56; Rev 19:11). Now that He is in heaven, heaven is opened for the believer.

The Lord tells Nathanael that he will see this. We may know that what will be visible reality for everyone in the future is already true for faith now because it is connected with His Person. In Him everything will be fulfilled. He, the eternal Son, as the Son of Man on earth will be the center of the universe in the realm of peace (Eph 1:10). Faith already sees this. The earth shall be united with heaven; the Son of Man shall reign over heaven and earth; and His servants, the angels, shall maintain the connection between earth and heaven (cf. Gen 28:12).