18. From Nazareth?

Focus on Christ Meditations: 18.  From Nazareth?

Jn 1:45,46  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.”  “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

From the dizzy heights of the Logos, ‘the reason behind all things’, John drops us right down to earth as he recounts an incident the other Gospels either knew nothing about or simply missed. Some of John the Baptist’s followers now follow Jesus and one of them, Philip, finds his friend Nathaniel and tells him about Jesus who they have just met for the first time. Somehow or other Philip, perhaps asking directly or getting it from John the Baptist, has found out who Jesus is and in those days a person was identified with by his father or by his home location or both.

Thus we now find this description of Jesus as ‘Jesus of Nazareth.” Now we have to admit that in John’s Gospel the next time this designation is used is not until chapter 18 at Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “I am he,” Jesus said.” (Jn 18:4,5) This is how the arresting crowd designates him.   In Luke’s Gospel (and Mark’s), intriguingly, the first person to identify him as such is a demoniac in a synagogue:  “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God.” (Lk 4:34)   The fact that Jesus silences him probably is more about not yet wanting to be heralded as the Son of God or the Messiah, rather than about his home town.

It is clear that later in his ministry he is still known with this designation, by some at least: “As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” (Lk 18:35-37) At the end of Luke’s Gospel in the Emmaus Road incident, the two mourning disciples designate him thus and to ensure there is not mistake recount all that has happened: “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”   “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” (Lk 24:18-21)

So in this search for the Christ in Scripture, as we have passed through the events surrounding his birth, we have now moved on to the time of his ministry, some thirty years later. From years after that ministry has concluded John had described him (with years of reflection behind him) as the Logos, the Word, the ultimate reason behind all things.  But now, turning to his actual ministry we see the Gospel writers recognising this particular designation – from Nazareth and the son of Joseph.

What is significant about this? Well in any history book that covers the lives of great people, they always cover their origins and here is no difference. Yes, but what is significant about this?  Well, remember the early Isaiah prophecies spoke both about Galilee and about the greatness of this Coming One and yet later Isaiah was to say of him, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” (Isa 53:2b) i.e. he appeared as just an ordinary person. This is the significance of the “of Nazareth”. Yes, on one hand we are going to see the designation, “Son of God” and on the other, “Son of Man” and we will examine them both separately. On one hand there is divinity and on the other humanity and, to the surrounding world at least, it started with the humanity. He is merely the son of a carpenter and for some that was a problem: “Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” (Mt 13:54:54-56)

We didn’t pick it up earlier, but why was Nathaniel so disparaging about Nazareth? Well, it was a rather obscure town, nowhere mentioned in the Old Testament. Yes, Matthew declared, “He will be called a Nazarene,”  (Mt 2:23) but that probably refers to Isaiah’s words that the Messiah would be despised for in Jesus’ day “Nazarene” was virtually a synonym for “despised”. However, the greater reality was that Nazareth was not named in the Messianic prophecies. Here, indeed, is another mystery.

Why? We aren’t told and so we must just speculate. In an earlier study I referred to all this “cloak and dagger stuff” indicating that although God clearly was declaring the arrival of His Son, He still largely kept it a secret, only revealing it to those whose hearts He knew would be open to Him. So, from the glory of the Logos we descend to the obscurity of Nazareth. Thirty years before Herod had gone searching for him in the area around Bethlehem. Now God has located him in the north, well away from the hotbed of religion in Jerusalem. It is almost as if the Father wants his Son to be raised in a ‘safe house’ away from prying eyes. Yes, he is still the Son of God, the same as he had been in heaven, in many respects, but for the moment he is hidden away. Again, Isaiah had prophesied, “He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.” (Isa 53;2a) A tender shoot coming up in dry ground; what a description of Galilee in those days.

There is another practical application in all this. It doesn’t matter what your origins are when it comes to being a child of God. You and I came from dry, ungodly beginnings. In one sense it doesn’t matter what those beginnings were. It doesn’t matter whether our parents were poor or rich, single or married. We are what we are today because we have been born again and are children of God. What you rise to do in the kingdom of God has nothing to do with how famous your parents are, or where you were born, or how clever or smart you are, or how handsome or beautiful you are (or aren’t); it is all to do with being God’s child and how open to your Father you are.

Jesus came as a carpenter’s son, not the son of a ruler, not the son of a priest, not the son of a rabbi. It was almost as if God was making a point: this is my Son, hidden away so all those who ‘measure’ people will miss him – until he comes and does My works. Then you can start adjusting your thinking!

To reflect upon: do we, in fact, measure ourselves by our background or upbringing or simply by being children of God and all that that means?

