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The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me."

Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathaniel 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."

"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" asked Nathaniel.

"Come and see," said Philip. 

When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

"How do you know me?" Nathaniel asked. 

Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."

Then Nathaniel declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

John 1:43-41

Yesterday, I pointed out: Clearly, we see that Nathaniel has some major doubts about what his friend Philip has told him about Jesus. 

Notice how differently Jesus approaches Nathaniel compared to how he approached Philip. With Philip, FINDING him was enough. With Nathaniel, Jesus knows he needs to address his doubts. He says, "I saw you under the fig tree." What is that? How am I supposed to know! You see, that's the point. Only Nathaniel understood what happened under the fig tree. Maybe it was something painful. Maybe it was his special place to pray. Whatever happened there was significant enough that it calmed every single one of Nathaniel's fears. Jesus loves us and your friends so much he will do whatever it takes to reach them. Some have fears, some have doubts, some have brokenness, some (like me) have all the above. Jesus meets each one of us where we are - in our junk. So look for him in your junk. You just might find him there - addressing that thing you most desperately desire.