I Saw You
The “Red-Letter” Words of Jesus
Day Nine
Nathanael
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.” Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son
of God! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do
you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to
him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall
see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of
Man.” John
1:48-51 (NKJV)
During
Biblical times, sitting under a fig tree wasn’t incidental. It was a deliberate
act for several reasons. Fig trees have branches which spread wide and are low
to the ground providing excellent shade. The shade would have brought relief during
the heat of the afternoon. Friends and families liked to eat and fellowship
under its branches. It provided isolation for folks who desired to study and
contemplate scripture. That’s where Nathanael was sitting when Philip told him he
had found the Messiah.
We
don’t know why Nathanael sat under the fig tree but we do know that even before
Philip called him to “Come and see,” Jesus saw him there. Since Jesus gave
reference to the heavens being opened where angels of God were ascending and
descending, maybe Nathanael was meditating about when Jacob experienced that
very thing (Genesis 28:10-16). Perhaps those verses stirred a longing within
him.
In other words, Jesus
didn’t just see Nathanael physically. He really saw him. Deep within. As
a result, Jesus’ omniscient revelation of Nathanael’s desires convinced him he was
standing in the presence of the Son God.
He
sees you too. He sees the intent of your heart. He knows the longing of your
soul for more of Him. He understands your desire for intimacy with Him. Even
before you came to Him, He knew these things were within you. Just like
Nathanael, you can declare in amazement, “You are the Son of God! You are
the King of Israel!”
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