John 1:35-51

³⁵ The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. ³⁶ When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

³⁷ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

³⁹ “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. ⁴¹ The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). ⁴² And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).

⁴³ The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

⁴⁴ Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. ⁴⁵ 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.”

⁴⁶ “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

⁴⁷ When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

⁴⁸ “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

⁴⁹ Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”

⁵⁰ Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” ⁵¹ He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’”

God knows our private wrestlings and uses them as doorways to greater revelation. Being seen by Him isn't judgment; it's the spark that opens our eyes to 'greater things.’ – Dallas Willard

Thoughts

• Seeing the True Light (35-42; 43-46): John points to Jesus, and the disciples follow Him . Andrew finds Simon to come and see. Jesus finds Philip. Philip finds a skeptical Nathanael: Come and see. No polished pitch. Just ‘come and see’ Jesus, the true light that gives light to everyone Joh 1:9. His glory and beauty does the rest.
• New Name Is God-Given Identity (42): Gen 17:5 God gives Abram a new name: Abraham (Big Daddy). Gen 32:28. God renames Jacob Israel (God Prevails). The path to fulfill their identity is long and winding, but God persists. We will see Peter’s road to become The Rock. Jesus speaks over Peter with the authority of divinity. Cf. Isa 46:10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.
• Nathanael Fully, Truly Known (47-49): Nathanael has been praying under the fig tree, when the Word made flesh breaks in. He sees Nathanael top to bottom, with an unflinching love. And now, Nathanael sees Jesus. Gen 16:13 [Hagar] gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” The God Who Sees sees you, and loves you as you are because you are his son.
• The God Who Comes Down (50-51): Gen 28:13 There above it stood the LORD, and he said: “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. Jesus is The God Who Comes Down. Eph 2:18 For through Jim we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Reflections

• Jesus sees you under your fig tree. He knows your deepest longings, and He is calling you to greater things. Who needs to ‘come and see’ and see the true light?