“To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is … what we need more than anything.”—Timothy Keller.
The story of Jesus meeting Nathanael is one of my favourite interactions in the bible. It demonstrates perfectly how God knows us intimately and loves us in spite of ourselves.
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.” John 1:47-51
At first glance this short discussion evokes more questions than it gives answers. What was Nathanael contemplating under the fig tree? Why did Jesus say he had seen him and found no deceit in him? Why was Jesus’s answer so gobsmacking that it caused Nathaniel to worship him as the Messiah? And, what’s the deal with the throwback to the heavenly ladder in Genesis 28?
The thread that links them all together is Jacob—the father of the nation of Israel. Early in his life he was a deceiver (his name meant ‘supplanter’), who cunningly stole his older brother’s inheritance. During his escape from his enraged brother, Jacob had a dream where he saw the angels of God descending and ascending to heaven on a ladder. In the dream God reaffirmed the covenant He had made with his father and grandfather which included Jacob being a blessing to all the families of the world.
What if—and it’s only speculation—Nathanael was thinking about that very story of Jacob’s dream as he sat under the fig tree? And, what if Nathanael took comfort from the fact that the father of their nation wasn’t perfect and yet was used by God? Perhaps God could use Nathanael too—that is, if God was even aware of him. As he mused, he heard Philip’s voice beckoning him to come and meet this new rabbi they called Jesus. Some were speculating he was the chosen one of Israel.
Soon, without at first realising it, Nathanael was standing in front of the Son of God himself, the one before whom all hearts are laid bare. Imagine the power of Jesus’s affirming words: ‘Here is a true son of Israel, one in whom I see no deceit. Oh, and by the way—I see you’ [My paraphrase].
Now we might understand a little better Nathanael’s awe-filled response. But Jesus wasn’t quite finished. To his newest follower, he affirmed his divine mandate (again alluding to Jacob)—to see heaven touch earth. Not via a ladder, but through a living, breathing God-man—the Father’s chosen mediator of a new and better covenant. One that would soon bless all families of the world. Welcome to the family, Nathanael. So, too, he welcomes you.
