In the opening chapter of John’s gospel we have a beautiful hidden gem about Jesus’ identity. It is embedded in a seemingly unusual interaction when Jesus is calling His first disciples.
Reading: John 1:43-51
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
In this passage we find Jesus in the very beginning of His ministry. He has just been baptized by John the Baptist. He has received the anointing Holy Spirit, and now He is going about calling His fist disciples.
The beloved John is eager to tell us here at this outset the ultimate revelation of Jesus’ identity as He begins His public ministry. John’s storytelling here is laden with rich Old Testament gems!
In our above passage, we are introduced to Philip and Nathaniel. Philip had just become a new follower of this Rabbi who was named The Lamb of God. Philip in his zeal went and told his friend Nathaniel about this Messiah of the Prophets (v45), this one who was from Nazareth.
In Nathaniel’s response we are shown the common sentiment that people from that region had toward those from Nazareth: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” This retort shows the general scorn and contempt held toward the people of the Nazareth village. Many believe that this was because Nazareth was a poor locality having residents who were of low social and economic status. It was looked down upon as the “other side of the tracks”. It’s where the poor, uneducated, and underprivileged lived. And this is where Jesus came from!
John wants us to see the scorn of this beloved Son of God here at the outset. Jesus was the “despised and rejected” One (Isaiah 53:3) who hails from the despised and rejected ones of this earth, even from a ghetto as lowly as Nazareth!
It is this despised One that Nathaniel greets with his scorn-filled epithet. But is exactly here in the story that something astonishing happens! We are told that that Philip and Nathaniel went to find Jesus and that when Jesus saw them approaching, He spoke this responding epithet toward the scorning Nathaniel:
“Behold, and Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit.” (v 47)
What a scandalous grace-filled reversal! Jesus is shown here to be the One who forgives and blesses others, in the face of their ugly spite and scorn for Himself. Further, Jesus is declaring something very blessed about Nathaniel and something very powerful about Himself.
The astonishment of this unfolds as the dialogue continues. Nathaniel responds to Jesus stunning epithet of grace with a bewildered question, “How do you know me?” (v48).
Jesus’ breathtaking response sends Nathaniel reeling: “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
Nathaniel’s explosive doxological reply to Jesus in the next verse (v49) reveals the hidden gem of what John is showing us here about Jesus.
Jesus told Nathaniel that He “saw” him under the fig tree. And Nathaniel knew immediately that Jesus was telling the truth. The complete picture of what John wants us to see here is found in Jesus’ epithet toward Nathaniel as being an Israelite in who is no deceit. You see, Jesus was quoting a direct verse from Psalm 32, verse 2. This is the famous song of David that was later quoted by Paul (Romans 4:6-8) in his masterful presentation of Gospel grace and God’s imputed righteousness. But here, Jesus was intentionally calling Nathaniel and Israelite! Not a Jacob who was full of deceit and usurpation! But an Israelite in whom there was NO deceit, NO Jacob. This intentional allusion to the “new name” of Genesis 32:27-28 shows us that Nathaniel was indeed wrestling with God for a blessing in confessional prayer.
It is here in Jesus’ declaration of imputed righteousness that Nathaniel knows Jesus to be the Yahweh figure of Psalm 32! You see, Jesus saw Nathaniel “under the fig tree”. This is further imagery of a place of confessional prayer. The fig tree is often a symbol of man’s satanic rebellion from God (Genesis 3:7; Hosea 9:10; Nahum 3:12; Matthew 18:18-19). And John wants us to understand that Nathaniel’s seated place under the fig tree was the place where he was privately pouring out his confession of sin to God earlier in the day. Nathaniel was all alone in that place of Adamic imagery (Genesis 3:7-8) hiding, as it were, under his fig-tree coverings acknowledging his sin to God. He was on the ground, like Jacob of old, wrestling with God for a blessing in the face of his own Jacob-like deceit.
Further, it seems clear from the context of the narrative that Nathaniel was confessing his sins while specifically meditating on and praying the words of Psalm 32.
It is as this point that John shows Jesus to be the Yahweh figure of Psalm 32 who saw and heard Nathaniel while he was pouring out his heart under the fig tree. Jesus declares to Nathaniel the forgiveness and righteousness that he was petitioning for in first two verses of the Psalm! John’s astonishing revelation shows us that Jesus is the divine Son God who, with God the Father, receives our prayers of confession and forgives our sins!
Nathaniel’s exulting reply confirms this to be true, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God” You are the King of Israel!” Nathaniel understood that the One who saw him and heard him was none other than the Divine Son, the promised Messiah ben David. This lowly One of Nazareth was the promised Davidic King who confirmed His own identity through the blessed Davidic Psalm. Jesus, the Davidic Messiah of God, saw, heard, received, and forgave Nathaniel!
Jesus further confirms His own identity to the astonished Nathaniel as the cloud rider, the Son of Man figure of the Prophets who is presented to the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:13-14), whose everlasting kingdom never ends (v 51).
Now, my dearest reader, this glorious Son who never changes, still hears the prayers of the humble and contrite today. And His answer to us is still the same! “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Stunning. Outrageous. Grace! Even in the face of our scorn and despising of His divine blessedness. Even when our “strength dries up” (Psalm 32:3-4) and we hide in our fig-leaf coverings. In that very place, He listens, He hears.
Dear reader be greatly encouraged by the unsearchable riches of God’s grace toward us in Christ Jesus our Lord. The blessedness of the forgiven one of Psalm 32 extends to unimaginable heights. This person is declared by Yahweh to be double blessed, forgiven, covered, not counted against/condemned, declared Godly, hidden in God, preserved from trouble, surrounded with shouts of deliverance, instructed and taught, counseled, surrounded by steadfast love, righteous, and upright in heart!
Oh dear saint, cling to this lowly Jesus of Nazareth! For He still receives lowly sinners and blesses them. He who was lowly, despised, and rejected was weak like we are. He made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Crucified for sinners – The Lamb of God! This Word-made-flesh is able to sympathize with our weaknesses in every respect. He ever lives to intercede for us. This glorious Son of Man is our merciful and faithful High Priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for our sins!
This Jesus of Nazareth is our crucified, risen, and exalted Lord and Saviour. Our anointed Davidic King. The Holy One of God. The same Yahweh of Psalm 32 who still sees, hears, and answers His people with endless grace upon grace!
Seek Him always! Amen.
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