I have read this passage in John 1 often and until recently I was rather puzzled by this detailed interaction between Jesus and Nathanael, of whom after this we hear precious little in the rest of the gospel, especially compared to the other disciples that we’ve just met in this chapter, Simon Peter, Andrew, and Philip. But there’s nothing recorded in the Bible without a definite purpose, so I asked God to show me why this was here, and He graciously opened my heart to something beautiful, which I want to share with you.

First, read this chapter through in its entirety to get the context; you can do so online here. In verse 43 we’re told that Jesus, who has recently been baptised and is gathering His disciples to Himself, calls Philip, who seemingly immediately goes to find his friend Nathanael and tells him that he has found the Messiah – “Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote -” and Philip identifies Jesus as “Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph”. The way Philip describes Jesus tells me that he and Nathanael knew the scriptures really well; they were eager students of the law and the prophets and they understood that the Prophet Moses had spoke of in Deuteronomy 18 was the Messiah, as well as countless references in the prophets – such as Isaiah and Malachi. They were actively looking for the coming of Messiah, and after 400 years without prophets, John the Baptist suddenly appears on the scene, causing such a to-do among the people that the Pharisees, the corrupt and controlling religious authorities of the day, have to investigate (see earlier in the same chapter!). Philip and Nathanael must have been praying and seeking God to show them whether they were about to see the promised One…so when Philip is called by Jesus, he recognises Him straight away. There’s a lot to be said for knowing the Scriptures for yourself, and reading and believing prophecy…if you’re not seeking the truth, you will be much less likely to recognise it when it appears in front of you. No-one can do this for you; you have to take God at His word and seek Him.

Something of the early conversation between Jesus and Philip (and presumably Simon Peter and Andrew as well!) can be deduced from Philip’s subsequent identification – they have clearly asked Jesus about His lineage and His place of origin as part of investigating the huge claims about Him made by John the Baptist (and remember, this all takes place in Galilee, the same region in which Nazareth is located), so Philip tells Nathanael this information. Philip is a new believer, and in his sheer excitement to tell Nathanael, he gives him accurate information from a purely human standpoint, but doesn’t yet have all the dots joined with the ancient scriptures, which explains Nathanael’s response:

“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

– verse 46

This may sound terribly derogatory, but Nathanael is right, from a prophetic standpoint, nothing significant comes out of Nazareth – the Messiah, the Anointed One, the One whose origins are from everlasting, is to be born in Bethlehem of Judah (quite a long way south of Galilee), as the scribes accurately told the Magi and Herod in Matthew 2. Nathanael wasn’t reacting in unbelief – or else Jesus would surely have called him out on it, as He did many times to others – he was skeptical of Philip’s claim until he had been able to work it out. He didn’t just believe the first thing that his excited friend told him. As for Philip, his response to Nathanael is golden:

“Come and see.”

– verse 46

Every believer can learn from this – human arguments and clever answers and long debates and intellectual scholarship will only ever go so far…what we must prioritise is calling people to come and see for themselves – to come and meet Jesus, and to introduce them to the One we are so excited about and love so well. And for unbelievers, those with a healthy skepticism, this is what you need to do if you really want to investigate the claims of Jesus and what that might mean for you…you need to meet Him for yourself. Notice too, that Philip says COME and see, not GO – he’s inviting Nathanael to walk alongside him and to journey with him; a beautiful picture of what it means to lead someone to the Lord or disciple them in the faith, however new or mature you are in the faith yourself, you’re always learning and will always learn from and alongside others as we get to know the Lord.

So Nathanael shows willing and humility, and goes along with Philip to meet Jesus. As they approach, Jesus offers this greeting:

“Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”

– verse 47

This is isn’t a rebuke or a sarcastic comment – this is a warm, admiring commendation from the One who perceives and knows what goes on in our hearts and minds, and knows our intentions, our motives, and our weaknesses. He saw Nathanael’s heart, knew his desire for truth and praised him for it. Nathanael is surprised, and humbly asks the Lord how He knows him, having never met Him before. Again, this is not a cynical, eyes-narrowed, suspicious question, but rather an open, trusting enquiry, like Mary’s to Gabriel when she was told she would be the mother of the Messiah. Jesus responds to Nathanael’s question the way God always responds to a humble heart; with compassion and reassurance; He saw Nathanael, He perceived him, He knew about him and his exact situation – sitting under the fig tree. Nathanael’s response is immediate faith – only God has the attributes of foreknowledge and omniscience, and Nathanael recognises Jesus for who He is and confesses Him as God and the rightful King of Israel. A similar immediate confession is Thomas, unfairly known to history as Doubting Thomas, who upon seeing the evidence in front of him, falls down on his knees and confesses Jesus as “My Lord and my God” – the only rightful response for a heart of seeking faith. Interestingly for this passage, Nathanael’s response proves that ancient Jewish thought and rabbinical tradition taught that Messiah would be divine…but that’s for another discussion.

So why the fig tree? Scripture is very specific, and when it’s specific, there’s a specific reason for that particular detail. Well, the fig tree denotes Israel – ancient, national Israel – in prophecy, and is highly symbolic of God’s covenant with the nation of Israel. So Nathanael is a son of Israel, committed to the law and the prophets, God’s ketubah with the nation He chose as His inheritance and His betrothed, and sitting under the fig tree seems to me to be a picture of sitting under the tutelage of the law and the Hebrew Scriptures, which as Paul says in Galatians, is our tutor to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). We can’t fully understand the depth and breadth of who Jesus is without the law and the prophets, and they in turn reveal Him in all His glory to anyone who is truly looking. Read Isaiah and you’ll see Him on almost every page! Matthew Henry also notes in his commentary on John 1 that Nathanael sitting under the fig tree is like Isaac meditating out in the field in Genesis 24:63 – it was a place of private communion with God, a place of prayer, and solitude, and showed Nathanael’s personal integrity and commitment to his relationship with God…what a beautiful picture that is! We are promised that one day, in the Messianic kingdom, that everyone will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and that people will invite their neighbours to sit in peace under their fig tree, indicating that this is a special place, a place of blessing and fellowship and of peace. (See Zechariah 3:10 and Micah 4:4). What an amazing promise!

So lastly, Jesus then promises Nathanael and the other disciples a vision of the second coming of the Messiah – His coming in power and great glory, when every eye will see Him in the very same splendour and majesty that He humbly set aside to come and meet them in that moment there in Galilee 2,000 years ago. It’s a validation if you like, a commendation and confirmation for Nathanael and Philip for their hours of study of the prophets, as they would have instantly recognised the vision as one given to the prophet Daniel, and it was also a great promise, clearly speaking of Messiah in the future tense, pointing them – and us – forward to what He would accomplish. This is still our Hope today, and until that glorious day, we too should be seeking Jesus, seeking the truth, coming to meet Him for ourselves, and inviting others to do the same. I’m really looking forward to meeting Nathanael and Philip one day soon, and I cannot wait to meet Jesus in the flesh and to worship Him with the words of both Thomas and Nathanael: “My Lord and my God – you are the Son of God and the King of Israel!”.