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Come and See
John 1:45-51
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the
law, and also in the prophets, wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And
Nathanael said to him, 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Philip said to
him, Come and see" (John 1:45, 46). "Come and see" was Philips' invitation, it
is the Lord's invitation and it is our invitation to those lost in sin.
Missouri is the "Show Me" state. I am not a native of Missouri but I believe
this designation means that Missourians are not gullible. They expect to see
something before they will believe. I am also reminded of the expression "seeing
is believing." God does not ask us to believe without evidence. If one will
"come see" Jesus through the pages of divine revelation he will believe, like
Nathanael, that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, the King of Israel.
"COME AND SEE"
When Nathanael agreed to come, he had no great expectations about what he was
going to see. His comment about Nazareth may not have been one of contempt but
possibly a comment indicating the lack of any statements concerning Nazareth in
Messianic prophecies. We can begin to understand his surprise when he was
introduced to the Son of God, the King of Israel. He expected so little and
found so much.
Jesus of Nazareth was the Word who was God and with God (John 1:1), and had
become flesh so that man could behold the glory of God (John 1:14). Centuries
before, Moses said to God, "Please show me your glory" (Ex. 33:18). But lest he
die, God set Moses in the cleft of the rock and covered him with His hand while
He passed by. When he had passed by God took His hand away and allowed Moses to
see His back (Ex. 33:20-23). God did not reveal himself fully to Moses, but in
Jesus of Nazareth the revelation is complete.
In a dream, it was revealed to Joseph that Mary's child was Immanuel, "God with
us" (Mt. 1:23). On another occasion, Philip said to Jesus, "show us the Father,"
Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me,
Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:8, 9).
Today, we are invited to "come and see" Jesus of Nazareth through the pages of
God's holy word. If one will just take an honest look at the eyewitness account
of His life and teaching, His death, burial, and resurrection, they will come
face to face with the Son of God, the King of Israel.
"I SAW YOU"
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, He made a statement concerning Nathanael's
character, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile" (John 1:47). When
Nathanael asked Jesus how He knew him, Jesus answered, "Before Philip called
you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you" (John 1:48). Jesus knew
everything about Nathanael, his actions and his heart. The Samaritan women, also
impressed by Jesus' omniscience, went into the city and told the men, "Come, and
see a Man who told me all things that I ever did" (John 4:29).
How is it that Jesus knew so much about Nathanael and the Samaritan woman? It
was because God knows all things. He knows everything about me and He knows
everything about you. In fact there is nothing that we can conceal from Him. "O
Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising
up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but
behold, O Lord, You know it altogether...where can I flee from your presence"
(Ps. 139:1-4, 7)? He sees us.
"YOU WILL SEE GREATER THINGS THAN THESE"
Nathanael, convinced by the demonstration of divine omniscience, exclaimed to
Jesus, "You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel" (John 1:49)! Jesus
told Nathanael, "You will see greater things than these...Most assuredly, I say
to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and
descending upon the Son of Man" (John 1:50, 51).
Nathanael had seen enough to convince him that Jesus was the Son of God. Even
greater things would be seen by Nathanael. He would see the fulfillment of God's
eternal will for man's redemption through this Jesus of Nazareth.
In a dream, the patriarch, Jacob "beheld a ladder set up on the earth, and its
top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending
on it" (Gen. 28:12). The Lord stood above it and said, "I am the Lord God of
Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give
to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as dust of the
earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the
south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be
blessed" (Gen. 28:13, 14). When Jacob awoke he said, "Surely the Lord is in this
place, and I did not know
it...How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and
this is the gate of heaven" (Gen. 28:17)!
The ladder, or stairway, in Jacob's dream is between heaven and earth. It is
that which allows access to the earth from heaven and access to heaven from the
earth. In Jesus' statement to Nathanael, the Son of Man is the one upon whom the
angels ascend and descend. The Son of Man is Jesus. It is a name Jesus applied
to himself many times. Jesus said that He, The Son of Man is the one who would:
be "lifted up" (John 3:13-14), "execute judgment" (John 5:27), give "everlasting
life"
(John 6:27, 53), and be glorified (John 12:23).
Angels are the messengers of God ascending and descending. Ascending with
reports of their earthly reconnaissance (Zech. 1:11), and descending to execute
God's will. What is it that allows God to accomplish His will? It is the work of
Jesus Christ, His Son. God's promise of blessing to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and
all the families of the earth was in the "seed," and that seed is Christ (Gal.
3:16). Christ's work is one of mediation. He is the bridge between God and man,
heaven
and earth.
Jesus told Nathanael that he would see heaven open (John1:51). The patriarchs
"died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off"
(Heb. 11:13). Concerning salvation the prophets "inquired and searched
diligently" (1 Peter 1:10) testifying "beforehand the sufferings of Christ and
the glories that would follow" (1 Peter 1:11). Nathanael would see the day when
men could "come boldly to the throne of grace" that they might "obtain mercy and
find grace to help in
time of need" (Heb. 4:16).
The miraculous signs, witnessed by men in the first century were truly amazing
and wonderful, creating faith. But, there are "greater things." The emphasis is
not on the sign, but on what the sign is pointing to. "And truly Jesus did many
other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this
book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:30, 31).
If we will "come and see," we like Nathanael can come to believe that Jesus is
the Son of God. And believing we will see "greater things." We will see that the
Son has opened heaven and we can have life in His name.
By Karl Hennecke
From Expository Files 1.5; May, 1994
