43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. So Nathanael is the son of Tolmai, or Nathanael Bar-Tolmei. But Phillip is the first disciple whom Jesus physically sought out, as well as the first one to whom Jesus actually said, "follow me". As Jesus predicted in John 1:51, they were present at the ascension of Jesus and saw heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. They were able to observe first-hand that Jesus is the bridge between earth and heaven. Phillip had to get beyond human limitation. He opens up heaven for us. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. And they both probably had an earnest desire to see the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. When hes not writing stories and defending biblical truth, Joel is committed to helping young men find purpose in Christ and become fearless disciples and bold leaders in their homes, in the church, and in the world. Some scholars speculate that Philip may have also been a disciple of John the Baptist, since: Before Jesus famously fed the crowd of more than 5,000 people, he decided to test Philip: When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat? He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. These men were part of Jesus' inner group. He had found the messiah. Jesus questioned Philip about how they would feed the large multitude at the Sea of Galilee. Phillip was good at finding ways to get out of doing things? In fact, the only time Nathanael is featured is in John 1 when he is first called to follow Jesus, and John 21:2, where he is mentioned along with those who returned to Galilee to go fishing with Peter after the resurrection. Theres really not much we can say about Philip without speculating. Our Lord uses us as his instruments to invite others, so that they can hear Christs call to faith and discipleship. Jesus honored Andrews faith by multiplying and feeding 5000. He knew that he had longed to know God, sitting alone under the fig tree to study His Word. Jesus calls us, even as he called Philip. Their branches are low and spread as far as 25 for 30 feet. Thats why we invite people. Nathanael means "gift of God." El, e-l, is the name of God. Phillip was pessimistic, narrowly focused, and obsessed with identifying the reason that things can't be done. Salem Media Group. The first thing he does is to find Nathanael and tell him what happened. The Philip we call the Evangelist or the Deacon is first mentioned in Acts 6 when the church selects seven people to distribute food. He was so engrossed in his commonsense calculation, that he couldn't see an opportunity for the supernatural. It says in John 21:2 that Nathanael was from Cana not Bethsaida. He reappears (as "Nathanael of Cana") at the end of John's Gospel, as one of the disciples to whom Jesus appeared at the Sea of Galilee after the Resurrection. From Philips perspective, this was a great discovery, and in his excitement he expresses it the best way he knows how: We have found him, the Messiah.. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. Philip died sometime in the first century, possibly around 80 AD. Of course, this was not a racial or ethnic prejudice, as many Jews would have had for the Gentiles or, as we see from the disciples later in the gospels, the Samaritans. . Not only had he introduced his brother Nathanael to Jesus, but when Gentiles came inquiring, he and Andrew went to Jesus for and answer. Despite his flaws, if there was one thing Nathanael wasnt, it was a hypocrite. You would have no meaning, no purpose in life. Philip was one of those people who could do math and his head. This suggests that both Phillip and Nathaniel knew the Old Testament prophecy. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. It wouldnt taken long for him to get past his prejudice and acknowledge Jesus for who He really was. Jesus finding you and saving you and leading you day by day, all the way into eternal lifethis is what life is all about. He didn't know what to do. Nathaniel got right away. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. Whether Philips statement was foolish or simply bold, it gave Jesus another opportunity to directly assert his divinity, and help us understand his relationship to the Father. Trees were planted around houses to keep them cool and shaded. by Ryan Nelson | Jun 10, 2019 | Bible characters | 2 comments, Philip the Apostle was one of the 12 main disciples of Jesus Christ. The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee and He found Philip and said to him, Follow Me. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Well, Nathanaels initial objection is overcome by Philips pleasant persistence and his clear invitation. Philip said to him, "Come and see." John 21:1-6. Prejudice effectively causes people to remain cut off from the gospel. Likewise, Philip, when Jesus called him, went to his brother Nathanael and said, We have found Him (meaning the Messiah foretold by Moses and the prophets). So if you wanted to escape the noise and the stifling atmosphere the house, you could go outside and rest under the fig tree. Nathaniel was prejudice. Phillip was the first one to hear those words and obey them. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. John seems more interested in telling us who said what, and using Philips answer to set up Jesus miracle. The Nathaniel was skeptical. Come and see. Like we sang earlier: Love that found mewondrous thought! This site uses cookies to analyze traffic and ensure you get the best experience. He saw numerous demonstrations of Jesus divinity. He did things by the book, and was practical minded. Matthews? By and large he didn't see the whole picture, or the end of the road. That's all we know about Nathaniel. And when they come, what they will find here is Jesus giving out his gifts. He knew their hearts. Peter and Andrew were early followers of John the Baptist. It was a kind of private outdoor space -- perfect for meditation, reflection, and solitude. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? This question may have been precipitated by the lack of culture, unpolished speech and moral laxity sometimes attributed to Nazareth. Prejudice cuts a lot of people off from the truth. Its possible that they knew him personally, or perhaps he spoke Greek better than the other disciples (he did have a Greek name after all). The bad. But the Gospel of John and the early church fill in some blanks and help us understand a little more about who he was. