(John 1:50)
�Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.�
The �set-up� for the text verse this week is simple. Philip had met Jesus. Philip had been so impressed by the Person of Jesus that he was led to accept the proposition, true, that Jesus was the Messiah of which the Old Testament Scriptures had foretold.
This encounter with the Lord so energized Philip that he rushed back to his home town and found Nathanael. Philip told what he had witnessed and experienced. Nathanael was a skeptic. He dismissed the story of Philip. But, Nathanael was intrigued by the interest shown by Philip. He went to meet this Jesus.
When Nathanael met Jesus, Jesus complimented him on being a good person. Nathanael, still a skeptic, basically said, �You don�t know me.� When Jesus proceeded to tell Nathanael where he was, and what he was doing, when Philip first called him to meet the Master, Nathanael was convinced that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
Nathanael voiced this commitment of affirmation to Jesus.
The reply of Jesus gives us a picture of the Schooling Savior as He began to teach Nathanael. �Jesus answered and said unto him...�
Jesus saw that here was Nathanael, a man ready to become a follower. Yet, Jesus also saw that Nathanael had a lot to learn about the concept of faith.
As a Christian our medium of contact with God is through faith. Read the small Old Testament Book of Jonah. Jonah did not agree with the task given him from God. Jonah tried to run from the clear leading of God. God prepared a �great fish� to instruct Jonah in the ways of obedience and trust. Then Jonah went and did as God had asked him to do.
But, as you read the Book you will be impressed - as was I - by the fact that Jonah never came to the place where he agreed with the workings of God. In point of fact, Jonah was completely opposed to the actions which God was taking. Still, he had learned to do as God instructed.
To me this is one of the greatest examples of faith in the entire Scriptural record. This is a story of a man who disagreed with the pronouncements of God. He disagreed culturally. He disagreed on religious principle. He disagreed from personal experience. He disagreed from a lack of understanding of the purpose of God in the matter.
But, he went ahead, with all his disagreements, and did that which God had directed for him to do.
This is a story of faith in the majesty of God in spite of our own prejudices and feelings.
Some will say, �God said it. I believe it. That settles it.�
Jonah�s reply was more �faith based.� He said, �God said it. That settles it!�
Jesus taught Nathanael to test. John, �the beloved disciple,� tells us, �Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.� (I John 4:1)
Faith is the medium of the Christian life. But, that faith must be founded upon that which God has said. We must try the spirits of teachers by the Words of the preserved Word of God. We have a Word which is God preserved for a reason. Those Words were important enough that God gave them by inspiration. These are the Words by which we are able to test the Spirits and see whether they be of God.
Two weeks ago I talked about the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. They are very fervent in their belief system. They are willing to follow the words of their leaders to the ends of the nation to spread their message. They even back up their message with selected Scriptural passages.
But, we saw that their message is not of God. Their message, in no way, is consistent with the revealed Words of God as given in His inspired and preserved Word. Our conclusion was that they are false prophets of a false religion. The simple act of donning the mantle of �Christian,� or �Baptist,� does not place one in fidelity to God if they ignore the Words which God has given.
We could use many other examples. There is no mandate from God to preach our prejudices and hatred. There is a mandate from God to be true to the Words of Life from the Book of Life.
We need a familiarity with that Book so that we can tell the false prophets from the truly anointed teachers of God�s Words.
I, for instance, can tell you anything. But, you need to check The Book and see that I am faithful to the Words of God before you accept anything I, or anyone else, tells you concerning spiritual matters.
Jesus also taught Nathanael to trust.
Jesus, in His earthly ministry, fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament as regards the Messiah. Jesus, in His earthly life, fulfilled all the obligations of the Law of the Old Testament. Jesus, in His earthly works, fulfilled the picture of the Loving God as He sought those who were in need of salvation from their sins. Jesus, in His earthly death and resurrection, fulfilled the picture of the Power of God with the uncontestable truth that He is the Son of God - and God, the Son.
Jesus didn�t tell Nathanael to simply trust because He had said to do so. Although that, coming from Jesus, should have been enough, Jesus said to trust because He had proved Himself to be Who He said He was!
The Holy Spirit, working in the souls of mankind and through the preserved Scripture, offers the same proof in this day that Jesus is the One - and the Only - Savior of mankind.
That idea of �a burning in your breast� can be simply the indication that you�ve eaten too much pizza too late at night. But, when the Spirit does give witness to what the Word has already said, you can trust even if you might not understand completely.
Jesus also taught Nathanael to triumph.
Nathanael was just another fisherman. He was nothing special and would have lived his life in complete anonymity had he not be energized by the touch of the Master�s hand. This simple person who was unknown just twenty miles from his birthplace, became one of �The Twelve� who turned the world upside down with the message that Jesus had died in time so that others could live in eternity.
Even today we know the name �Nathanael.� This is because Nathanael became triumphant as he followed Jesus.
Jesus was also the stern Savior. �...Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou?...�
We live in an age where televangelist�s have given us a picture of Jesus as a sort of Genie on Demand. We are told that we can take our magic carpet of prayer and make demands upon the Savior from perfect health to riches. We are almost never instructed of our obligations to the Master.
