John 1:43-51

“Come and see”

18 January 2009
John 1:43-51 (New King James Version)
Philip and Nathanael
   
43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and 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 And 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 is no deceit!”
48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you,
when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are
the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
50 Jesus answered and said to 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, “Most
assuredly, I say to you, hereafter[a] you shall see heaven
open, and the angels of God ascending and descending
upon the Son of Man.”
 Background to John
• John’s was the last gospel to be
recorded.
• The gospel was probably meant for the
second generation church. The church
was a mixture of Jews and Greeks.
• It contrasts the Synoptic gospels in that
it is not only recording Jesus’ actions. It
rather sketches Jesus as both God and
Man and compels the reader to make
up his / her own mind about who Jesus
 Background to John
(continued)
• John uses both his Jewish background and
tradition and Greek philosophical arguments
in stating his case.
• The role of the Holy Spirit in the gospel
should not be underestimated. In the Old
Testament the Spirit of God (Ruah Jahwe)
was known to come on prophets and kings
for a period. John emphasizes that the Spirit
remained on Jesus.
• The term ‘disciple’ appears 78 times in the
gospel and defines the identity of the first
audience. They lived as friends, always
 Passing the message
along…
• Manuscripts were handwritten until
the 15th century.
• Unfortunately human error (in
copying) crept in and the papyrus
used to record on eroded and
fragments were lost.
• This lead to discrepancies in various
manuscripts of the Bible.
• So, how do we know what is ‘right’?
 Passing the message along…
(continued)
• Textual criticism
When comparing different documents, or
"witnesses", of a single, original text, the observed
differences are called variant readings.
• It is not always apparent which single variant
represents the author's original work.
• The textual critic's task, therefore, is to sort through
the variants, eliminating those most likely to be un-
original, hence establishing a "critical text", or
critical edition, that is intended to best approximate
the original.
• At the same time, the critical text should document
variant readings, so the relation of extant witnesses
to the reconstructed original is apparent to a reader
of the critical edition.
• In establishing the critical text, the textual critic
considers both "external" evidence (the age,
provenance, and affiliation of each witness) and
 Textual Criticism…. So what?

• In translating the Bible, textual

criticism is applied.
• The translators then choose what
they consider to be the most likely
version.
• Outrage at various translations
(1983)

• John 1 … travelling from Bethany

 Context
• In interpreting scripture, there are always
key principles, context being one of them.
• In the earlier part of John, John describes the
Word becoming flesh and then Jesus’
baptism.
• We hear 3 times that the Spirit came down
on Jesus and remained on Him.
• We are told how Jesus’ first disciples,
Andrew and Peter follow Him on John’s
recognition of the Lamb of God.
• Although it was normal for a Rabbi, like
Jesus, to have disciples, the norm was for
them to apply to study under the Rabbi. The
norm was also that these disciples would be
Bethabara (or Bethany?) to
 43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to
Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him,
• Galilee was about 100 miles away.
• According to John, the other disciples
just followed Jesus. Philip was the
first disciple who was called.
 44 Now Philip was from
Bethsaida, the city of Andrew
• Although Philip (horse lover) is a
Greek name, nobody knows his
nationality. However, he knows
Jewish tradition and John places him
as a citizen of Bethsaida.
• Andrew and Peter used to live in
Bethsaida, but relocated to
Capernaum.
 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

• A new disciple makes another disciple!

• The name ‘Nathanael’ does not appear
in the synoptic gospels' listing of the
disciples. Older scholars identify
Nathanael with Bartholomew. Others
identify Nathanael with Matthew
because both names mean gift of God.
• Philip (and John) use every single
argument to prove Jesus is the Messiah.
Nathaniel Under the Fig Tree (Nathanaël
sous le figuier) by JJ Tissot
46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good
come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come
and see.”

• People of the south did not believe spiritual

leadership could come from someone in the
north.
• Nazareth was situated in the hill country of
Galilee, a region of fishing and farming that was
also known in Scripture for its distinctive
regional accent and for having a large
population of Gentiles, a high number of
immigrants, foreigners, resident aliens.
• Archaeological evidence also shows that
Nazareth may have sat somewhat in the
shadow of the nearby city of Sepphoris, which
was being rebuilt as a regional capital around
the time of Jesus. Sepphoris was the place
where the action was. Sepphoris was the place
• “Southerners” generally believed
people from the north’s religion was
watered down by their ungodly
neighbours.
• Nathanael therefore sees Jesus
through his ‘southern glasses’ and
puts Him on par with the other
northerners.
• There have also been a number of
‘messiah’s’ in that time.
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him,
and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed,
in whom is no deceit!”
• Literal translation: ‘in whom is no
Jacob’
• A true Israelite would know the
scriptures and therefore Messianic
promise.
 48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called
you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

• Jesus' reference to the fig tree may have

double meaning. Some rabbis believed that
the Torah was most appropriately studied
while seated under a fig tree. Jesus'
comment about Nathanael under the fig
tree could be said of a man who frequently
studied the Law.

• The rabbi’s often taught under the fig trees

and it was the place where believers would
spend time in prayer and meditation.
• Jesus seeing Nathanael convinced
him that Jesus was the Messiah who
could do the supernatural.
 49 Nathanael answered and said to Him,
“Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the
King of Israel!”
• What is the significance of the
confession Nathanael makes?
• It has strong allusions to Ps 2:6-7, a
well-known Messianic Psalm. (Harris)
“I myself have installed my king
on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 The king says, “I will announce the
Lord’s decree. He said to me:
‘You are my son! This very day I have
become your father!
50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said
to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you
believe? You will see greater things than these.”

• Jesus refers to Himself as the ‘Son of

Man’.
• We met Jesus as Lamb of God, Son of
God, Rabbi, Messiah, the One Moses
and the prophets wrote about… yet,
Jesus’ most important title is ‘Son of
Man’. Although a lot of people think
that ‘the more to come’ refer to
miracles He did after this incident, it
refers to Jesus’ ultimate unity with us
– dying in our place.
 51 And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to
you, hereafter[a] you shall see heaven open, and the
angels of God ascending and descending upon the
• “Most assuredly” – Amen, Amen
• Inviting God in

• ‘You’ is plural, which expands the intended audience

beyond Nathanael.

• Many relate it to Jacob’s dream in Gen 28:12, where the

angels and ladder represent divine communion with man.
But this is consummated in the Word become Flesh.
• Jesus himself is the point of contact between heaven and
earth.
• It is probably better to understand the phrase as a
figurative way of saying that Jesus will be the revealer of
heavenly things to men.
• Angels are divine messengers, and now the Messiah’s
presence marks the beginning of new comings and goings
Hearing versus
understanding
• Du Rand says “Hy het sy bene onder
ons tafel kom inskuif”.
• Jesus is introduced as the Logos
Theou, the True Light, Lamb of God,
Son of God, Rabbi, Messiah, the One
Moses and the prophets wrote about,
the King of Israel… BUT He is also
our Friend.
• We have not only heard about Jesus,
we have met Him.
• We understand the good news…
 So then?
• If we have met Jesus – what do you
want to do with Him?
• When we choose, it can’t only be an
intellectual exercise – our choice
determines our lifestyle. It changes
everything (relationships, work,
hobbies)
• We can’t remain passive. A decision
about God pre-empts action. Always.
Invitations
Questions?
 Practical ways to get
moving…
• Kleiters
• Communion
• Ora et Labora
• Quarry

• Camp: 6-8 March 2009

• Potplak: 15 March 2009