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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - John 1:43 - 1:51
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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joh_1:43-51
43The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, "Follow Me." 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46Nathanael said to him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" 48Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49Nathanael answered Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel." 50Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 51And He said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
Joh_1:43 "The next day" John includes chronological markers throughout the Gospel (cf. Joh_1:29; Joh_1:35; Joh_1:43; Joh_2:1; etc). The general context (1) starts in Joh_1:19, which could be the first day; (2) Joh_1:29; Joh_1:35; Joh_1:43 have "the next day"; and (3) Joh_2:1 has "on the third day."
▣ "He purposed to go into" John records an early period of Jesus' ministry in Judea which is not recorded in the Synoptic Gospels. John's Gospel focuses on Jesus' ministry in Judea and particularly Jerusalem. Here, however, He wants to go to Galilee possibly for the wedding at Cana (John 2).
▣ "follow Me" This is a present active imperative. This was a rabbinical call to be a permanent disciple. The Jews had set guidelines which defined this relationship.
Joh_1:44 "Now Philip was from Bethsaida" The name of this city means "house of fishing." This was also the home of Andrew and Peter.
Joh_1:45 "Nathanael" This is a Hebrew name which means "God has given." He is not referred to by this name in the Synoptic Gospels. It is assumed by modern scholars that he is the one called "Bartholomew," but this remains only a supposition.
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▣ "the Law and also the Prophets" This refers to two of the three sections of the Hebrew canon: the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings (which was still discussed at Jamnia in a.d. 90). It was an idiom for referring to the entire Old Testament.
▣ "Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph" This must be understood in light of Jewish usage. Jesus then lived in Nazareth and the father of the home was named Joseph. This does not deny Jesus' birth at Bethlehem (cf. Mic_5:2), nor His virgin birth (cf. Isa_7:14). See the following Special Topic.
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Joh_1:46 "Nathanael said to him, 'Can any good thing come out of Nazareth'" Obviously Philip and Nathanael knew the OT prophecies; the Messiah would come out of Bethlehem (cf. Mic_5:2) near Jerusalem, not Nazareth in Galilee of the Gentiles, but Isa_9:1-7 implies this very thing!
Joh_1:47
NASB, NKJV,
NRSV "in whom there is no deceit"
TEV "there is nothing false in him"
NJB "in whom there is no deception"
This means a straightforward man with no hidden motives (cf. Psa_32:2), a true representation of the chosen people, Israel.
Joh_1:48 "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you'" Obviously Jesus used His supernatural knowledge (i.e., Joh_2:24-25; Joh_4:17-19; Joh_4:29; Joh_6:61; Joh_6:64; Joh_6:71; Joh_13:1; Joh_13:11; Joh_13:27-28; Joh_16:19; Joh_16:30; Joh_18:4) to give a sign to Nathanael that He was the Messiah.
It is difficult to understand how Jesus' deity and humanity functioned. In some texts it is uncertain whether Jesus was using "supernatural" powers or human abilities. Here the inference is "supernatural" ability.
Joh_1:49 "Nathanael answered Him, 'Rabbi, You are the Son of God. . .King of Israel'" Notice the two titles! Both have nationalistic Messianic implications (i.e., Psalms 2). These early disciples understood Jesus in first century Jewish categories. They did not fully understand His person and work as the Suffering Servant (cf. Isaiah 53) until after the resurrection.
Joh_1:51
NASB "Truly, truly, I say to you,"
NKJV "Most assuredly, I say to you,"
NRSV "Very truly, I tell you,"
TEV "I am telling you the truth"
NJB "In all truth"
Literally this is "Amen! Amen!" Jesus' doubling of this term is found only in John's Gospel, where it appears twenty-five times. "Amen" is a form of the Hebrew word for faith (emeth) which meant "to be firm" (see Special Topic at Joh_1:14). It was used in the OT as a metaphor for stability and trustworthiness. It came to be translated "faith" or "faithfulness." However, in time it came to be used of an affirmation. In this initial position in a sentence, it was a unique way of drawing attention to Jesus' significant, trustworthy statements or revelation from YHWH (cf. Joh_1:51; Joh_2:3; Joh_2:5; Joh_2:11; Joh_5:19; Joh_5:24-25; Joh_6:26; Joh_6:32; Joh_6:47; Joh_6:53; Joh_8:34; Joh_8:51; Joh_8:58; Joh_10:1; Joh_10:7; Joh_12:24; Joh_13:16; Joh_13:20-21; Joh_13:38; Joh_14:12; Joh_16:20; Joh_16:23; Joh_21:18).
Notice the change to the plural (pronoun and verb). This must have been addressed to all those standing there.
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▣ "you, you" These are both plurals. Jesus is addressing all who were standing there and, in a sense, all humanity!
▣ "the heavens opened" This phrase has an OT Theophany ring to it.
1. Ezekiel, Eze_1:1
2. Jesus, Mat_3:16; Mar_1:10; Luk_3:21
3. Stephen, Act_7:56
4. Peter, Act_10:11
5. The Second Coming, Rev_19:11
This is perfect active participle which implies they remained opened. The term "heavens" is plural because in Hebrew it is plural. This can refer to (1) the atmosphere above the earth as in Genesis 1 or (2) the very presence of God.
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▣ "the angels of God ascending and descending" This is an allusion to Jacob's experience at Bethel (cf. Gen_28:10 ff). Jesus is asserting that as God promised to provide all of Jacob's needs, God was providing all of His needs!
▣ "Son of Man" This is Jesus' self-chosen designation. It was an Hebraic phrase referring to a human being (cf. Psa_8:4; Eze_2:1). But because of its use in Dan_7:13, it took on divine qualities. This term had no nationalistic or militaristic overtones because it was not used by the rabbis. Jesus chose it because it combined the two aspects of His nature (human and divine, cf. 1Jn_4:1-3). John mentions Jesus using it for Himself thirteen times.
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