Talk 1: Nathanael

0:00 · Speaker 1 John 1 chapter 43 to 51. 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 Nathanael 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? Nathanael asked. Come and see, said Philip.

0:29 · Speaker 1 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, Here is a true Israelite in whom there is nothing false. How do you know me? Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you. Then Nathanael 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.

1:10 · Speaker 2 Thank you, Lila. And thanks as well to Ian and to the band and to Jill. Always so encouraged by when Jill prays, even though we have to twist our arm to do it from time to time. and light has just read from the opening chapter chapter of John's gospel and close to the end of that I'm just going to set this one down here just in case close to the end of that gospel John who if you don't know was one of Jesus closest disciples he clearly states the purpose of his gospel account the why of all it is that he is recording here's what he says in chapter 20. Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book, but these are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. That's his purpose. So as we spend July and August in these different encounters with Jesus, us. John's why is our why.

2:23 · Speaker 2 Our hope and prayer, my hope and prayer as we consider these different encounters is that you, if perhaps you do not yet believe, that you might encounter Jesus, that you might come to believe that he is who he says he is, the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you might have life in his name. And that too, those of us here who already believe might be encouraged and strengthened and renewed by the love and grace and hope and life that is ours in Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God. As we see these encounters, as we witness these encounters, and that we might be stirred up if we need to be again, and enthused and excited to say others that short phrase that sits at the heart of what Lila just read today, come and see. Come and see. So Lila's read the encounter so well to us already and my plan for the next 20, 25 minutes or so is simply to make our way through the story bit by bit and stop along the way to consider what is happening and what it is we might learn from the story, what it is we might be encouraged by from the story and be challenged by from the story. Lila picked up the story in verse 43 of chapter one. John has begun his gospel with that famous prologue that I started our service with and the opening verses of that proclaiming that Jesus is the eternal word, the logos, the person through whom all things were made. He is the word made flesh.

4:10 · Speaker 2 He is God incarnated in human flesh. He, as I prayed, made his dwelling among us. So that means he tabernacled among us. He literally pitched his tent among us. He is the light that shines in the darkness. He is the promised son of God, God's long awaited Messiah sent to save his people. And after that prologue, Unlike Matthew and unlike Luke, John doesn't start all the way back at the beginning of Jesus' life. Instead, he starts with a series of people bearing witness to this truth of who Jesus is, to the truth of his identity, almost like a lawyer bringing out all these witnesses who would bear testimony to the truth of who Jesus was.

4:57 · Speaker 2 And first in this chapter is John the Baptist, and he testifies to different people, but he testifies to his own disciples, in this story, Andrew, and then most likely John, the writer himself, who then go and follow Jesus, ask him where he's staying, go and spend the afternoon with him, come to believe in who he is, and choose to follow him. Then the next witness, Andrew, becomes a witness to his brother Simon, and brings him to Jesus, who too chooses to follow him and gets a new name, Peter, in the process of that following. And then Jesus finds Philip and calls him to follow me. Philip believes and follows too. What I love about John is there's no great master plan for evangelism in here. It's not some sort of special strategy that you have to work out. It's literally one person encountering Jesus, believing who he says he is, choosing to follow him, and then going and telling the next person who it is they find. It's pretty simple.

6:04 · Speaker 2 And that's where we pick up in verse 44. Let me just read through this bit again. Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethesda. Philip found Nathanael and told him, Philip found Nathanael 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. the simple strategy continues. Philip found Nathanael. You know, it's like, don't you, when you get that amazing news, I don't know, a new job or a new baby or an engagement or whatever it is, and there's these certain people that you're just desperate to tell. Well, it's clear here from Philip that he just found out about who Jesus was, and it was Nathanael that he was desperate.

6:49 · Speaker 2 He was bursting to tell Nathaniel really needs to hear this news. And just his simple excitement just captured in that phrase, Philip found Nathaniel. In other words, he ran out and tried to find him as quickly as he could. His simple excitement and enthusiasm just stands up as a challenge in comparison sometimes to mine. But in his exuberance, Philip doesn't really think that much about strategy. We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law and whom the prophets also wrote. That's good.