 

(Apologies, until the end of the week we will probably be out of Internet contact)

3. The People Interactor

Meditating on Great Themes in John:   3. The People Interactor

John 1:35-38   The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”  When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

This first chapter of John comes over to me like a New Year’s Eve celebration at midnight, heralding in the New Year. First of all there is this tremendous spectacular about ‘the Word’, a coming life that brings light, who comes from heaven now in human form. Massive concepts lighting the sky. Then it goes dark again for a moment until two searchlight beams burst out to reveal the Word in flesh  but as a Lamb ready to be sacrificed. Two powerful beams. And then it goes dark again but now come a series of flash-light bulbs going off, revelations about this Word made flesh, revelations out of the mouths of humans. The search lights revealing the lamb had come from the mouth of a prophet sent by God; these flashlights going off come from the mouths of ordinary human beings, and they come as the Word starts to interact with them, and such is the interaction that they each make their brilliant contribution to the revelation.

John has just said for the second time, “Look, here’s the Lamb” and this second time we find, “two of his disciples…. saw Jesus passing by….heard him… they followed Jesus..” (Jn 1:35-37) There is a hunger in these two men. They have been with John but the hunger continues so when the Lamb is pointed out, they followed him. Their following is obvious and so, “Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” (v.38a)  They rely, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” (v.38b) The Lamb is obviously also a teacher. Has John told them that or is it obvious? He gives them a simple invitation: “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” (v.39) “So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.” (v.39) It was about 4pm and so they go and spend the rest of the day with him. So far, so good.

But watch what happened: “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.” (v.40-42) We don’t know what was said in that relatively short time but somehow Andrew has been convinced that all of Johns words were true – this is the anointed one, the anticipated one, the Messiah. The light bulb flashes  and so here in this very first chapter yet another description is given of Jesus. We have seen the Word, the life, the light, the coming one, the Lamb of God and now, the Messiah. Familiarity perhaps dulls our reception of these incredible revelations.

So Simon comes with his brother to see this one and “Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter)” (v.42) Comment is often made on the name meanings, Simon meaning small stone, Peter meaning rock. This small stone is going to become a rock, something larger, more observable, reliable, steady and dependable. Jesus reveals himself as one who looks at us and sees our potential. Jesus sees and knows.

The story moves on: “The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” (v.43) Jesus is obviously staying in this place for a while and so the next day he goes out looking for Philip. Now we don’t know if Philip had been the other disciple with Andrew or just another one who was around to see John the Baptist. Not only have we seen Jesus the one who calls men to follow him, but now we see him as the one who goes looking for men (and women).

Now Philip’s response is similar to Andrew’s: “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.” (v.45) Another light bulb flashes. This is the prophesied one, the one Moses spoke about, the one we’ve been waiting for (another way of saying, the Messiah).

Nathaniel is skeptical about the description but comes to see for himself. “When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” (v.47) As he approaches Jesus takes the initiative with a description of Nathanael. It could be taken as bantering skepticism. Nathanael has just been skeptical about Jesus, he challenges the truth, he needs to know the truth. Jesus sees into Nathanael and immediately knows this. We might paraphrase Jesus’ words as, “Aha, here is one of God’s people for whom the truth is important!”

Nathanael answers a little defensively, “How do you know me?” (v.48a). Jesus gives an interesting reply, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” (v.48b) Now we don’t know quite what that means but somehow it is, for Nathanael, like God has seen him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” (v.49).  Another light bulb flashes. Whether he had been in a closed courtyard where no one could have seen him and whether he had been praying and questioning, we don’t know, but Jesus ‘word of knowledge’ speaks volumes to him!

The Word, the light bringing life, the coming one, the Messiah, the teacher, the prophesied one, and now the Son of God. Revelation after revelation! But we have been remiss for we did not pick up the earlier descriptions. In verse 14 Jesus was described as “the glory of the One and Only,” and the footnote says, “or the only begotten”. That is repeated in verse 18 and in verse 34 John the Baptist made that incredibly clear declaration, “I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” So again and again John the writer is leaving us with no room to doubt what he believes. This Jesus is the eternal word, the life that brings light, the Lamb of God who saves people from their sins, the Son of God who has come to reveal his Father in heaven. Flash, bang, crash, more flashes, the light of revelation comes again and again in this first chapter. If not a firework display, surely a kaleidoscope. How wonderful!

16. Son of God

Jesus in John’s Gospel : 16 : Jesus, the Son of God

Jn 1:49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

There are sometimes things in Scripture that seem too obvious almost for comment, and those of us who have been Christians for any length of time perhaps take for granted Jesus’ designation as ‘Son of God’.  Indeed John the Baptist had already testified to this in verse 34, so according to the writer John, Nathaniel is the second person to acknowledge Jesus as “the Son of God”.  John did it because he saw the Spirit come down on Jesus as God had told him he would do.  Nathaniel did it because for a moment he recognized the divine ability to see what no one else could see.

