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John 1: 43- 51 "How do you response when Jesus tells you "Follow Me".?

John 1: 43- 51 "How do you response when Jesus tells you "Follow Me".?

43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”
  • If Jesus would tells you today, Follow Me? Would you follow Him? Philip followed Jesus without doubt and hesitation. To follow me Jesus is to have personal relationship with Him by trusting Him only as your Lord and Savior. To follow Him, is a day-to-day thing. Jesus said "Unless you remain in Me, you shall not bear fruits" (John 15:6).
44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.
  • Bethsaida- Where Philip, Andrew and Peter from. The place in Hebrew is called "Place of Hunting or Fishing". 
  • Since Philip hometown is Bethsaida, he is probably a friend of Andrew and Peter. It's interesting Jesus selected him as well to be one of his twelves apostles.
 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
  • This man Philip knew Moses and the prophets wrote about Jesus in the old testament. That Jesus was the one they've been waiting for; and Philip was using old testament books as reference. 
  • Philip shared Jesus to Nathanael. It's interesting how bold Philip was in sharing Jesus to Nathanael. What about you? Are you bold enough to share Jesus to your loved ones and friends?
46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
  • Such question by Nathanael means Nazareth is a no good place. It was only a small town in Bethlehem. Nathanael in his mind thinking was that the Messiah that they've been waiting for that was written by the Moses and the prophets is gonna be a hero look like guy. Like in Isaiah 9: 6 where it says "  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
  • Looking at the passage in Isaiah 9:6 who would have thought that a Messiah would come out from a small town like Nazareth? But they forgot to look at the other side of the Scripture that speaks about a Messiah that's going to suffer for our sins. Like the one in Isaiah 53 described a sheep that is astray and a lamb that is slaughtered. 
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
  • This is in relation to what Nathanael has said in verse 46, that nothing good come out of Nazareth. Jesus was saying that Nathanael was correct with his statement.
48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
50 Jesus said, “You believe[h] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you,[i] you[j] will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’[k] the Son of Man.”
  • Jesus was saying to Nathanael the real reason why he believed of him as the Son of God. He had a proof of his belief that's what Jesus was pointing out. Although Jesus didn't discredit it but he told him there's greater or more things to come to proof that truly He is the Son of God. Then Jesus give an examples in verse 51 to Nathanael that he will see a heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on Him.
Personal Application.
"Two men, Philip and Nathanael chosen by Jesus to follow him in a different way. No special people with no special talents and nor a degree holder but Jesus chose them to be his apostles. They're living a simple way life; with probably no richness in life. How interesting Jesus chose these type of people. " Regardless of how Jesus chose you that's not what matters. But what matters most is your response. Would you say "Yes,No or Maybe".


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