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Bible Study, John Chapter 1 Verses 46-51

John 1:46 – And Nathanael said unto Him, can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.  

Nazareth was despised by the Jews because a Roman army garrison was located there.When Nathanael heard that the Messiah was from Nazareth, he was surprised, Philips reply to his comment was “Come and see”.

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Fortunately, Nathanael went to meet Jesus and became a disciple. If he had acted on his prejudice without investigating it further, he would have lost the opportunity to receive salvation at that moment. God is concerned about His people’s salvation although they may reject His Son, He will continue to pull and draw them to Him so that they may receive salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ (No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day – John 6:44). When God draws the heart of someone, they are prepared to receive His Son gladly. If a person wants to know who God is and what is the truth, all they have to do with the sincerity of heart, ask Him to reveal Himself to them, and He will.

John 1:47 – Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! 

In his younger life Jacob, the first Israelite was cunning, scheming fellow and full of deceit. Nathanael was an Israelite, descendant of Jacob, but he was genuine and sincere. This is a good example for us to not judge a person by who their relatives are. They may have drunks, drug pusher and drug addicts for relatives, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t sincere of their Christianity.

John 1:48- Nathanael saith unto Him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou was under the fig tree, I saw thee. 

Under the fig tree in the Old Testament was an expression often suggested being safe and at leisure. Nathanael may have been meditating under the tree. Jesus knew about Nathanael before the two met. “I saw you” Jesus was manifesting His supernatural knowledge.

John 1:49 – Nathanael answered and saith unto Him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

Jesus’ foreknowledge of Nathanael convinced him since Jesus had such knowledge of him, He had to be the Son of God, and the King of Israel. Nathanael’s life consisted of godliness not just when he was around his friends or priest, but when he was alone, he acknowledge God and His Word, and he knew no one else would know that but the Son of God, and since He was the Son of God, according to Old Testament prophecy, He would be King of Israel.

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John 1:50 – Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believeth thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. 

Jesus assured Nathanael that he would see even greater supernatural manifestation in the future. Like Nathanael, if we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, then we would also see the manifestation of His power in our lives. Jesus came to do more than just give us salvation, but an entrance to supernatural power being manifested in and through us to the world. He came to set the captive free in every area of our life and being, but we must believe what He says and receive what He says.

John 1:51 – And He saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.  

This statement could have mean there will be communication between heaven and earth. In this passage the angels were ascending first, then descending, could be reference to prayers sent heavenward and then their descending, delivering the answered prayers.

At Jesus’s ascension when heaven opened to receive Him, the angels  ascended and descended in the sight of His disciples. Jesus’s ascension was the great proof of His mission, and much confirmed the faith of His disciples.

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