On Line Bible Study - For the Week September 26-October 2, 2011

Lesson 512

John 1: ⁴³ The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” ⁴⁴ 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.”

⁴⁶ “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.

⁴⁷ When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”

⁴⁸ “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” ⁴⁹ Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” 50Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that." ⁵¹He 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."

The challenge: Who is Nathaniel? He is not listed in the "Twelve" in Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:13-19 or Luke 6:12-16. Traditions associating him with Simon the Cananean (Mark & Matthew's list), or with Bartholomew (because Bartholomew's name follows Philip's in the list of disciples, and it is Philip who goes and gets Nathanael in the above passage...) are highly speculative.

What is the pejorative remark about Nazareth all about? Perhaps there was some rivalry or jealousy between the communities of Cana (where Nathanael was from?) and Galilee? But this comment would seem to contradict Jesus' assessment of Nathanael as one "in whom there is no deceit" ("guile" in other translations). The Greek word - δόλος - is used in Matthew 26:4 to refer to the "sly" way the chief priests were going to use to arrest Jesus.

Apparently Nathanael heard Jesus' comment because he wonders how it is that Jesus knows him. I saw you while you were still under the fig tree ... Father Raymond Brown points out that Jesus is able to "know" things about people. His vision is sharper, clearer than ordinary human vision. What was Nathanael doing under the tree that enabled Jesus to so quickly assess him, such that Nathanael immediately came to believe Jesus was the Son of God...the king of Israel?

Rabbis would congregate under a fig tree to study or teach. The Talmud speaks of the Law as a "fig tree". Is the tree reminiscent of the tree of knowledge in Paradise?

Regardless of what Nathanael was doing, Jesus' word to him was enough to forever alter his life. Notice how the chapter concludes - with Jesus assuring those around him that there will be more than "words" to his ministry. You will see greater things ...

One last thought ... Perhaps Nathanael represents Israel - or, a contrast to the "Israel" we read about in John's gospel. Unlike his countrymen, Nathanael hears the word of Jesus, and believes. In the next chapter we will move from "hearing" to "seeing".