The 12 men who uniquely lived and labored with Jesus of Nazareth for the duration of his 42-month public ministry are the subjects of this series on the Apostles.
They were holy men, yet not hallowed. They were good and godly men, yet men of passions and prejudices as men of today are.
They were convinced by and committed to the words and works of Jesus the Messiah.
They ultimately paid the supreme price for their faith and following of Jesus by dying a martyr’s death.
Of some of them, much us written; and of some, very little.
They were, for the most part, called one by one and sent out two by two.
They came from varying walks of life. And, though they possessed wide-ranging differences, one characteristic was common to all—they were to a man (with one exception) driven by devotion to Jesus Christ—a devotion that made them capable of any sacrifice.
They became the foundation of the Church that Jesus built and is building, Himself being the chief cornerstone.
Their messages and their ministries continue to touch lives world-wide today. When we study the Apostles, we learn not only of them but also of ourselves. We often see ourselves in them—their weaknesses are ours; their desires are ours, their faith and their frailties, most of us can easily identify with.
As we continue this study, our subject in this installment is a man introduced in John’s Gospel, chapter 1, verse 45:
- His Identity
► Nathanael, “gift of God.” He was from Cana in Galilee.
► Nathanael was his common name; Bartholomew was a patronym. He was a son of Tolmai. (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14, John 21:2)
- His Introduction
► He was sought and found by Philip, his friend, John 1:45. (Andrew found Peter; Jesus found Philip; Philip found Nathanael)
► He was a serious student of Scriptures, having read and studied the Law.
• Gen. 3:15: the “protoevangelium.”
• Gen. 49:10: “The sceptre shall not depart out of Judah….”
• Num. 24:17: “I shall see Him…I shall behold Him…a star out of Jacob….”
► He had studied the prophets and examined the Messianic prophecies
• Re: His virgin birth, 7:14; 9:6ff.
• Re: The time of His birth, Daniel 9:27
• Re: The place of His birth, Micah 5:2
• Re: The tribe from which He would come, Matt. 1:2ff.
►He was a sincere seeker, John 1:46-49
• Philip’s declaration indicates that they had been looking for the Messiah to come
• Nathanael’s question, v. 46, is out of sincerity not contempt. He was from Galilee himself, and Jews generally had a low view of Galilee. Common saying: “If any man would be rich, let him go to Galilee; if any would be wise, let him go to Jerusalem.”
• Nazareth was looked down upon because a Roman outpost was there; it was a notorious citadel of unbelief, Matt. 13:58.
- His Meeting with Jesus
► What Jesus said about Nathanael
• He was a true Israelite (John 1:47; cf. Romans 2:28)
• He was guileless, i.e. sincere, honest, transparent
• It was said also of Jesus, “Neither was any guile found in His mouth.” (I Pt.2:22)
(See Psalm 15 for a divine description of a guileless person)
► What Nathanael said to Jesus, John 1:48,49
• He called Him “Rabbi.”
• He said He was “the Son of God.”
• He acknowledged He was the King of Israel. His search was over, His quest was completed; His thirst was quenched!
► What Jesus Promised to Nathanael: “Greater things than these….”
• “Son of God,” v. 49—The rest of John’s Gospel would prove that in the “greater things” that are enumerated in his gospel (John 20:30,31)
• “Son of Man,” v. 51—Jesus reveals that He was also the Son of Man
- Things learned from studying Nathanael
• As God knew Nathanael (before Nathanael met Jesus), so He knew each of us before we met Him.
• With God, an interrogation can at once become a declaration:
“Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”; “Thou are the Son of God, Thou art the King of Israel.” (John 1:46,49)
• Seeking faith will not be unrewarded, John 1:45.
• Jesus can find you and will accept you where you are just now.
“Nathanael answered and saith unto Him, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel.” (John 1:49)
YOU and GOD 