The Compliment of being Real - John 1:43-51
Intro. We all like compliments. We want to be accepted. All enjoy someone saying good things about them. But how much more important could it be than for the compliment to ring from the God of all the ages! Matthew 25:21 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
I. A New Disciple - vs. 43-45
A. The Simple Call - Follow me - When we find these words to Peter, it was at after Peter had trusted Christ. But for Philip, it appears to be the same time.
B. The Simple Confession - We have found Him! - Jesus calls Philip to follow Him. Philip does what anyone would do that has just met the Lord, he had to tell someone! Philip, another disciple about whom not much is written. But we do know he found his friend, Nathanael, known in the other Gospels as Bartholomew.
II. A Biblical Discernment - vs. 46
A. An Inquiry -
1. A Fair Question - He would not believe the first one that came along and claimed to be the Messiah! Nazareth was a place that was known as a poor place. No prophet had ever come from there.
2. A Firm Belief
- He knew the Messiah would come from Bethlehem. Even the priests and scribes of his day taught this (Mt. 2)
This is questioned later. Jesus stands on the last day of the feast of Tabernacles and invites any to come that were thirsty and He would give them Living Water! The response is seen: John 7:40-42 40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. 41 Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? 42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
B. An Interest - Philip said, "Come and See" and Nathanael did!
He was not prejudiced against Jesus, He was a man of Wisdom and Discernment
III. The Personal Devotions - vs. 48 (drop down there and we will come back to vs. 47)
Here we see the Omniscience of Christ. This is not implying that Jesus saw with the human eye. He knew Philip called Nathanael, and He knew Nathanael was under a particular tree. (God knows where you are, what you are doing, thinking)
I am going to make an educated assumption without doing the Scriptures any harm at all. It is evident that something occurred of which Jesus took note!
I do not believe it was a mere nap. And whatever it was, it was tied to Nathanael's character. Something Jesus noticed got Nathanael's attention.
A. A Distinct Place - "when thou wast under the fig tree"
It was common for someone to retreat to a particular place for prayer.
1. Daniel - Da 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
2. Jesus - Lu 22:39 And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. Even Judas knew where to find Jesus.
B. A Devoted Performance -
1. Jesus noticed WHERE Nathanael was
2. Jesus noticed WHAT Nathanael was doing
- He may have been reading the Scriptures, meditating on them.
- He may have been praying in his own special place (that is why it would have been significant for Jesus to notice him there) HE is GOD, and HEARD Him!
- He may or may not have been worshiping there,
BUT HE WAS DOING SOMETHING THAT GOD NOTICED!
IV. The Respectful Declaration - vs. 47 (Jesus is not speaking to Nathanael, but to others as He compliments this man.) Jesus knew Nathanael, outward and inward!
A. A Compliment of Authenticity - An Israelite Indeed
1. His Grandfather
- Here a descendant of Jacob, the one full of deceit,
- But Nathanael was living up to the name of Israel - a Prince with God!
Jacob was crooked, but God changed him to Israel.
2. His Genuine Life - indeed - of a truth - a genuine person.
He was not just called an Israelite, but lived up to the name
Are you called a Christian, then do you live up to the name.
Would Jesus note your Authenticity as a Christian? Are we Christians INDEED!
B. A Character of Integrity (no guile) Did not mean he was sinless as Christ was
Words to describe what Jesus expressed about Nathanael:
1. Sincere 2. Upright
3. No Double Standard 4. Not Double Minded
5. No Disguise 6. No Tricks
7. Genuine before God! What a compliment
1Pet 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. 24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
It continues in 1Pet 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
Have you really tasted that the Lord is gracious - are we genuine?
V. His Delight - vs. 49 - He found the one for whom He was looking!
The devout Jews were looking for the Messiah to come.
A. A Praise -
1. Rabbi - "Great One"
2. Son of God
3. King of Israel
B. A Promise - vs. 50-51 Jesus made a promise to one that was looking for Him to come: "You ain't seen nothing yet!"
1. A Revealing Identification
- Philip called him the Son of God, and He is - that is the Lord's Title of Deity
- Jesus calls Himself the Son of Man - That is the Lord's human and Millennial Title! He CAME to Us!
- You see, He promised that we would "SEE" Him in His glory!
- This is not the Transfiguration , for Nathaniel did not see that!
- This is the Promise of God's Children will see Jesus for themselves
2. A Revealing Association - "Angels of God ascending and descending"
- Reminded of Jacob's Ladder
- Revealed HIMSELF as the Ladder - the Bridge that joins heaven and earth together!
He had been called the "Son of God" and He is
He was called the "King of Israel", David's greater Son, and He is
He was called Messiah - the Savior
He is all that, and now He is: the Ladder to the Father
The Link, the mediator, the way between God and man!
Jesus took the common thoughts of Nathaniel and gave him a glimpse of the kingdom to come, when Jesus will Return.
In Psalm 24:7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
This is an account of the actual entrance of Christ into heaven.
Philip! You will see more than my knowledge of your life, you will see GLORY!
2Co 5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:
1Th 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Nathaniel was living like he was looking for the Messiah to come!
That is why he had no problem going with Philip.
Are we living like we are looking for the Messiah to come?
Concl. How does God see us? Are we people of faith like the Centurion?
And with tonight's message - "Are we REAL Christians?"
Ps 139:1 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Ps 139:2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
It matters not what others may think, what does God know about you and me?
Could Jesus say that we are REAL! That is what He said about Nathanael.
Disclaimer: A man once told me that if it is true, it is not new. If it is new, it is not true. We all know there is nothing new under the sun. With that said, I glean ideas for my sermons from God’s Word, my own work, and then I refer to many other sources. Any similarity to my sermons and others, where credit is not given, is either coincidental, or an unintentional mistake on my part. As none of us have a corner on the wisdom and teaching of God’s Word, it is my desire that any of my outlines be an encouragement, a help, and hopefully a motivation for others to preach God’s Word clearly. Please feel free to use any portion of my sermons if they can be of help to you and your ministry. I purposely include a skeleton outline, and not my full text, for this purpose. It is all for His Glory.
