John 1:19-51

Nathanael

John’s gospel is thought to have been the last of the four gospels to be written. He tells us things the other writers leave untouched. One of those things is the calling of Nathanael. Nathanael was likely not one of the twelve. His name doesn’t appear in any listing of the twelve but a tradition dating back to the 9th century identifies him with Bartholomew. In any event he was not a major character but there are interesting things associated with his meeting Christ.

He has one of the best lines in scripture (from an actor’s standpoint) when he says, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Isaiah tells us that Messiah would be like a root out of dry ground. You don’t expect much from a root in dry ground. Obviously people of this day and time didn’t expect much out of Nazareth either.

When Jesus sees Nathanael approaching He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” After the slight about Nazareth we might have expected Jesus to say something like, “What do you mean, ‘Can anything good come from Nazareth’”? Of course that is not what He said. He said, “Here comes a guy who calls it like he sees it.” And with no trace of humility Nathanael replies, “How do you know me?”

When Jesus tells Nathanael that he saw him sitting under a fig tree before Philip came to him, he is amazed. That’s all it took. “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” I can sense a pause here while Jesus looks at Nathanael like he had two heads. “You believe because I told you I saw you under a fig tree?” If I didn’t know better I would suspect that this was one time Jesus might have silently asked the Father, “What have I gotten Myself in to?”

Then Jesus smiles (I think He smiles) and says, “You’ll see better stuff than that. You remember Jacob dreaming about a ladder into heaven? I’m that ladder.”

Did I mention that John is my favorite book?