Under The Fig Tree
November 3, 2021·Jordan Fehlen
John 1:43-51
If you’re following along in our Pause Bible reading plan, this week we come across a moment in John 1 between Jesus and a guy named Nathanael… Or, “my boy Nate.”
Jesus shows up on the scene and starts calling and inviting really normal people, like you and me, to follow Him. And they do. Philip and Andrew and Peter — they drop everything, no questions asked, and begin following Jesus… And then we meet Nathanael.
You see, Nate’s not like the other disciples. He doesn’t immediately drop everything. He has a few things to sort out before he’s all in for Jesus. A couple things need to happen in his heart before he’s ready to drop everything and follow Jesus.
And Jesus is perfectly OK with that… Jesus meets Nate right where he’s at.
Maybe you’re like me, and you resonate or identify with Nathanael. I want to propose today that the encounter Nathanael has with Jesus is the same encounter Jesus wants to have with you.
Let’s pick up the story in verse 45, “Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, the one the prophets wrote about — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’”
We found our guy! Jesus — He’s the one we’ve all been waiting for.
And in verse 46, Nathanael gives his response: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”
And Philip says… Don’t believe me? “Come and see.”
In verse 47 — “When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, ‘Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.’”
Basically, Jesus shouts to Nathanael… “This is the kind of person we should all want to be like.”
Nathanael responds, “How do you know me?”
New phone, who dis…
Nathanael’s like… I’m not so sure about this Jesus guy. He’s from a sketchy part of town.
Nate is wrestling with doubt and skepticism… and one sentence from Jesus breaks through all of it.
Verse 48 — Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree, before Philip called you.”
And our boy Nate says, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.”
Two things for you and me today:
- Maybe you feel like Nate or have someone in your life that reminds you of Nate. Maybe you’ve got questions, doubts, not quite ready to go all in with Jesus… Philip’s words are for you. Come and See.
Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Come and see how good Jesus is.
You can’t always think your way out of being stuck… Sometimes you just have to show up and have an encounter with God’s presence that changes everything. Come and See.
Following Jesus is not an intellectual exercise or about arranging your mental furniture in the correct way — beliefs are important, but not the whole deal. Jesus invites you and me into a way of life. An experience. Come and See. Come experience how good Jesus is.
- Secondly, know that Jesus sees you right where you’re at. You see, in Jesus’ day, fig trees are where you went to pray and think. It was a private place you could go to figure things out. And Jesus says to Nathanael… I’ve seen you there. I know you’re wrestling with things, and that’s OK.
Maybe you needed to hear this today… that Jesus sees you right where you are. Those moments of pain, struggle, fear, anxiety, doubt, uncertainty… Jesus sees you.
May you, like our friend Nate, encounter the Jesus that sees you right where you are and says… Come and follow Me.
Pastor Jordan Fehlen
