“We Have Found the Messias”
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looked upon Jesus, he was disappointed. Could this man, who bore the
marks of toil and poverty, be the Messiah? Yet Nathanael could not
decide to reject Jesus, for the message of John had brought conviction
to his heart.
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At the time when Philip called him, Nathanael had withdrawn
to a quiet grove to meditate upon the announcement of John and
the prophecies concerning the Messiah. He prayed that if the one
announced by John was the deliverer, it might be made known to
him, and the Holy Spirit rested upon him with assurance that God
had visited His people and raised up a horn of salvation for them.
Philip knew that his friend was searching the prophecies, and while
Nathanael was praying under a fig tree, Philip discovered his retreat.
They had often prayed together in this secluded spot hidden by the
foliage.
The message, “We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law,
and the prophets, did write,” seemed to Nathanael a direct answer to
his prayer. But Philip had yet a trembling faith. He added doubt-
fully, “Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Again prejudice arose in
Nathanael’s heart. He exclaimed, “Can there any good thing come out
of Nazareth?”
Philip entered into no controversy. He said, “Come and see. Jesus
saw Nathanael coming to Him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite in-
deed, in whom is no guile!” In surprise Nathanael exclaimed, “Whence
knowest Thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that
Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.”
It was enough. The divine Spirit that had borne witness to
Nathanael in his solitary prayer under the fig tree now spoke to him
in the words of Jesus. Though in doubt, and yielding somewhat to
prejudice, Nathanael had come to Christ with an honest desire for
truth, and now his desire was met. His faith went beyond that of the
one who had brought him to Jesus. He answered and said, “Rabbi,
Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel.”
If Nathanael had trusted to the rabbis for guidance, he would never
have found Jesus. It was by seeing and judging for himself that he
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became a disciple. So in the case of many today whom prejudice
withholds from good. How different would be the result if they would
“come and see”!