September 12th
See
John 1:45-51
45Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied. 47
As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.” 48“How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.” 49Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!”
50Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” 51Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.”
I’ve highlighted the “vision” words in our text because John wants us to see something.
The skeptical disciple, Nathaniel, was not expecting much as he and Philip made their way to Jesus. After all, Nazareth was viewed with disdain in Jesus’ day…it was a “backwater” town – small, poor, of no significance. It tells us that his expectation of the Messiah was that he would be a SOMEBODY, from SOMEPLACE.
He needed his eyes to be opened. He needed his vision corrected. Nathaniel needed to see Jesus as he was, not as he expected him to be. And coming to Jesus – he saw.
What verse 51 is describing is a picture of Jesus as redeemer, as the one who connects heaven and earth, that is, God and man.
Coming to Jesus opens our eyes. Oh, I know we can physically see. But apart from Jesus we cannot see the “greater things,” the greatest things…God at work in Jesus.
Trust the Spirit today to show you where and how God is present and at work in your life. It may be a word, a circumstance, a thought. And it may be just a glimpse. But He wants you to see it…be looking.
