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)

2/22- Declaring God’s Glory in Identifying – Romans 1:16

2/22- Declaring God’s Glory in Identifying – Romans 1:16

¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. (Romans 1:16)

“But my righteous one will live by faith.    And I take no pleasure     in the one who shrinks back.”³⁹ But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. (Hebrews 10:38,39)

Thoughts: In the culture of America and much of the West, there is great pressure to be ashamed of the gospel.  At the very least, the secular world would like- even require that we keep the gospel private, quiet, and restricted.  As Christians shrink back in fear of offending others, the church also shrinks back.  It is easier and more comfortable for Christians to retreat to their churches, and keep to themselves in a Christian ghetto or Christian fortress.  When we do so we not only wither but we also start to think too self-righteously.  We should always wish to please God more than man- who wish to be left alone in their comfortable sin.  But we also need to recognize that people need the power of God in life because there will be a point where we are powerless.  The Gospel is the power to rescue us because we need to be rescued and saved from troubles, problems, hurt, harm, and sins.  Paul did not flinch from sharing faith.  He went from persecuting Christians to risking his life to share the Christ-faith.  He knew the power- and we need to recapture the importance of the power of God that keeps us from being ashamed of the gospel. Paul was not ashamed of identifying with Christ, and we should not be ashamed either.  We need to look for ways to identify with Christ, or publicly professing our faith. 

Prayer: Give me grace and strength so that I do not shrink back and so that I am not ashamed of you, O Lord- or your good news. 

A yard cross may be a simple way of identifying ourselves with Christ as a witness.