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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 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!

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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. 

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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 wrote: THE MEANING OF LIFE IS TO FOLLOW THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. 

Here we see what following Jesus does to Philip. He does to others what Jesus did for him. He FINDS Nathaniel. The same thing Jesus did to him. Jesus FINDS Philip. But here is the critical thing to notice: He doesn't try to be the savior. He points Nathaniel to the Savior, Jesus. "Come and see" he says. Clearly, we see that Nathaniel has some major doubts about what his friend Philip has told him about Jesus. But Philip trusts that Jesus is big enough to answer his friend's doubts. Philip is so head over heels for Jesus that he believes that if Nathaniel just gets a glimpse of Jesus, he'll be changed forever. 

The point to remember when we are following Jesus. We are not becoming him. We become aligned with him - in order to come and see things the way he does and point others the same direction: to Him!

389

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 this: The meaning of life is to follow Jesus. It is. It really is. I can't state it too strongly. THE MEANING OF LIFE IS TO FOLLOW THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. 

The secret to the real, full life-you-always-wanted is life in a relationship with Jesus Christ. It's not becoming Jesus Christ. It's not becoming a better person. It's not unlocking the inner you. It's a relationship. You only become you by and through a relationship with Jesus. The more you give yourself over to this relationship, the more alive you become, the more YOU you become. 

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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


I have to tell you: This is one of my favorite passages in Scripture. Why? Well, we get to see so many sides to Jesus, that's why!

First thing we see is that Jesus FINDS Philip. Jesus is a pursues individuals. He was about to leave for Galilee but before he departs, he's got to find Philip. He wants Philip. He seeks him out. Then, Jesus tells him, what I believe are Jesus' two favorite words: follow me. 


The meaning of life is right here: to follow Jesus. More on that tomorrow.

387

Frederick Buechner on Repentance

"To repent is to come to your senses. It is not so much something you do as something that happens. True Repentance spends less time looking at the past and saying, "I'm sorry," than to the future and saying, "Wow!"

My friend Kevin Miller pointed out that true repentance is less "turning from" and more "turning toward". I like that.

386

We were with dear friends last night. Charlie, one of the dear friends (they all were), mentioned one of the great prophesies...that young men would see visions...that old men would dream dreams. We were with young and old, you see. And the beauty of the evening was that they were indistinguishable, interchangeable - which I see now is the point of Joel's great prophesy. Because it's young men who usually dream dreams. It's the old that see vision. But in God's world, there is no age. The young are old. The old are young.

Outwardly, Paul says to the Corinthians, I am wasting away. Inwardly, I am becoming new day by day.