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In this morning’s passage, we will see a transformation in the attitude of Nathanael. In verse 46, Nathanael is an unimpressed skeptic. In verse 49, after a very brief exchange with Jesus, he is an astonished and enthusiastic believer.

Before we look closer at the exchange between Jesus and Nathanael and at Jesus’ witness about himself, I want to begin by asking you, “What is your attitude this morning toward Jesus Christ?”

Perhaps you are absolutely unfamiliar with Jesus. You don’t have any attitude toward him. In that case, I would invite you to listen to what Jesus Christ says about himself, and to believe it and follow him.

Perhaps you, like Nathanael, are a skeptic. You ask, “Isn’t religion just myths and old-fashioned superstition?” I would encourage you to listen to Jesus’ claims this morning. And I pray—and would encourage you to pray now too—that the Lord will open your eyes to see the truth of who Jesus is.

Perhaps you are not a skeptic, but you are unimpressed with Jesus just like Nathanael was unimpressed with a man from Nazareth . You’re middle-aged or retired and have been active in church since forever it seems. You’ve done the Bible study thing. You’ve done the music thing. You’ve done the committee thing. You’ve done the Sunday School teaching thing. The whole “be involved in church” thing has really lost its appeal now and you’ve begun to realize—though you would never dare to say it aloud to your spouse, children or church—that when it comes to Jesus, you’re just not all that thrilled. Church has been a fun organization to be involved with, but that’s all it was. In fact, church is a place where you come to think about social activities and other issues, and Jesus does not enter the equation. Thoughts of Jesus Christ do not evoke affections in your heart and you couldn’t honestly say that you love him.

Or, perhaps you’re in your teenaged years. You’ve been raised in church. You’ve heard all the stories from the Old Testament. You’ve heard all the stories about Jesus. And, to tell truth, you’re bored. You want something real, something exciting, something to live for! And, Jesus isn’t it.

If “unimpressed” describes you, I pray the Lord would show you what a dangerous position you are in. Being “bored” with Jesus, not loving Jesus, is probably a sign that you are not born again. In John 3:19, Jesus will say, “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” And in John 8:42, Jesus says plainly, “If God were your Father, you would love me…”

The reason that you are bored with Jesus and cannot honestly say that you love Jesus is not that you have heard everything about Jesus. The problem is that you don’t know him at all. It is that you are still dead in your trespasses and sins and need to be born again.

My prayer for you is my prayer for all of us this morning. I pray that after examining this passage, we would see who Jesus is, would be overwhelmed with astonished amazement at his greatness, and confess him in enthusiastic worship. I pray that we would see that this “man of sorrows” from Nazareth is the “Son of Man,” the coming glorious King and exclaim from our hearts, “Hallelujah, what a Savior!”

Jesus & Nathanael

As we’ve seen, Philip responds to Nathanael’s skepticism by simply inviting him to “come and see” for himself who this Jesus of Nazareth really is. Nathanael evidently agrees to go with Philip, but before he can even get to Jesus, Jesus makes his commentary on what he thinks of Nathanael.

In doing so, and in the conversation to follow, Jesus demonstrates supernatural knowledge, which identifies him as the Messiah.

The first bit of supernatural knowledge that Jesus demonstrates is knowledge of Nathanael’s character. Jesus says, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”

Jesus is stating that Nathanael is a certain type of Israelite. He is an Israelite that does not come with deceitful motives, with hypocrisy. Obviously, given his blunt statement, Nathanael is a man who is not afraid to say what he thinks. He is going to examine for himself these claims about Jesus. There is no deceit in Nathanael.

I suspect that Jesus is actually making an intentional play on words. The nation of Israel Israel ,” thus their name. But, his name was not always Israel . His birth name was “Jacob,” which means “he takes by the heel” or “he cheats.” And, Jacob was a deceiver. He dressed up in his brothers clothing and some goat skins, and with the help of his mother, he lied to his father to get him to give him the blessing that should have went to the older of the sons. After that episode, in Genesis 27:35, Isaac told Esau, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.” The adjective “deceitful” would forever be associated with Jacob in the mind of any Hebrew who knew the Bible. descended from the twelve sons of a man named “

But, Jacob would not always be “Jacob.” He had an encounter with the Lord that changed him forever. And, with his transformed character came a new name. The Lord gave Jacob the name “ Israel ,” after which his descendants would take their name.

Here, Jesus seems to be saying, “Look! Israel without any trace of Jacob!” Jesus will say in John 4 that the Father is looking for worshippers who will worship him in spirit and in truth—worshipers who have no deceit. “Blessed is the man,” says Psalm 32:2, “in whose spirit there is no deceit.”

Under the Fig Tree

The second bit of supernatural knowledge that Jesus demonstrates is knowledge of Nathanael’s whereabouts. Evidently, Jesus hit the nail on the head with his description, for Nathanael responded, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

Scholars debate what Jesus meant by “under the fig tree.” In some rabbinic literature, “the fig tree” refers to a place of meditation and prayer. Likewise, in the Old Testament, the “fig tree” is used to refer to a man’s home (cf Zech 3:10). And, of course, it could simply mean that Nathanael was literally sitting under a fig tree when Philip called him.

