Note: This is a study from the book 12 Ordinary Men by John McArthur an excellent book. There is also a fill in the blank outline from Adult Bible Fellowships of First Baptist Church Orion that I have posted in the series. This is not original but worth posting for study.
Twelve Ordinary Men
Nathanael – the Guileless One
Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel.” - John 1:49
I. Some general observations about Nathanael
a. In the four biblical lists of the Twelve, he is always called Bartholomew which is Hebrew for “
Son of Tolmai. John refers to him as Nathanael which is Hebrew for “God has given.” So he is
Nathanael, son of Tolmai.
What a name "God has given". Maybe this is what drove Nathanael to study and research God's purpose, he knew that he was a gift of God.
b. Other than the four lists, Nathanael is only mentioned twice in the Bible: in John 1 and in John 21:2.
According to the latter passage, Nathanael was from Cana, the town in Galilee where Jesus turned
water into wine.
He may have been the one that invited Jesus to the wedding.
c. Virtually all we know about him, comes from John 1:35-51 which describes his first encounter
with Christ.
John 1:43-51 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 [10] you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
II. His Love of Scripture
Phillip and Nathanael must have been close friends because in each of the scripture listings of the names of the apostles they were linked in scripture.
a. Philip’s appeal to Nathanael to come and see Jesus, implies that he knew him and the
scriptures.
b. It is interesting that Philip did not seek to sell Nathanael on the idea of going to meet Jesus on the
basis of how Jesus might make his life better (fix your marriage or problems). Instead, he spoke of
Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, because he knew that would pique Nathanael’s
interest.
c. Incidentally, it appears that all the apostles, with the exception of Judas Iscariot, were to some
degree already true seekers after divine truth before they met Jesus. Compare with Rom. 3:11
and Acts 18:24-19:7.
Characteristics of a growing Christian is to be a student of Christ and the Word.
III. His Prejudice
(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."
a (1) : preconceived judgment or opinion (2) : an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge
a. Although he was a student of Scripture and a searcher for the true knowledge of God, he was
prejudice.
b. His response to Philip’s statement about Christ reveals what bigotry Nathanael had for the
whole town of Nazareth.
c. Nazareth was a rough town. The Judeans looked down on the Galileans, but even the
Galileans looked down on the Nazarenes.
d. Prejudice cuts a lot of people off from the truth. John Bunyan (author of the Pilgrims Progress)
understood this danger of prejudice. In his allegory The Holy War, Bunyan names the guard that Satan
sets at the Ear-gate of the town of Mansoul, Mr. Prejudice.
e. Philip suggested the right way to deal with prejudice: confront it with the facts _ - “Come and
see.”
2 Corinthians 4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, (4) whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
IV. His Sincerity of Heart
(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."
John 2:24-25 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, (25) and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.
a. His love for God and his desire to see the Messiah were genuine.
b. Jesus calls him “an Israelite indeed.” Jesus was not talking about his race. He was declaring
Nathanael to be one of the true spiritual offspring of Abraham. See John 8:39-40.
Jesus confronting the Pharisees
John 8:39 They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. (40) But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.
Paul’s take
Rom 9:6-7 But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, (7) nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, "In Isaac your seed shall be called."
Rom 2:28-29 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; (29) but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
Sincerity and genuine love for God. Integrity – not dual, pure in spirit. Being real.
Jesus often times confronted the Pharisees and scribes as being hypocritical. They were actors as this is the meaning in the Bible of the word hypocrite. They were putting on a show in the outside but on the inside they did not care. Maybe to impress men or just for religious ceremonies. They did not have their heart right.
V. His Eager Faith
(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 [10] you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
a. When Jesus commends him for his sincerity, he at first responds in curious surprise: “ How do You
know me?” How could You possibly know what is in my heart?
Know γινώσκω ginōskō – be aware of, feel, (have) known (as in a previous relationship), understand - from Strongs dictionary
b. Jesus response is striking: it implies that Jesus was God, both because He knew where
Nathanael had been when Philip called him, and because He knew what he was doing there. He knew
the sincerity of Nathanael’s character because He saw right into him when he was under the fig tree.
What was Jesus saying to Nathanael? He was saying, “I saw you under the fig tree searching and studying scripture and looking for me. I saw your sincerity of heart. I knew you were hungry for me. I met you there. You know it because when you read the prophecies you felt my presence. You knew there was something more. I know you deeper than anyone else has known you.”
c. Nathanael immediately believed that Jesus was the son of God.
Jesus being the son of God was prophesied in the Old Testament Psalms 2. He had to have seen this in the as he read. I think this is an underlying statement. People who were searching and believing always found him. Simeon and Anna found him because they were ready to receiving even though he was only 8 days old. The shepherds and wise men found him because they were open. Many people in the New Testament found him. When they were ready.
Jeremiah 29:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
Results of Nathanael’s belief
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 [10] you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
“greater things than these”. MSG 50 Jesus said, "You've become a believer simply because I say I saw you one day sitting under the fig tree? You haven't seen anything yet! You haven’t seen nothing yet. It is amazing that Nathanael was such a quick believer. Maybe God had already assured him. Maybe his heart was ready. All it took was a little nudge to move out of a prejudice heart.
John 5:20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel.
John 14:12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
d. Jesus then alludes to Jacob’s dream about the ladder (Gen. 28:12).
This is a story about Jacob’s dream where he saw angel ascending and descending on a ladder from heaven to earth. In Jesus referring to this he was telling him that he was the mediator.
Conclusion
That’s all we know about Nathanael from Scripture. Early church records suggest that he ministered in Persia and India and took the gospel as far as Armenia. There is no reliable record of how he died. One tradition says he was tied up in a sack and cast into the sea. Another tradition says he was crucified. By all accounts, he was martyred like all the apostles except John.
What we do know is that Nathanael was faithful to the end because he was faithful from the start.
Everything he experienced with Christ and whatever he experienced after the birth of the New Testament church ultimately only made his faith stronger. And Nathanael, like the other apostles, stands as proof that God can take the most common people, from the most insignificant places, and use them to His glory.
