John 1:43-51
43
2nd Sunday after the Epiphany
January 18th, 2015
The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”
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Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and
told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets
also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
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“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
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When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom
there is no deceit.”
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“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
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Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
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Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater
things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the
angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”
Unlikely Find
I had some work that I wanted done but the usual machine shops where either too busy or didn’t
want to do the work. I was looking for someone to lighten and balance a flywheel (part of car). I
was looking in all of the likely places coming up empty handed when a friend said, “Come and
see. You have to check this guy out.” I called. He gave me his address and I headed out. Usually
I would have expected a drive to the industrial district or on to the warehouses and work yards
but I kept driving up a hill and into a residential development. I pulled up to a single story home
with a two car garage. At that moment I began to think, “Something’s not right here. Sure, he’s
recommended by a friend. The price is good. But I don’t want just anybody taking metal off my
flywheel (part of the car which spins up to 8,000 rpm.)” I skeptically pulled off to find another
shop when I started to think, “Just give him a chance. He is recommended by a friend. Maybe
we’re meeting at his house and he has a shop in town.” Thankfully I did. I was surprised by what
I found. His side door opened and he came out in T-shirt and sweats. He took me into his garage
which extended out the back of his house, loaded with equipment, certificates, trophies, and
photos cars he’s built or races he’s won.
It was a eureka moment for me. I found what I was looking for in an unlikely place. You
ever experience that? Maybe it’s something you wanted to find like a lost ring but at other times
it’s the doctor who says, “We found cancer.” Sometimes what you find is not only unexpected
but unwanted. In our lesson Nathanael finds the unexpected among the unlikely.
John 1:43-51
2nd Sunday after the Epiphany
January 18th, 2015
Jesus was going to Galilee returning from Bethany (beyond the Jordan) when he found
Philip. Jesus found Philip. Philip found Nathaniel. And Philip says to Nathaniel, “We have found
the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of
Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Here, the Greek word is eurisko, the same word from which Archimedes got eureka.
Eureka carries a sense of surprise which the English word “find” does not. Eureka can be a
discovery after a careful search as much as an unexpected “aha” moment. It’s not as if Philip and
Nathaniel after careful research and study came to know Jesus as the Son of God. Philip
exclaims eureka, “We’ve found the messiah!”
Nathanael doesn’t buy it. “Nazareth – can anything good come from there?” Nathanael
is a cynic stuck in reality with a, “I can’t believe you fell for that,” attitude. Already he begins to
judge a shop by its residential appearance – a book by its cover and make decisions based on
appearances. Nathanael doesn’t think Jesus looks or sounds much like the Messiah. Who can
blame him? Nazareth is not mentioned anywhere in the Old Testament. Nazareth is not known
for great minds or abilities however they are known for their accent. Nazareth means “a little
shoot” or “twig town.” This was a place out “in the sticks.” Nathanael knew that the Messiah
would be someone special born in Bethlehem, down by Jerusalem, down by the temple, were all
the important people were. Not all the way up north where people have this funny accent, “Eh”
and are always apologetic. That’s Galilee. They’re behind times and lacking in culture.
But when Jesus sees Nathanael approaching he calls out, “Here truly is an Israelite in
whom there is no deceit.” Is this a compliment or satire? Is Jesus saying Nathanael’s filters don’t
work and he blurts whatever is on his mind? Here is one who is no liar. Is Jesus saying that of all
the people in Israel here is one that stands as righteous on his own? Is he saying, “Surely this one
will recognize the Messiah when he shows up?” Nathanael answers, “Where did you get that
from?” Jesus responds, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
The response Jesus gave is enough to convince Nathanael that Jesus is Rabbi, the Son of
God, and the King of Israel? This cynic who questioned his friend, country, culture does a 180
when Jesus mentions, “I saw what you did there under the fig tree.” What happened under the fig
tree? Then Jesus sounds like a cynic when he states, “You believe because I told you, “I saw you
under the fig tree”?” You have no idea what that means. You don’t know who I am or where
I’m from.” It was a eureka moment, an unlikely find, and Nathanael wasn’t even looking.
Part I:
This season of Epiphany is God’s season of show and tell where he invites us to come
and see. What do you find or rather what’s found you? Not everything that we find in this life is
what we want. Some find cancer. Some find cures. Sometimes God uses these moments to find
us and bring us back to him. He doesn’t want us to build our hopes and dreams in a world which
is far from ideal. Are you excited, or skeptical and maybe a bit cynical? Expectations don’t
always match up with reality. We have a path and plan for life and then the unexpected shows up
when you least expect it.