At the beginning of the chapter John had linked God and the word (v.1,2) and then referred to the Word when he became flesh as the only begotten of the Father (v.14,18) who came from the Father.  When we considered this in meditation 6, we considered how he was the same essence as the Father.  This is important to John, this is why he wrote: “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (Jn 20:31).

This was also important to the apostle Paul: “Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God… made in human likeness” (Phil 2:6,7) and “He is the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15) and “in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Col 2:9). Similarly to the writer to the Hebrews: “in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Heb 1:2,3). In fact so important was it to that writer that he spent the whole of chapter 1 of Hebrews making the point about the Son.

Why is it so important that Jesus was (and is) God’s Son?  First, because he conveys the very nature of God. If we have ‘seen’ Jesus we’ve seen the Father (Jn 14:9). Nowhere else in all of history has there been anyone who has claimed to be God’s Son, who is the exact representation of God, and then gone on to prove it. Second, because it makes him a faithful and true messenger, the fact that he has come from heaven (Jn 6:38,39) and third, that he alone can be the focus of our faith to grant us forgiveness of sins through his work on the Cross and subsequently, eternal life (Jn 3:13-18, 6:40)

Now there is another dimension to this. The word ‘son’ appears in Scripture over 2300 times! In God’s design, father to son is a crucial relationship. Sons were identified by their fathers. In Matthew’s Gospel the word ‘son’ appears 80 times! In John’s Gospel 43 times ‘son’ is used with reference to Jesus. A son is subordinate to the father (Jn 5:19), gives honour to the father (Jn 17:1), follows in the father’s footsteps and follows the father in the family business (Jn 5:19-23) and eventually has the business put into his hands more and more (Jn 3:35). See this unity of the Father and the Son: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him” and then “Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, `I am God’s Son’? Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does.” (Jn 10:27-31,36,37). Rejoice in it. Worship him!

15. Jesus who sees

Jesus in John’s Gospel : 15 : Jesus, who sees all

Jn 1:47,48     When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you”

It’s quite disconcerting when people can see right through you. Have you ever encountered anyone who seems to be able to read you mind and know exactly what you’re thinking? Supposing it was a complete stranger who started talking about what you’d been doing earlier in the day, or even yesterday, that would be scary, wouldn’t it?  Many years ago, my wife and I had a running conversation that picked up and went on over about four days, about whether we could possibly feel as God feels. We didn’t come to any conclusion, but we happened to be at a prayer meeting in our church, when suddenly in a gap between prayers, one of the ladies in the group spoke out a prophetic word in which the Lord spoke about whether we could feel as He felt and then concluded with an answer. If that wasn’t amazing enough, what was really incredible was that she (He!) literally quoted things we’d said over the course of that four day conversation. God watches and sees and listens and knows.

A classic instance of this is the Lord showing Ezekiel what was happening inside the temple many miles away from where he was (Ezek 8:3,7-18). Another instance was Elisha being given sight of what Gehazi was doing (2 Kings 5:21-27). Oh yes, God watches and sees and listens and knows!

Now our two verses today don’t do justice to the situation. As we saw yesterday, Philip found Nathaniel and told him they’d found the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Now in Nathaniel’s understanding Nazareth was a nowhere place and it didn’t seem to fit in with his understanding of the Messiah. He was derogatory. Then Jesus comes and says this to him. “Here’s a very open, straight forward Jew,” is what Jesus basically says, and the implication is that he knows Nathaniel. Nathaniel is still cagy. “How do you know me?” he asks, almost challenging Jesus. The intent is more like, “You don’t know me!”  Jesus’ reply is completely disarming: “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” There was something about that which completely rocked Nathaniel for his reply is, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” (v.49)  Was it that he had just been praying in a closed garden where no one else could have seen him, that made Jesus’ words have such an effect?

Up until that moment Nathaniel had been doubtful, but now, suddenly, he has been revealed by this teacher, and thus the teacher is revealed!  This Jesus sees behind walls, and he doesn’t even have to be in the vicinity!  Yes, God watches and sees and listens and then, sometimes, just lets us know what He’s been doing, just so we appreciate who He is. And Jesus is His Son!  Does that mean that Jesus’ mind was filled with all the thoughts and pictures of everyone in the area or the world – because that is God’s capability? No, it simply means that when the Father knows it is useful for him, He gives him the insight, the revelation of a person or situation. Today, back in heaven, Jesus sees all things. Do we think we can hide things from God’s eyes?  If we do we are foolish, for He sees and knows all things, so when you talk to Him, be completely honest, for he already knows!