7:26 · Speaker 2 That definitely would have piqued the interest of a good Jew like Nathaniel. An evangelism handbook might have advised him though to stop there. Just give him a little bit to tease him with. But don't go too far. But Philip, Philip goes a little bit too far and mentions that this so-called Messiah was from Nazareth. Terrible strategy, Philip. Any evangelism handbook will say, don't put up unnecessary barriers in your opening statement. How was Nathanael going to react?

8:00 · Speaker 2 Well, we see Nazareth. Can anything good come from there? And I can just imagine Nathanael's simultaneous raised eyebrows and rolling eyes. Nazareth. See, Nathaniel was a Galilean from Cana. He was used to being looked down upon by the people from the big smoke in Jerusalem. But of course, we all need other people to look down on, don't we? People from Cana needed somewhere else to look down upon.

8:35 · Speaker 2 And around Galilee, it was Nazareth that was the absolute bottom of the pile. That place, Nazareth, Nothing good could come out of there. Never mind God's Messiah. And I was thinking to myself, as I was sort of thinking through this little discussion between Philip and Nathaniel, if I had been Philip, how might I have responded to Nathaniel's negative, disdainful, dismissive response? How might you have responded? I might have beaten myself up for mentioning Nazareth and let his comment just shut down the conversation and move on to something, I don't know, just like the weather or something like that. As men, we're very good at that, aren't we?

9:23 · Speaker 2 We find really nonsense things to talk about so we don't have to talk about anything serious. Might have moved on to the weather. Or as well, I might have passively, aggressively criticized his close-mindedness and his prejudice got into an argument with him. Maybe even said something sarcastic about him being from Cana and who is he to talk? but Philip's response is brilliant in its simplicity. Come and see. It's not defensive. It's not arrogant or pushy.

10:00 · Speaker 2 It's perfect. Come and see. Many of us here will have been following the Euros football championships and England's progress in particular. And things got a little bit better last night, perhaps, but in their opening four matches, even though they progressed, the England team and their manager, Gareth Southgate, came in for a lot of criticism because although in each match they were by far the stronger team in terms of players and in terms of skill and in terms of talent, they played as if they weren't and seemed far more interested, in the words of one pundit, in not losing rather than winning. Philip plays Nathaniel's dismissive response with the simple confidence of someone who knows that he is on the strongest team by far and he's going to play like it. He's met and encountered Jesus. And so with complete confidence and assurance and not a hint of defensiveness, he can simply say, come and see.

11:16 · Speaker 2 Come and see for yourself. Many of us here need reminded by Philip's response that we too are on the strongest team, don't we? We are bringers of the greatest news, of the greatest person there ever has been or will be. if any group of people don't need to be defensive, if any group of people don't need to be pushy or arrogant or passive aggressive, it is disciples, it is followers of Jesus Christ. We don't need to have every answer to every question. We might mess up in our conversations like Philip mentioning Nazareth, But like Philip, we don't need to be put off by people's apparent skepticism, by their apparent closed-offness. This example of Nathaniel shows us that the apparently most unlikely of people are often looking for something more, and they might be more open than you actually think. And we can confidently and gently and respectfully get on with simply saying, listen, I know Jesus.

12:33 · Speaker 2 I believe in Jesus. I believe he is who he says he is. This is what he's done in my life. Come and see. For Philip, it was to go and meet Jesus in person. For us, it will be come and meet and encounter Jesus through his word. For example, why don't you meet up with me every week or couple of weeks for the next couple of months over coffee, and we'll work through John's gospel together, and I'll actually show you who Jesus is in the pages of his word, not who you might have built up in your own head. And then once I get you to Jesus, well,

13:11 · Speaker 2 he's powerful enough to do his own work from there. Just come and see. And it's clear that Philip's testimony to his friend is enough to at least convince this seemingly skeptical, prejudiced Nathaniel to come and see. And that's another thing, isn't it, that we need to remember. Let's never underestimate the power of friendship and personal testimony in persuading people to make at least a step in the direction towards Jesus. Other people that trust you. Might actually be prepared to follow a line that at the minute they go, I know this isn't rational, but if they say so, maybe I'll at least take a step down that line and see. Don't underestimate the power of friendship in those circumstances.

