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Monday, June 14, 2021

John Bible Study ~ John 1:43-51 - Come and See the Shepherd King

A long time ago I was introduced to the idea that Jesus took his disciples through four stages of discipleship. The gospel accounts don’t have inspired headings that reveal this, so it never stood out to me. 

However, as I began looking at the differences from Jesus’ first interactions with his disciples to those at the end of his ministry, it was clear that he was adding stronger elements of discipleship to the stronger maturing of their relationship. 

The first element of discipleship is expressed in the recurring phrase, “come and see”. While people were expecting a Messiah (Christ) to come, they had not heard a fresh word from God in four centuries. Ideas of what it would look like for the Messiah to appear were either dim with disillusionment or distorted by fanciful imagination. The fact that Israel at the time was under the dominion of the Roman Empire made it easy to hope for a Messiah-King who would bring deliverance and give Israel back their autonomous identity under God. 

Because Jesus was coming in a way that people did not understand, and bringing the kingdom of God to the Jews in a way that was far above anything they had imagined, the first thing he offered people was the opportunity to “come and see” if he acted in a way that was consistent with the prophecies made about the coming Savior. 

This Bible study helps us consider what it was like for people to first meet Jesus and wonder if he was the Messiah they were waiting for. As Jesus gave people the opportunity to “come and see” for themselves then, our journey through these testimonies invites us to “come and see” for ourselves today.

 

John Bible Study ~ John 1:43-51 - Come and See the Shepherd King[1]


43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip 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.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1 ~ ESV) 

As Jesus begins his ministry, we see the early stages of relationships forming that are characterized by people coming and seeing for themselves who Jesus is and what he is about. These encounters draw us into his story (history) as God’s Book invites us to “come and see” for ourselves who Jesus of Nazareth is as the Word of God who came in the flesh, the very one the prophets told everyone to expect. 

Part 1: The “Come and See” Followers 

Our previous study showed us what happened when John the Baptist pointed his own disciples to Jesus and they went to see for themselves what John meant that Jesus was, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Now we watch as Jesus introduces himself to people and invites them into the “come and see” stage of getting to know him for who he is. The same invitation is presented to us. 

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip 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.” (John 1) 

1.     What does it add to the relational things that happened in Galilee that Jesus “decided” to go there? 

 

2.    How would you describe the impact that Jesus had on Philip that he immediately went to find Nathanael and tell him the good news of what he had discovered? 

 

3.    What does Philip’s declaration to Nathanael tell you about Jesus that God’s word wants you to believe as surely as Philip wanted his friend to share with him? 

 

4.    What does it mean to you that Jesus as the eternal Word of God, the Word who became flesh to dwell among us, makes decisions that bring people to know him for who he really is? 

 

Part 2: When Prejudice Meets Its Savior 

Throughout this gospel account, we are confronted with a whole variety of “issues” people need to get over in order to recognize Jesus. These testimonies show us that whatever our issues are in relating to Jesus, whatever triggers come up to challenge his call to follow him, they are more than answered by discovering for ourselves that Jesus is the Savior of the world. Today’s study focuses on how ingrained prejudice changes when Jesus opens our eyes to see him as he is.  

46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”  47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” (John 1) 

1.     When Philip tells his friend that the Messiah they have been waiting for has come, and that he is this Jesus who comes from Nazareth, Nathanael’s prejudice about Nazareth comes to center stage. How does Philip’s answer to Nathanael’s prejudice indicate what you need to do with your own issues to following Jesus as the Savior of the world? 

 

2.    Nathanael responded to Philip’s invitation by coming to see this Jesus of Nazareth. What is the very first thing Jesus reveals to Nathanael? 

 

3.    How does Nathanael’s response to Jesus express what we would feel if we heard Jesus express what he knows about us? 

 

4.    What does Jesus’ reply tell you about him that is just as true for you as it was for Nathanael? 

 

Part 3: To Have Come and Seen 

Amazing things can happen in our lives when we “come and see” for ourselves who Jesus is and what he is about. In the last section of this passage, we consider what one person came and saw so we can open our hearts to do the same. 

49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”  (John 1) 

1.     What does Nathanael’s response to Jesus tell you about how it impacted him that Jesus had seen him and known him before they met? 

 

2.    What does Nathanael’s testimony about Jesus add to the gospel’s introduction of Jesus as the Word of God who became flesh and John the Baptist’s declarations that Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world? 

 

3.    How would you explain what Jesus was saying about Nathanael’s faith when he said, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these”? 

 

4.    What is Jesus saying about himself in the promise, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man”? 

 

Conclusion: Hearing, Seeing, Joining 

After seeing the way Philip and Nathanael become followers of Jesus as the Christ: 

1.     What do you hear God speaking to you about? 

 

2.    What do you see God doing in you through this part of his word? 

 

3.    How are you going to join God in his work? 

 

 


© 2021 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8

Email: in2freedom@gmail.com

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.)

 

 


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