John 1:43-51
2nd Sunday after the Epiphany
January 18th, 2015
The Philips often barge in with unbelievable news, eager and excited to show and tell,
only for the Nathanaels to tear them down. The cynic, the skeptic, and the doubter refuse to find
comfort. They point out the failings of others, “He’s from Nazareth?” Cynicism is something that
every one of us struggles with at one point or another that’s because we’ve been hurt too many
times to count. It can happen in our outlook on family, marriage, and life. The problems grow
and we idolize and idealize the past putting on the rose colored glasses oblivious to beauties of
the present. We often become so busy driving forward while looking through the review mirror
we refuse to find see the blessings in our life. The problem with looking back and longing for the
better times is that we forget that this world has always been messed up since Genesis 3 (the fall
into sin). When we listen to the cynics we often become angry or depressed with this world and
eventually give up. After a while it’s so much easier to listen to cynics gripe and complain than it
is to listen to the Good News of God’s Word. We’ve found the Messiah in an unlikely location,
right here in his word.
No I’m not going to harp on history. Every generation has problems but we’re not here to
look at the faults and failures of others. As we look at ourselves what do we find? I find that it’s
easier for us to look at the failings of others rather than my own. After our moment under our fig
tree Jesus still finds us, “Here is a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” Where did you get
that from? I know what I’ve done in the shadows of a fig. He knows what I’ve done. He sees
everything our cynicism, our fault finding expeditions, and our doubts. He knows everything that
goes on under fig trees.
I have every reason to be a cynic but Jesus gives me every reason to react like Philip,
jumping up and down, hardly able to contain himself. Jesus found them. He finds them exactly
where he expects them to be found among the cynics and sinners.
He doesn’t give up, “You will see greater things than that. Truly, truly I say to you, “You
will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the son of man.”
Jesus references a lesson that takes place in Genesis 28. Esau wanted to kill his brother Jacob
because Jacob stole the birthright as well as the blessing. Jacob dressed up as his brother and had
his father bless him. The blessing stated he would be blessed, that the nations would serve him,
and that he would be lord over his brothers. But the unlikely event is that he flees for his life,
finds no place to lay his head, takes a stone for a pillow and dreams of a stairway to heaven on
which angels are ascending and descending. In an unlikely place at an unlikely time God found
him and reminded him, “I’m with you right now even if it doesn’t feel like it.” At that moment
Jesus is reminding Nathanael, “I’m here for you. That stairway to heaven isn’t found on a rock at
Bethel. It’s not the rock in the holy of holies. I am the stairway and heaven is open.”
The disciples didn’t understand this. They didn’t understand their unlikely Savior
clearing the temple shouting, “Tear down this temple and I will raise it in three days.” They
would not have their Eureka moment until after the empty tomb in Chapter 20 when Jesus again
went to his disciples and found them locked in an upper room. Jesus appeared to those cynics,
John 1:43-51
2nd Sunday after the Epiphany
January 18th, 2015
depressed doubters and deniers with a message of forgiveness. That was their eureka moment an
unlikely find.
That great news is that Nathanael really was a true Israelite in whom there was nothing
false because Jesus made him that way. That’s how he makes us. God knows your cynicism.
Even if you are from the northern territory, the stick in the woods type, where everyone says,
“Nothing good can come from there.” He knows your doubts and skepticism. God knows what
you can do and he motivates you to do it. Sometimes he uses the Philips as he calls to you,
“Come and see.” This is God’s season of show and tell as he sets before us his son. We don’t do
the finding God does. He finds us. He calls to us.
“Come and see.” Children say that a lot. Usually they are off playing the backyard and
then they come running in after an hour of building shouting, “Come and see, come and see!”
What do I find? It doesn’t matter whatever it is it’s beautiful. God says, “It’s forgotten and I see
nothing but a true Israelite in whom there is nothing false.” That’s good news. That’s what God
sees. When he sees you he sees his son.
Jesus didn’t look like much to Nathanael. In every age the church doesn’t look like much.
God has something in mind and the gates of hell won’t stand a chance because God builds his
church. Jesus has a message for you. There is a shift from singular to plural. Jesus is now
speaking to a wider audience than Nathanael. He is speaking to us, the readers. You will see the
heavens standing opened and angels ascending and descending on the son of man. Heaven stands
open. God became one of us so he could find us. The son of man is the son of God. He is Jacob’s
ladder. He is the only way and he invites us, “Come and see,” “Come and follow,” and then, “Go
and tell.”
I doubt I will find another machinist like Hutchins but I still tell people about him. You
will never find another way, another ladder, like Jesus of Nazareth. He comes highly
recommended. It doesn’t cost a thing. He has nothing but good news, the reason to be optimistic,
and the reason to rejoice, “Come and see.” Amen.