14:01 · Speaker 2 The story then continues. When Jesus then saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit." "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. And Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still "under the fig tree before Philip called you." And then Nathanael declared, that's a quick turnaround, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel." Philip now fades into the background because he's fulfilled his role of bringing Nathanael to Jesus. Jesus doesn't need any more help from here.

14:43 · Speaker 2 And the spotlight now turns to his encounter with Nathanael, the encounter between these two. And like I said, in spite of his prejudice, in spite of his skepticism, in spite of his bluster, his response to Philip, whatever is going on underneath the surface in Nathanael's heart and mind, whatever questions he's wrestling with, he still goes with Philip to meet Jesus. Puts up this big defense, but look, he still goes. But before he even gets right up to him, Jesus, who of course, as Nathaniel's never met before, takes him completely aback with the statement that shows somehow, in some way, he knows Nathaniel. Here truly is an Israelite, he says, in whom there is no deceit. and now his statement works on a couple of levels perhaps nathaniel prided himself on his honesty this is this is at the core of his character how he sees himself his honesty his transparency on saying exactly what he thought on wearing his heart on his sleeve like his nazareth nazareth statement that was who he was and so for jesus to assess him in this way even as he walks towards him, how do you know me? Have we met before? But when we grasp too that the word deceit is pretty much the word Jacob, whose dream experience Jesus will allude to in a moment, then we get an even deeper level of meaning.

16:21 · Speaker 2 Here's a man Jesus is saying, who is far more Israel, the new name given to Jacob after he had encountered the living God at Bethel, than he is the old, deceptive, lying, scheming Jacob. And whatever it is that Jesus says here, the assessment clearly impacts Nathanael. It is deeply meaningful to him, but not as much as what Jesus says next in response to his question, How do you know me? In response to that, Jesus shows how deeply and intimately and fully he does know Nathanael. I saw you, he said, while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you. And with this one short sentence, Nathanael is immediately transformed from reluctant, prejudiced, skeptic to excited, full-blown, through and through, all-in believer. To Nathanael, Jesus goes from a nothing from Nazareth to rabbi, but not just rabbi, but son of God and king of Israel.

17:46 · Speaker 2 all at the mention of a fig tree. Jesus goes from nothing to everything. He is now everything to Nathanael. That's what happens when you encounter the living son of God and see him for who he truly is. What happened in that moment though? What was the significance of the fig tree to Nathanael? Well, frustratingly, John doesn't actually tell us, But I think we can in some sort of biblically and culturally informed way consider what the possibilities might be. In Jewish culture, you see the fig tree was symbolic of the good life.

18:29 · Speaker 2 The fig tree was a symbol of having made it in life. Micah 4 in the Old Testament, the prophet talks about the last days of God's saving and restoration of his people. And part of that restoration is this. Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree and no one will make them afraid for the Lord Almighty has spoken. It's possible that prior to Philip turning up, Nathaniel's been sitting under his fig tree, contemplating the big questions of life and the big questions of his people too. Maybe praying, maybe calling out to God, Lord, I have my fig tree, but the truth is I am still afraid. When are you going to move to liberate us, your people, from these Roman occupiers? Or maybe it was more personal in that, Lord, I have my home.

19:30 · Speaker 2 I have my garden. I have my fig tree to sit under in the shade. I've achieved what it is I'd set out to achieve. According to the measures of success of my culture, of this world, I have made it in life. So why is it that I'm still feeling this dissatisfaction? This emptiness, this meaninglessness, this smallness of my life. Sitting under this fig tree isn't what it was supposed to be. is this all there really is?

