(John 1:49)
�Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.�
Last week there was a circus near here. I thought that my son might take his children to see the clowns, the elephants, the trapeze artists, and so on. He didn�t. He said that he�d taken them to see a circus just a few months before. They were just too young to really enjoy the spectacle. Instead they had their normal weekly and evening family times.
He didn�t make the trip because he saw no purpose in the experience.
Next week my father is preparing to take a trip to Pennsylvania to attend the annual reunion of his World War II military group. That is a long trip for a man who is nearing ninety-two years of age. One of my sisters, and one of another sisters daughters, will be going along on the trip.
The three are engaged in a long trip because they see this as something which they will all enjoy. There will be stories, and remembrances - a history of those who lived through the era, of the war and times. Friendships will be renewed and losses will be mourned.
The difference between the two trips? One was for an enjoyable evening, where the enjoyment was not seen as forthcoming. It was a trip bypassed. The other is a trip to remember a lost youth; but, it is also a trip to honor the friends of that youth - both the living and dead. It is a trip that is anticipated.
Nathanael had made the trip to see Jesus. He had done so at the insistence of Philip. Nathanael was very skeptical. He didn�t believe that there was any real purpose in this trip. Yet, he went out of friendship with Philip.
It turned out that this was the best trip that Nathanael would ever make!
Nathanael found that Jesus had insight into his own heart and needs which no mere man could have understood. Nathanael found that Jesus no mere pretender; He was the One prophesied of in the Scripture. He was not a simple religious leader who would �give a good show.� Jesus was the One Who would fulfill the prophecies and save people from the death grip of sin upon their lives.
To the observation of Jesus, Nathanael gave a direct response. �Nathanael answered and saith unto Him...�
One of the things which, from the human standpoint, changed Nathanael from the argumentative skeptic we witnessed in the preceding verses to the committed follower of Christ we see from this point on, was the fact that Nathanael was acknowledged by the Savior.
Everyone likes to be acknowledged as an individual. From the most outgoing personality to the most private person we will ever meet, each person likes to be recognized as a special person. This is a human trait. This is one of the reasons why the �combat evangelism� of many is not only fruitless, it is counterproductive.
Every single individual has worth to God. That is why Jesus went to the cross. He went to the cross to offer salvation to the sinner. When we ignore this reality and treat people as objects of scorn, we do violence to the message of Love from the Savior.
Yes, people are sinners. Yes, we need to point out that sin is sin and will separate a person from God. But, no, we do not need to treat people as pariahs. We do not need to treat others as so vile that any contact with them is anathema. We do not need to treat people as beneath our standards of decency.
No person, no matter how vile we may consider their life to be, will consider himself as �bad.� Even the worst people in history believed in their own minds that they were doing right. To move upon them in an attack mode is not only contrary to Scripture, it is even contrary to the general social realities. The object of hate and the object of love are opposites. Hate has never drawn a person toward the one who hated them.
Besides, where do we �get off� on displaying hatred toward those for whom Jesus Christ went to the Cross of Calvary in love?
Nathanael was acknowledged by Jesus. Jesus acknowledged the short comings of Nathanael and called him anyway.
This sort of love meant that Nathanael was attracted by the Savior.
Before I move on with this point, let me just say that I fully understand that no person can come to the Savior without the convicting power of the Holy Spirit upon his life. We can be at our most polite, most welcoming, most agreeable, and still see a person not respond to the message of Christ unless we have prayed about the persons soul and asked that the Holy Spirit send this convicting power. None of salvation is of us. We are only the bearers of the message. This is only because we have been given this charge by Jesus in the Great Commission, and elsewhere.
Conversely, if we attack people, treat them shabbily, and show them not one whit of Christian love, they may still respond to the Christian message because the Holy Spirit is greater than are we. His power overshadows even our mistakes.
Still, the fact remains that we have been called into this ministry; by �we� I mean every single person who has accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. We owe it to our Savior to use methods and manners in our witness which mirror those which He displayed during His life as a man here on this earth.
This means we will be as polite as is possible to the sinner. This means that we will accept no deviation from Scriptural principles or from the religious leaders. This means that we will always seek the power of the Holy Spirit to energize our efforts at witnessing.
Nathanael was attracted by the Savior. Nathanael also answered the Savior.
This means that Nathanael responded to the love of Jesus.
Nathanael responded with the understanding which he had at that moment. It was not a complete understanding of everything theological. It was an understanding that accepted the fact that Jesus was not a mere man. It was an understanding that understood that the only salvation available was that offered by Jesus. It was an understanding that was prepared to learn more of the Savior as time went on.
The answer of Nathanael was no longer skeptical. The answer of Nathanael was no longer seeped in sarcasm. The answer of Nathanael was one of a person who had accepted the claims about Jesus. But, he still needed to accept Jesus as his personal Savior.
