John 1:43-51 – Seeing Greater Things
(Luke Kephart)
John 1:43-51 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 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.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Yesterday, we read about Jesus beginning to draw in the men who would be his most intimate friends and disciples, and ultimately the conduit that would bring the Gospel to the whole world. Today’s reading continues that story but expands to give a glimpse of the greater things that will come through Jesus. The passage not only highlights the personal nature of Jesus’ calling but also shows the greater revelations of His identity and mission. As we look closer at the passage, think about these questions:
- Why is it so important to bring people to a personal encounter with Jesus, and how does that relationship shape our growth as Christians?
- Why must we recognize Jesus not only in our personal relationship but also as the divine Son of God?
- What does it mean for us today that Jesus, as both Son of God and Son of Man, is the bridge between Heaven and Earth? How should that shape our expectation of seeing greater things?
On the next day, Jesus went to Galilee and found Philip. Here, Jesus exercises the same divine authority seen in renaming Peter, as He calls Philip to follow Him. Philip was from Bethsaida as were Andrew and Peter, which is called a city rather than a town or village like Nazareth or Cana, even smaller, where Nathanael was from. Philip found Nathanael and told him about Jesus, and we hear the first words of doubt about this proposed Messiah, coming from Nathanael, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” From our perspective, knowing that Jesus is the Messiah, Nathanael’s question might sound dismissive. But in his context, it was a reasonable reaction—why would the promised Messiah come from an obscure town like Nazareth? Yet this is consistent with Jesus’s character, not only humbling himself by becoming a man, but by being from an undistinguished place. Yet there was no discussion or explanation at the time. Philip’s response was the one that we have heard before, ‘come and see’. Once again, personal testimony that encourages an encounter with Jesus is about to change a life.
Nathanael’s encounter with Jesus has layers of revelation. First Jesus praises Nathanael’s character as an “Israelite indeed” which prompts Nathanael to ask how Jesus knows him. Jesus responds about seeing him under the fig tree. There are a lot of suppositions about what might have been going here (what Jesus actually saw), but we have no way of knowing. Nathanael’s response, however, shows that the fact that Jesus knows, erases Nathanael’s doubt, and he calls Jesus “Son of God” and “King of Israel”. To me Jesus’s response reads like, “That made you believe? You haven’t seen anything yet.”
The words translated “Truly, Truly” are the Hebrew “Amen, Amen.” In Jewish tradition, amen was typically used to affirm testimony or acknowledge the truth of Scripture. However, Jesus uniquely used amen at the beginning of His statements—effectively testifying to the truth on His own authority. By doubling amen, He emphasizes that what He is about to say is absolute truth, grounded in Himself. The True, truth is that Jesus knowing you is only the beginning of what Jesus will do. You will see the way between Heaven and Earth opened and the angels ascending and descending. When Jesus gives this image, He refers to himself as the Son of Man in contrast to Nathanael calling Him the Son of God. Both natures are evident and necessary. This powerful image of angels ascending and descending recalls Jacob’s vision at Bethel, yet it is transformed in the light of Jesus. Jesus, the Son of God and Son of Man, is the bridge between Heaven and Earth, and through Him, we are invited not only to see these greater things but to experience the reality of Heaven breaking into our lives.
As followers of Jesus, we are invited not only to see greater things but to experience the ongoing reality of Heaven breaking into Earth through Christ—the true bridge between God and man.
Weekly Prayer Focus: Congregational Renewal
Daily Prayer Request: Welcoming as a Church. That we would invest in new relationships and help newcomers get connected to our congregation.