John 1:43-51
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply for a few seconds before you begin. If you haven’t read the Introduction to John’s Gospel, read it here.
As you read John 1:43-51, notice any questions that arise for you.
John does not give us many details about Jesus’ invitation to Philip, but it’s interesting to note the immediacy with which Philip accepts Jesus’ call to follow. Evidently, Philip is searching for something more, and when he recognizes Jesus as the very person the writings of Moses and the prophets of Israel point to, he eagerly follows. Like Andrew before him, he is so enthralled by Jesus that he can’t wait to find Nathaniel and pass on the good news.
Stop for a moment and imagine how Nathaniel’s initial skeptical reaction might have made Philip feel.
Nazareth was the small, insignificant town in the rural area of Galilee to which Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph, moved with Jesus after they returned from their escape to Egypt shortly after he was born. The irony is rich. God in the flesh was born in obscurity as a helpless baby and grew up in a backwater town far from the socio-political center of Israel. Unlike Philip, Nathaniel couldn’t immediately see past his own expectations of the Messiah.
Read John 1:43-51 again imagining the thoughts and feelings of Nathaniel as they progress and change throughout the story.
Jesus was constantly in tune with God the Father and was often given insight into the thoughts and actions of the people he encountered (we’ll hear him say this later in John’s Gospel). Now his revelation of Nathaniel’s earlier activity is all it takes for Nathaniel to move beyond his expectations and become a believer. But Jesus’ next words are even more eye-opening. This ordinary-looking Israelite, born and raised in obscurity, says that he is the bridge between heaven and earth.
How do you picture Jesus? Take a moment to imagine what he might look like.
Now imagine that you are invited to “come and see” Jesus as he really is. What expectations will you need to lay aside to allow him to reveal himself to you? Talk with Jesus about this.
How do you hold the idea of Jesus’ ordinary, everyday humanity in tension with the reality of his divine identity?
What do you think about the idea that the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, lives in every ordinary human who believes in and follows Jesus? Sit with this thought for a moment and then discuss it with Jesus.
Jesus opened the way to restoration with God and God’s shalom. He is the bridge between ordinary humans and the divine. How is Jesus inviting you to follow him in a new way today? If you sense there is something you need to do in response to this time of meditation, take a step now.
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