Notice that at this point Nathanael was responding with distinctive religion. �...Rabbi, thou art the Son of God...�
Nathanael was ready to show respect toward the Savior.
After having begun with doubt about the reliability of this Jesus, Nathanael was now ready to show respect toward the Savior. The sarcasm of the past had been replaced with the respect of the present in the manner of Nathanael.
The friendly attitude of Jesus had been matched by an accepting attitude from Nathanael. Nathanael was no longer ready to dismiss the Master as just another religious voice; Nathanael was now ready to discuss the important issues of the soul with Jesus.
Often we will notice this same trait in those with whom we are dealing. Sometimes this willingness to discuss spiritual matters is the last refuge of the unbeliever. �You are going to tell me about your religion? Well, let me tell you what I believe.� This is the conversation, often, of a person who is under conviction but not yet a child of God.
Rightly speaking, Christianity is not a religious outlook. The true definition of religion is that effort by humankind to appease God. Christianity is completely the opposite of this. Christianity is the acceptance that we have no way in which to appease God. We stand before God as sinners; any works we might do are from that standpoint. Even religious works, when we are still in our sins, are works of unrighteousness as they flow from our own hearts.
The truth about Christianity is that God has made all of the moves necessary to effect a relation ship between mankind and Himself. Jesus died on the cross as the complete, and completely free to us, remedy for our sin nature. Jesus died so that we might be divested of our sin nature; He takes this from us at the - and as the result of - moment of our acceptance of Him as our personal Lord and complete Savior. Even in this, it is the conviction of the Holy Spirit which allows us to make this decision.
It is all of Him. It is none of us!
But, here was Nathanael ready to talk religion with Jesus.
�Rabbi,� he said. The term �Rabbi� was a term of respect. It was also a term applied to a religious leader and teacher. This Nathanael acknowledged. Nathanael even acknowledged that Jesus was the Son of God.
But, there was more needed. Nathanael needed to receive the Savior.
My van has been broken down. It needed some work done on it. It needed, as a matter of fact, a new fuel pump. I knew this. There was not one piece of doubt in my mind that my van needed a new fuel pump. My understanding of this fact did not repair my van. My van was not repaired until a mechanic put the van up on a lift and installed a new fuel pump.
My understanding was worthless, as far as the repair of the van was concerned, until the operation was complete.
Faith is the medium of salvation. We understand this. But, some attempt to use a faith that is like my needed fuel pump. They know what is needed; but, they never install the fuel pump.
Nathanael needed to act upon that faith with a commitment to Jesus. Nathanael needed to accept Jesus as his own personal Savior.
We need to move from understanding to a faith that accepts the Object of that faith. We need to invite Jesus into our lives as we accept His sacrifice as the entire work for our salvation.
Today is Father�s Day. My son will accept some gifts from his children. Those gifts are his right now. My granddaughter picked them out specially for her father. My grandson doesn�t really understand what all the �hoopla� is about. But he loves his dad and has been given a gift to hand to him. That is the point at which Ethan will receive his gifts - when he reaches out his hand and takes the packages.
Salvation is much like that. It is an offered gift. It is a free gift. It is a gift which the Father wishes for us to have. But, it is not really ours until we reach out with our spirit and accept that for which Jesus died.
The leads to the desired realization of Nathanael. �...thou art the King of Israel.�
First of all, this was Nathanael displaying an understanding of prophecy.
Nathanael was not relying upon the understanding culture. Culture is too often wrong about things like this. Culture will say that our understanding of Christ is old fashioned. Culture will say that salvation through faith is a just one of many beliefs. Culture will say that it is bigoted to claim that our understanding is the only Truth.
The road going past my house was built over a century ago. It is a very old road. The road going past my house is just one of many, many roads in this town. There are many towns, each with many roads, in just this single county.
But, with all of its faults, the road that goes past my house is the only road which will bring me to my home. I might use many other roads to get to this one solitary road; but, I have to end up on this road or I will not come home.
It isn�t what I think might be right. The truth is described on a simple map of the town. Likewise, it isn�t what we might believe unless that belief is founded on what is written in the Map of the preserved Word of God.
Either come to God on the Highway marked �The Sacrifice of Jesus,� or you�ll not reach a home in Heaven.
Nathanael accepted the position of the Savior.
Jesus had just praised Nathanael as being a good person and a devout Jew. But, Nathanael was willing to look at himself and realize that Jesus is the only Way to find peace with God. Jesus is the promised Savior. Jesus is the only Savior.
Nathanael experienced the pardon of the Savior.
Have you ever experienced the pardon from your sins which is found in Jesus?
Won�t you accept Him today?
He is the Only remedy for your sin. He is the only Road to peace with God and a home in Heaven.