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. Prejudice is feeling base. Well, Phillip has my job. Rather, Nathanael had developed a regional prejudice and bias against those from a nearby town, perhaps in the same way crosstown rivals might deride each other, or residents of Los Angeles and San Francisco might disparage each other. He said we have found him. Apostles Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew . Can anything good come from there?(I) Nathanael asked. The cross of Christ is our Jacobs ladder. Fun fact: Johns desire to tell us who said what is the reason Thomas got stuck with the infamous moniker, Doubting Thomas. For some reason Practical Philip didnt catch on, though. Nathanael would be an Apostle, too. Just like he finds us. 45 Philip found Nathaniel and told him, We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wroteJesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.. Why did Jesus single Phillip out? . Jews in Jesus day looked down on the Galilean's. Matthew, Mark, and Luke give us no details about Nathaniel's background, character, or personality. That's group two. If anything will put some excitement and joy into your life, this will. Sure his mind was tainted by prejudice, but his heart was pure. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. get to know the Bible better! Yeshua in its Aramaic form. These men were called the 12 Disciples. That being said, we know Nathanael went on to play an important role in the formation of the early church, taking the gospel to the ends of the earth, as Jesus had commissioned His disciples to do before His ascension (Matthew 28:19-20). Thats how it went with Philip and Nathanael. Jesus is quickening faith in his heart. Jesus was the son of a carpenter, unknown name, from a town that didn't have any connection to prophecy. Though not much is known about Nathanaels background or personality, the apostle is revealed in the gospels to be an honest, insightful, and faithful servant of Jesus Christ and student of the Old Testament. While hanging there, Philip preached, and the crowd was moved to release them. In this instance, Nathanaels prejudice was confronted with the obvious, observable, and undeniable truth of who Jesus was. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wroteJesus 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 1:43-46 [Read John 1: 43-51], Philip and Nathanael were brothers as were Andrew and Peter. Nathanael was from Cana in Galilee ( John 21:2) and was brought to Jesus by his friend, Philip, who also became one of Jesus' disciples. Phillip had the heart of an evangelist. We need to take a little rabbit trail here in so that you can get the scope of his prejudice. The Apostle Philip is only mentioned a handful of times in the New Testamentseven times in the gospels and once in Acts. Either that or because he was the administrator of the group. After this, Nathanael would return with the remaining apostles to the upper room in Jerusalem, joining with them in prayer as they selected Matthias as a replacement for Judas Iscariot, who had recently hung himself (Acts 1:12-26). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Phillip had a lack of vision. Peoples ears are closed to the gospel by many kinds of prejudice. Like the Apostle Thomas, Philips only significant mentions come in the Gospel of John (and theyre still not that significant). And yet James was the first to die, and John was the last. He knew who look for. 48 How do you know me? Nathaniel asked. So quite possibly, if Phillip had introduced the Greeks to Jesus, he might have been breaking a rule. He seeks us out, even when we were not looking for him. Come and see, said Philip. John 1:4346. Sir, they said, we would like to see Jesus.. They probably came to hear John the Baptist together. And this business about the angels of God ascending and descending? Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. They didn't believe that messiah could come out of Nazareth. He loved God with a pure heart and desired to see the messiah. Furthermore, both Philip and Nathanael had studied the Word of God on their own. And like the other apostles, Nathaniel stands to prove that God can use anyone, from any place, provided he has an open heart to build his kingdom. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Follow me. Hear the authority in his voice. Ive already said that Phillip was a student of the Old Testament. When Jesus spoke out against the religious establishment in Jerusalem, the religious leaders just chalked that up to his coming from lowly Nazareth. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And Jacob called that place Beth-El, the house of God, the gate of heaven. Can anything good come from there? Nathanael asked. As common tradesmen (possibly fishermen), their study of the Old Testament would have been something they had undertaken as both a hobby and a passion, not a profession. Barley is cheaper, so with one denari we could buy 20 barley biscuits, and if we get the small ones, and break them in half no it simply cannot be done. Of course. However Nathaniel was not impressed at first glance with Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Wait There Were How Many Herods?! Change). Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. I want you to notice the expression Phillip used when he told Nathaniel about Jesus. Bartholomew is a Hebrew surname meaning "son of Tolmai.". (1) St John, who twice mentions the name of Nathanael, never mentions that of Bartholomew; (2) the three Synoptists mention Bartholomew but not Nathanael. In both stories, the character of Philip (who in The Chosen is a disciple of John the Baptist) plays an important role as a kind of mentor/counselor, inviting Nathanael and Matthew to come and see the paradoxical Outside-In logic of the Kingdom of God and the meaningful role they can play in following the call of Jesus. But we can assume that their commitment to Jesus was complete and that their lives counted in the spread of the gospel and the establishment of the church.Prayer. In all likelihood they probably studied scripture together. After Jesus calls Peter, Andrew, James, and John, he finds Philip: The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Eusebius also quotes Polycrates of Ephesus, a bishop who lived during the second century, as saying: For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on the last day, at the coming of the Lord, when he shall come with glory from heaven and shall seek out all the saints. We create research-based articles and handy infographics to help people understand the Bible. You would be lost and helpless and hopeless, headed to hell. He went and found someone he could share his joy with. Nathaniel who came from an even lowlier village was simply echoing the sentiments of the Jewish establishment when he expressed his contempt for Nazareth. Those are all good. But that was Philips spiritual side. Nathanael is a boy's name of Hebrew origin that means "God has given." In the Bible, Nathanael came from Cana in Galilee and was an early follower of Jesus. He gives me meaning and purpose and hope in life. But ultimately, above all, when we talk about our church, we want to talk about the one who is the very heart and center of our church, the churchs whole reason for existence. You will see greater things than that. 51He then added, Very truly I tell you,[b] you[c] will see heaven open,(O) and the angels of God ascending and descending(P) on[d] the Son of Man.