20:14 · Speaker 2 That's a very common question, isn't it? I see it, I hear it expressed a lot by people around me today, especially I think in my age demographic. Don't know where I'm going to start that one, but let's start at 35 and we can go to 50. Some are Nathaniel-like honest enough to admit it to themselves and others. The promise this stuff held out doesn't fulfill. I've got the career, I've got the house, the car, the financial security, the spouse, the 2.4 children. I've got the 21st century fig tree, but it's not what it was meant to be. It was supposed to feel better than this.

21:01 · Speaker 2 It was supposed to feel more fulfilling than this. Is this all there is? Others might not express it in words, but they do in choices and decisions. They maybe try again with different components, but the same old recipe, different career, different house, different spouse, whatever, seeking to fill a void that only one person can truly fill. It's a Jesus-shaped hole. It's the truth. And it's that person's words, I saw you, that change everything. Those questions you were asking, Nathaniel, I'm the answer to them.

21:47 · Speaker 2 That dissatisfaction you're feeling, that sense of life being too small, I'm the answer to that. I see you. I know you and I think about it Nathaniel's reaction to those words could have gone one of two ways let's be honest imagine for example if I invited you up here on the stage and I put a helmet of some sort on your head and it had little sensors and so on and it was transmitted via Bluetooth a signal to the screen behind me, and it translated all your thoughts and transcribed them on the screen behind you. Would you put it on? I imagine not.

22:37 · Speaker 2 That is not the stuff of dreams. That's the stuff of nightmares for something like that to happen, for people to actually be able to truly see inside our heads, to know our thoughts, to know what we're thinking, to know us that intimately. Jesus makes it clear to Nathanael that that is the power he has with him with his fig tree statement I know you I see you I know your most intimate most deep most private thoughts that's why I told you about the fig tree but look at Nathanael's response he doesn't run this isn't terrible. This is wonderful. Because Nathanael knows in that moment with Jesus as he sees him face to face, as he comes face to face, at least with his understanding in these moments with the Son of God, he is fully known. Yet in being fully known, he knows that he's fully accepted and fully loved.

23:52 · Speaker 2 There's no fear. There's no horror in this moment. There is only wonder and joy and peace and hope and new meaning. Fully known, fully accepted, fully loved. And that same invitation that was open to Nathanael and that moment is open to us too. From Jesus because of his self-sacrifice for us on the cross in a world. And that's what this world is like in a world where so many of us are exhausted by having to put on performances. Where every other relationship we have is some sort of trade-off between transparency and acceptance.

24:46 · Speaker 2 Even, let's be honest, even our most intimate relationships have something of that. The Son of God offers us this completely unique relationship with Him. He sees us completely. He has that technology. He knows our innermost thoughts and yet assures us that if we accept him as Savior and Lord, we are fully accepted and fully loved because he has dealt with our sin and our guilt already. We can have with him the most open, honest, liberating, life-giving relationship because with him we can be our true selves. If someone was to ask me personally what it is that I love most about Jesus, this would definitely be in my top two.

25:47 · Speaker 2 That Jesus sees me fully, that he knows me fully, that he accepts me fully, that he loves me fully. I am fully known. I'm fully loved. And that reality is genuinely life-changing. let's finish off the story then jesus said you believe because i told you i saw you under the fig tree you will see greater things than that he he then added very truly i tell you you will see heaven open quoting from genesis 28 and the angels of god ascending and descending on and then he says the son of man taking a phrase from Daniel's vision in Daniel 7. So Nathanael's just proclaimed Jesus as rabbi, son of God, king of Israel at the mention of a fig tree and Jesus here he almost seems a little bit amused I think that that's all it took. All I had to say was the fig tree and that's the level of change really. Well let me tell you this Nathaniel, that is nothing.

