Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said to him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"

 

 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said to him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."  And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

 

- John 1:43-51 

 

Yesterday we read that, on the second day given in John's Gospel of the beginning of Christ's ministry, John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'  I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."  And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.  I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'  And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God."  Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples.  And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"   The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?"  They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?"  He said to them, "Come and see."  They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).  One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).  And he brought him to Jesus.  Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah.  You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).

 

  The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me."  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -- Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."  And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"  Philip said to him, "Come and see."  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said to him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!"  No deceit, my study Bible explains, means both having a pure heart and being straightforward with others.  

Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."  Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God!  You are the King of Israel!"  Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe?  You will see greater things than these."   My study Bible comments that what exactly occurred under the fig tree is not stated.  It says that St. John Chrysostom teaches this was the meeting place of Philip and Nathanael, and that Jesus was praising Nathanael for being so diligent and careful in his search for the Messiah.  It is Christ's foreknowledge and ability to see into Nathanael's heart which stir him to this confession of faith.  

And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."  Here Jesus uses the title Son of Man.  It is a title for the Messiah that had a level of mystery in its meaning, my study Bible says.  It indicates a man of heavenly origin who would usher in the Kingdom of God and is found in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 7:13-14).  In an Old Testament prophecy, Jacob dreamed of a ladder which connected earth and heaven, upon which he saw the angels of God ascending and descending (Genesis 28:12-15).  This "ladder" is Jesus, who unites earth to heaven, and is therefore the Son of Man. 

Today's reading gives us the fourth day of seven in the beginning of Christ's ministry.  Each one parallels the corresponding day of creation in Genesis.  Philip and Nathanael (who, by the way, is also known to us as Bartholomew) are called as disciples, and they see Christ as the true Light, the One revealed who was revealed in the Old Testament, a lesser light.  This parallels the creation of the lesser and greater lights governing the night and the day respectively on the fourth day in Genesis 1:14-19.   As we remarked in yesterday's reading, Jesus once again in today's passage shows his insight into people.  In John's second chapter, we will read that Jesus "knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man" (John 2:24-25).  Nathanael's startled and amazed reaction shows that He has understood this about Jesus.  And so, in today's reading in which we get a second collecting of disciples to Jesus, we are once again given a display of Christ's divine insight.  John's Gospel begins by speaking of the Logos, the Word.  That is, Christ in His divine identity.  In the readings from today and yesterday' we're given examples of a divine insight belonging to the Word, and how it reveals itself in glimpses in Jesus and this beginning of His ministry, in the calling of these first disciples.  It is striking, in this light, to consider also Christ's words which He will say later of His betrayer, Judas.  Perhaps it is no accident that these words also are found in John's Gospel:  "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" (John 6:70).  We don't  really know if Jesus knew this about Judas from the beginning, but we might conjecture that such a one is chosen because Christ's ministry is for the purpose of salvation, "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17).  Jesus will also say, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (Luke 5:32).  At any rate, we can observe that right until the very end, Jesus will continue to attempt to save Judas.  For now, let us observe the glimpses we get of Jesus' divinity, revealed through His ministry.  As John has told us, the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness does not comprehend.  Nonetheless, His light is in the world and remains to guide our steps.