That is really a point we need to hear more preaching upon. Jesus is the Master. While He stands ready to give us great and wonderful gifts, our duty is to serve Him. We do not have Him placed on a chain as our slave. He is bound to our hearts by bonds of love. That love will give us a desire to serve Him if we are truly trusting His goodness and mercy!
One thing that Jesus wanted was that Nathanael would seek Him.
I know the theological truth that Jesus seeks us because we have no power to seek Him except He gives it to us via the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. But, we must remember that God does not give gifts that He does not expect us to utilize. The gifts and callings of God are not to be placed in the �toy box� of our carnality. These are to be used for His great glory.
Further, after we have been saved we do have the ability to seek Him. We should seek Him in prayer that we might offer the sacrifice of our petitions and, most importantly, our praise of His greatness and goodness. We should seek Him in His Word that we may learn of Him and allow Him to speak to our hearts with the very breath of inspiration. We should seek Him in the priestly office of serving others. This is our duty. This is our great privilege as we take part in the eternal work of the Eternal God.
The unsearchable greatness and honor of His invitation to work His work in the world!
Jesus also wanted Nathanael to see Him.
It is easy to see the task of our religious duty toward others. It is easy to see the task of our religious duty toward our churches. It is easy to see the task of our religious oblation to the Lord of the Universe. Yet, it is so often hard to see the Great God and Savior Who have given us these great privileges.
Jesus is real. He is not a story book character from a sacred library. Jesus is real. He is not a tradition which our culture has given us. Jesus is real. He is not a set of dogma. Jesus is real. He is not sign post on our road to spirituality. Jesus is real. He is not just our Savior; He is our Friend and Sovereign.
The birth in Bethlehem was a real event. It was not just a pleasant winter tale. The miracles of which the New Testament bears witness were real events. These were not just �sacred stories� made up to impress upon us the majesty of God. The awful death of Jesus was a real event - happening to a real Person. This isn�t a morality play; this is real life and death - and agony accepted for our spiritual healing. The resurrection was real. This is not a nice story to tell at Easter time. The fact of history is that Jesus Christ really did rise from the dead. It happened! People saw Him, and talked with Him, and were taught by Him after He rose from the grave. The ascension into Heaven was a real event. There were crowds of people who saw this event. There were crowds of people who were energized to tell the story of this event even if it meant suffering martyrdom.
Oh, that we could just accept a glimpse of the face, honestly get a glimpse, in our eyes of faith. It would energize our own lives to live for Him Who died for us.
We need to know, not just believe as a article of faith, but know that Jesus lives. We do serve a risen Savior. He is in the world today. He is with us. He does energize us. He can work the miracle of salvation in people�s lives as we simply tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love!
This is what Jesus asked of Nathanael. Jesus wanted Nathanael to serve Him.
The idea of service to Jesus is not a litany of things we can not do. Churches, and preachers, have majored on this for years. But, the glory comes in what we can do for Him. It isn�t a matter of church laws and works, most of these are in the negative anyway, that is real service for Him. It is a matter of being His hands, and His feet, and His voice, and His influence, and His love among those with whom we come in contact. Jesus said that �...the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.� (Luke 19:19) How dare we, as Christians bought with the price of His agony, deny that He can do this through us in this day.
This is His will, His work, His wonder, the salvation of souls. May we preach this message with our lives - and our tongues, as a response of praise to the glorious salvation He has given us.
Jesus is also the Satisfying Savior. �...thou shalt see greater things than these.�
I was out with my granddaughter today. It was hot; we were tired and thirsty. I bought us a couple of bottles of soda pop. It was good. It helped. But, oh!, how much better it was when we returned home and got some ice water!
Jesus is the True Water that will satisfy the thirst of our souls.
Here was something that Jesus promised to Nathanael. Jesus promised that Nathanael would see greater things than just being seen under a fig tree from miles away. Sometimes we consider the spectacle to be a great manifestation of the works of God. Paul said, �For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth...� (Romans 1:16)
We often hear evangelists speak of the great power of God as being manifest in ecstatic utterance or great �miracle services.� That isn�t so. The great power of God is manifest when a soul comes to Him in faith believing. The true power of God is shown through the salvation of a soul from the preaching of the great Gospel Message that Jesus died in time so that others might live in eternity!
Not only did Jesus promise; Jesus also produced for Nathanael that which He said He would do.
We�ve all promised to do something for our children and then events conspired against us and we were unable to keep those promises. We may have done something else to ease their disappointment. But, the fact is that we are fallible men. We may not always be able to do that which we�ve promised to do. Our intentions may be the best; but our performance is too often lacking.
Jesus, however, is the Great Creator God. When He has made a promise we may consider that as an accomplished fact. The timing may not be to our liking. Sometimes, well, often, it seems that God has much more patience than do I. But, it is a fact that His promises are sure. What He has said, He will accomplish. The salvation of your soul is certain because Jesus has given the guarantee that this is so. Even your feelings are not important because it is His will that is the certainty!
What Jesus said to Nathanael was more than a promise. What Jesus said to Nathanael was more than a simple production of result. What Jesus said to Nathanael was a prophesy of the goodness of God.
God has made a promise to you, as well. It is a certain promise. It is, :...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...� (Acts 16:31)
Trust Jesus as your Savior. This is a promise, not from me but from God: If you trust Jesus as your Savior you will have your sins forgiven, peace with God, and a home in Heaven when it comes time for you to depart this earth.
Trust Him today!