392

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 wrote: Jesus addressed the very thing Nathaniel needed addressing. 

Here's a question: why would Jesus do this? The only thing we know about Nathaniel is that he hates Jesus' hometown. He sounds like a cynical man to me. He is highly critical and highly opinionated - basically a pain in the you-know-what. What would Jesus want with him?!

But look at what Jesus sees in him: When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

That sure is different than: Here is a real pain in the you-know-what!

Jesus saw something special in this intense man. He saw what, more than likely, a lot of other people didn't see. Believe it or not, Jesus sees you with those same kind of eyes. He can see past the crud to the real God-designed you. And that is who he speaks to. That you!