I'm sure it was a funny bit, but, Oh, how tragic when it so aptly describes what often happens in the spiritual realm. So often, the world can get us to think we are wasting our energy if we stay "plugged into" the only true source we need—the fullness of the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His Holy Spirit. Many today are looking for that "something" that is missing in their lives, but looking for it in all the wrong places—looking to themselves, to others, and to worldly ways. Even in churches today, many are being encouraged to believe that God's ways are not the only ways to accomplish His will. Tragic!
The disciple Nathanael provides for us a very powerful and insightful picture of how one can avoid such tragedy. In John 1: 43-51, Jesus finds Philip, and calls him to follow. Philip then finds his friend Nathanael and tells him, "We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (vs. 45b) What would be his reaction? He flatly declared, "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?" (vs. 46a) You see, Nazareth, and all of Galilee, for that matter, had a very bad reputation—it was known as the home of riffraff, dissidents, and leaders of rebellion. Nathanael's comment seems to be prejudicial, but I don't think so. His question actually arose out of true humility, not con-descending pride.
You see, Nathanael was from Galilee as well—Cana, in fact, just a few miles from Nazareth (John 21:4). He was probably thinking, "Surely the Messiah could never come from such a poor despised people as us—whether He be from Nazareth or any other Galilean town." Praise God—Philip didn't just give up, considering Nathanael to not be worthy of any further pursuit. No, Philip simply told him, "Come and see." (vs. 46b) It is crucial—people need to meet Jesus personally, and never make their decisions about Him based on someone else's experience. True Christianity will always be a matter of coming and seeing, and that is precisely what Nathanael did. No soft soap, no compromise, no watering down the truth to placate him, no sugar coating, and no soft mood music to entice him to the altar to sign a decision card. No, he came and met Jesus, and before Nathanael could get a word out—before he even got close enough—Jesus declared, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" (vs. 47b)
First, notice Jesus' immediate take on Nathanael—he was an Israelite indeed—a true Jew! Jesus was referring to his character and disposition, not just his ethnic background. He saw him as a genuine son of the covenant—honest and open. Paul said in Romans 9:6 that "they are not all Israel, which are of Israel." In other words, Jews are not true Jews just because they have Jewish blood. The same thing is true in Christianity—you can spend an hour or two warming a pew, but that doesn’t make you a true Christian. A true one will live by the Scriptures according to purity, holiness and obedience—not just say he is. Secondly, notice we are told he was also without guile. The Greek word is "dolos," and it refers to a decoy, trick, or bait. Nathanael was not a false follower of God, a decoy leading others astray. His "trueness" was obvious in his character and in his relationships—he just loved God! How do we know?
That is the third point—he was under the fig tree! That seems like an odd place to be, but in the East, it was a very common occurrence. It was the classic Biblical picture of the personal place of meditation—a prayer closet, as Jesus Himself would refer to it in Matt. 6:6. The devout Jew would sit under his own fig tree in his own yard contemplating the Word of God. Nathanael wanted to know Him, not just know about Him. So, he asked Jesus, "Whence knowest thou me?" (vs. 48a) Jesus' answer was quite unexpected—"I saw you while you were in your prayer closet…In essence, I'm the one you were praying to; I'm the Word of God that you were meditating on." BAM—like blazing rockets going off in his mind and heart—he knew immediately, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel." (vs. 49) He wasn't just guessing it—he knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt! He had had a close, personal relationship with the Lord in prayer and in the Word, and now he was face to face! Nathanael could recognize Him so assuredly because he had already known Him—he already knew the Son of God and the King of Israel. Now, it is our turn! And, Oh, what a reward awaits all who enter into that true and guileless surrender—"Thou shalt see greater things than these" (vs. 50b). Nathanael would come to see the cross, the shed blood, the empty tomb, the fullness of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost—and these are indeed greater things! Praise God for His mercy!
But that is not all! Notice as the Gospel writer John makes the transition from verse 50 to the 51st—"Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." John goes from the singular "thou" to the plural "ye," emphasizing that the greater things are intended to be seen by one and all. But do we want to? Do we want to see heaven opened, not just at the rapture or at the end of the world, but right now—seeing Him as the only One who can conform us into His own image? Do our entire lives show that we want Him to rule every aspect of our relationships, just as the Holy Spirit ruled His? Remember, He said, "the Son of man"—He didn’t just do all this because He was God, and so we, as human beings, don’t have to enter into it! No, now it is our turn to be filled with that same Spirit! True Christians will indeed overcome without guile—no faking people out with false senses of security. His Church will be living the Word, not just professing it; and doing so, not out of legalism, but out of love—His redeeming love!
A.W. Tozer, the great preacher of the 20th Century, put it this way, "Let a man become enamored by Eternal Wisdom, and set his heart to win her, and he takes on himself a full-time, all-engaging pursuit! Thereafter, his whole life will be filled with seekings and findings, self-repudiation, disciplines, and daily dyings, as he is crucified unto the world and the world is crucified unto him. The heart that learns to die with Christ soon knows the blessed experience of rising with Him, and all the world's persecutions cannot still the high note of joy that springs up in the soul that has become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit." Praise God—true, guileless faith requires that we believe everything God has said about Himself, and everything He has said about us! Modern religion wants to stress the "niceness" of God, and the misfortune and victimization of man. Heresy! Oh, not that we don't have a very good God, but His goodness includes judgment against all falseness, that is, sin. We are not victims; we are sinners—and that can't just be psychoanalyzed away; it must be washed away by the precious blood of Jesus Christ!
How much do you want to know the truth of Jesus, to love Jesus, and to be with Him? After Nathanael and the others were baptized in the Holy Spirit and His fire, they were sent all over the world. Historical writings put forth that when some went up into Asia Minor, Nathanael witnessed his friend Philip skewered with metal rods through the thighs and hung from a pillar to die—and all for the love of Jesus! Later, Nathanael himself was flayed alive, and then crucified without his skin—all for the love of Jesus! And don’t slough it off because it was so long ago—just a few years ago, 28 Christians from the North Korean village of Goksan were threatened by the Communists with death if they didn’t forsake their Jesus. All quietly refused. When the parents were told their children would be hung, one mother whispered to her daughter, "Today, my love, I will see you in heaven." All of the children were then hung! The remaining believers were brought onto the pavement and ordered to lie down in front of a huge steamroller. "Deny your Jesus," declared the Communists. As the driver started the heavy piece of equipment, the singing from the villagers started softly, "More love, O Christ, to thee, more love to thee." You know what happened next—and all for the love of Jesus! What a waste! Or was it? They came, they saw, they knew, they loved, and they stayed plugged in, not worrying at all if they were "wasting" their energy—now, it is our turn!