26:58 · Speaker 2 It is absolutely nothing. It is a fraction of a fraction of a fraction compared to what you're going to see and what you're going to experience as my disciple. I am going to truly blow your mind. And he gives him and he gives the rest of the disciples listening in this intriguing image of heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Like I said, Jesus is taking the image that Jacob saw in his dream at Bethel, recorded in Genesis 28, of a ladder reaching into heaven with the Lord God at the top and at the bottom resting on the earth and angels ascending and descending on it. It's a dream that God gave Jacob to show him that he truly was in the presence of the living God who saw him and who knew him. And Jesus, in taking that imagery and saying that the disciples will see the angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man, is him saying that he has come to bring God's presence to earth. He mediator between heaven and earth, between God and humanity.

28:21 · Speaker 2 He has come as that son of man in Daniel's vision and has been given authority by God to establish God's everlasting dominion that will not pass away, his eternal kingdom that will never be destroyed. What Jesus is doing here is this. And we could spend a long time on this. But I think he's just given Nathanael a little window. And all the other disciples actually who are there, the ones so far, a little window, because actually the you he says here is plural. It's not just to Nathanael, it's to them. And then in a sense, it's to us as well. This little window, this little image For all those who choose to follow him.

29:07 · Speaker 2 You want something more to life. You want to be part of something bigger. You want something more than your comfortable victory experience. I am inviting you. He says. I am calling you into a life. which is far bigger and far greater and far fuller of meaning and purpose than you could ever imagine. It won't be about temporary fig trees, but about eternal kingdom building, about adding to my eternal kingdom.

29:55 · Speaker 2 It is with me and for me and in me. The word made flesh, the son of God, that you will fully and truly find life and life in all its fullness. Come and follow me. He says to Nathaniel. And he says to each of us this morning. I'm going to invite the band back up. I just want us to take a little moment, because we often rush back into singing again and give no time just for us to ponder what has been said and allow God by his spirit just to speak into our own individual lives and circumstances. So let's just take a moment.

30:50 · Speaker 2 And if you want to close your eyes and take some time to pray for yourself, and this encounter raises so many different questions for those of us who are followers of Jesus already have we lost sight of this truth, this liberating truth that we are fully known, fully known but that we are fully accepted too in Christ. That this morning he says because of my sacrifice, because of my blood shed on the cross you can know completely

31:53 · Speaker 2 that I accept you and I love you exactly as who you are. Or perhaps reflecting on this encounter has made us realize that over time we've become so obsessed with our temporary fig trees. that we have lost sight of the bigger life full of meaning and purpose and value that is unoffered to us through Christ and joining him in building his kingdom. We've had our vision obscured by all these other things that are so much smaller. and so much lesser. And by a spirit, maybe God wants to say to us this morning,

33:00 · Speaker 2 it's time to repent. It's time to recalibrate on those things. It's time to fully and truly stop making me the Jesus of a top-up, topping up when all those other things aren't quite enough, but actually truly like Nathaniel did, making me Lord, making me Savior, making me King once again of your life. And a key role in those kingdom purposes is proclaiming the good news. Has Philip's example challenged us this morning to become and see people? to not be worried about saying the wrong thing, to not have the whole argument perfectly worked out, but trusting that we are on the best team with the best news. And we can confidently and gently say, come and see for yourself.

34:09 · Speaker 2 and then to those of us who might be here in this room this morning who are skeptical or not sure about Jesus are you truly prepared to come and see to examine his claims to consider his invitation his offer of life and life in all its fullness If he is who he says he is, then surely even that possibility warrants proper and real investigation. He offers the same thing to you, to be fully known and fully accepted and fully loved. And to have a life of greater meaning and purpose and value than you could ever ask or imagine. Father by your spirit may we encounter you today thank you for your word Jesus thank you that he pitched his tent among us thank you that he invites us

35:36 · Speaker 2 to follow him thank you that he invites us into life and life in all its fullness in him speak Lord to us now speak to us in the days and the weeks ahead we pray in Jesus name Amen