(Q). . The one who died for me and rose again, that I might live. It bothered them that the messiah and all his apostles came from Galilee. This was one Jesus could transform and equip for His glory. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? Nathanael, also referred to as Bartholomew in the gospels, was one of Jesus original twelve disciples. They were fisherman and worked alongside James and John. The Lord Jesus Christ is here in his church, where his gospel is preached, his word is taught, and his life-giving sacraments are administered. Let me just say a little about his name while you're turning there. According to John, Nathaniel came from the small town of Cana in Galilee, the place where Jesus did his first miracle. . Stromata. Moses: The Old Testaments Greatest Prophet, Two of Johns disciples followed Jesus (John 1:3537), The Bible only tells us that one was Andrew (John 1:40), The encounters seem to happen in the same location, Jesus may have been actively looking for Philip. Phillip was already in the presence of the living and eternal God. As we discussed earlier, these Greeks may have come to Philip because they knew him, or simply because he had a Greek name and spoke Greek the best. The Holy Gospel for today, from John 1, takes place very early in Jesus ministry, when he was first gathering his disciples. Its the story of Philip and Nathanael: A Story of Witnessing. Now today let their story become your story also. If you remember back to our study of Peter, Jesus didn't actually say follow me to Peter until the end of his earthly ministry (John 21:19) after his failure on the night of Jesus the trail. Again let me say that it is probable that they were all friends or co-workers. In the synoptic gospels, the writers simply tell us these exchanges took place between Jesus and the disciples, and the dialogue cuts to the chase a little more. That's why Jesus asked Phillip where they could buy bread. Come on along! Or I know that you praise me all the way to work, 49 Then Nathaniel declared, Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.. The one who gives me eternal life as a free gift. After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. If we stretched the metaphor, we might consider it to be the wrong side of the tracks. In fact much of Israel rejected their messiah because of their prejudice. Phillip doesn't like maybes. He'd rather have a yes or no answer. Does that have to do with Martin Luther King? Church? His Greek name is Bartholomew. To be a leader, you have to have a sense of vision. If you are traveling from the Mediterranean to Galilee you would pass through Nazareth. But there are several reasons why for centuries, many Christians have believed they were. Nathanael is the Hebrew of the Greek word Theodorus, God's gift. Now, let's go on and look at group two, and we're going to cover two of them this time, and two of them next time. One of the first things we learn about Philip in the Gospel of John is that like Simon Peter and Andrew, he comes from Bethsaida, a town by the Sea of Galilee (John 1:44). One record says he died of natural causes. As a man, in the flesh, Jesus takes our place, both in keeping Gods law and in taking the laws punishment on sinners. After Jesus tells the disciples hes preparing a place for them and that they know where hes going, Thomas asks, How can we know the way if we dont know where youre going?, Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. Yes, the Lord just may use our mouth to do the inviting! The remaining disciples were called at another time. Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. He is speaking to you today. Isn't that just like us? Though flawed, Nathanael was as honest and sincere as they come, and for his eagerness and willingness to embrace Jesus as his lord and king, Christ performed a mighty work in his life, taking an ordinary man and turning him into an outspoken leader and pillar of His church. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Knowing Nathanaels heart, Jesus greeted His would-be disciple, not with chastisement or contempt, but rather, with a remarkable compliment of his character. 46 Nazareth! Some traditions tell of Nathanael being flayed alive in Armenia. Bartholomew = son of Tolmai, probably to be identified with Nathanael. Philip preached the Faith in Greece and he was martyred at Hierapolis in Persia in the year 62. Like many in Israel, this was something (or someone) they were eagerly waiting and even searching for. And so Nathan-el, Nathanael is a gift of God. First is verse 3: "Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector.". Indeed, in the Sacrament of the Altar, heaven and earth come together. And here's Nathaniel meeting Jesus for the first time and Jesus says this about him. 43The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Well, thats what happens now in Jesus. 48How do you know me? Nathanael asked. This comment has been removed by the author. Notice, by the way, Philip says, We have found him, even though in reality its the other way around. You know what life is all about. No one ever passed through Cana. Nathanael was willing to leave both job and long-held religious beliefs and follow Jesus. If we look at that phrase in the Greek, its translated as truly, genuine Israelite. Think of it this way: Think of where you would be without Jesus. But rather than just being casual readers, Philip and Nathanael had become passionate about the Word of God, even developing an interest in the prophecies of the promised Messiah.