1-11-14 Nathanael's Belief

45Philip 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.

47When 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.”

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

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

Thoughts: Nathanael, the one who was skeptical of Nazareth, was easily changed into a believer who made the first recorded proclamation of Jesus as "the Son of God and the king of Israel."  Jesus, interestingly enough, did not rebuke Nathanael for this, but accepted his testimony.  Jesus even indicated that he would be given more reason to believe such a testimony is true.
      What causes you to believe or not believe?  Nathanael did not think it was possible that anything good could come from Nazareth.  It had a name as a backward place.  But Jesus showed he saw Nathanael and knew him.  Jesus see us and knows us.  He identifies us, and we would do well to accept His identification and claim Him for ourselves as Nathanael did.  When we identify with Jesus, we are given our purpose, meaning, direction, all the things that knowing who we are give and then some.  

Prayer: Lord, Help me to identify with you, the Son of God and my own King.  

(Nathanael, Rubens)