We can’t say for sure what exactly Jesus means by this statement. But that is fine, because Nathanael does know what Jesus means. And, given Nathanael’s response it is supernatural knowledge—it is a display of supernatural power that proves what Philip said of Jesus is true—he is the Messiah, the one promised in Moses and the prophets.

Throughout the Fourth Gospel, we will see that Jesus possesses supernatural knowledge of people (John 2:24-25; 1:42; 4:16-19, 29; 6:64-71; 13:10-11; 9:3; 11:4, 11-14; 13:1; 13:38; 21:18-19). Jesus will tell the Samaritan woman at the well “everything she had ever done.” Jesus knows which of his disciples is planning to betray him. Jesus knows that Peter is going to deny him.

Jesus displayed his supernatural nature through such statements and signs, not to impress people or merely to reveal that he is divine, but to show that he is the one sent by God to be the King.

These sorts of statements lead people to see, as one commentator puts it, “that before they knew him they themselves were known by him: Their own attitudes and life history or life secrets were an open book to him. It is that discovery that pulls each of them through the wall that had been separating them from Jesus” (Ridderbos, The Gospel of John).

This is true today. If Jesus knew the hearts and minds of men while he walked on earth, how much more is that true now that he is exalted to the right hand of the Father!

Jesus knows you! This should be both a comfort and a concern. On the one hand, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, this should comfort you. No matter what is done to you, however mean and cruel, and whatever is said about you, however false and slanderous, Jesus knows. He knows your heart. He knows your motives. He knows your integrity. He knows how you serve him in secret. He will reward you with justice and vindication. Keep trusting in him.

On the other hand, if you are only pretending to be a follower of Christ, this should terrify you. You many have everyone—your parents, your friends, your church—fooled into thinking that you love and follow Jesus. But, Jesus knows. He knows the hatred, the murder, the adultery that you hide in your heart, that you cherish and love. He knows your heart. He knows your motives. He knows your hypocrisy. He knows what you do and say in secret. He will repay you with justice and retribution. Repent, and flee to him for mercy.

Nathanael’s Confession

What are we to make of Nathanael’s exclamation—“You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Nathanael rightly confesses Jesus as the Messiah—the Son of God, the King of Israel .

“King of Israel” was a title for the Messiah used mainly by Jews living in Palestine . It is the title that the crowds will cry out during the Triumphal entry (12:13). It was a title that was rich with political overtones, as many were expecting the coming Messiah to be primarily a political liberator.

The title “King of Israel” was therefore prone to confusion. It is probably for this reason that Jesus avoiding using it. In fact, Jesus will find it necessary to clarify the nature of his kingdom to Pilate in John 18:36, saying, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Likewise, after Jesus feeds the five thousand (John 6:15), when the crowds were going to come and make him king (!) by force, he ran away and hid in the mountains.

Jesus even avoids using the title “King of Israel” when answering Nathanael, probably Nathanael has much to learn. However, Jesus’ reply does confirm that Nathanael’s confession is correct.

“Son of God” is another title for the King of Israel, the Messiah. In Psalm 2, which was probably a psalm used during the ceremony to install the king, the Lord says of the Messiah (the anointed one):

As for me, I have set my King on Zion , my holy hill. I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.”

The Lord’s King is the Lord’s “Son.”

Likewise, the Lord made a promise to David that he would one day raise up one of his ancestors to be king, a king whose throne would be established forever. The Lord said:

2 Samuel 7:13-14 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.

The Lord promised that this king would be like a “son” to him.

So, Nathanael speaks better than he knows. Jesus is God’s Son in a way that no previous king of Israel could have ever experienced, in a way that David could not have imagined. Jesus is the eternal Son of God, who was with the Father in the beginning. We will see throughout the Gospel that Jesus has an intimate relationship with the Father, unlike that of any other (5:16-30; 10:33; 17).

Jesus’ Response

Jesus responds, asking Nathanael if he believes simply because Jesus said he saw him under the fig tree, and says, “You will see greater things than these.”

Jesus affirms that Nathanael’s confession is correct. And, Jesus promises he will see “greater things than these”—he will see an even greater confirmation of who he is than a display of supernatural knowledge. Jesus promises the disciples a divine confirmation that their acknowledgement of him as the God-appointed Messiah is correct. Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” In this statement, Jesus summarizes what the “greater things” will be.

We should note that when Jesus says, “I say to you, ‘You will see…,’” the “you” is plural in both uses in this verse. Jesus is telling Nathanael what he and the rest of the disciples will see.

The disciples will see “heaven opened.” The dream of every apocalyptic was to enter into heaven, see its realities and report it back to other believers.

They will see “heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending…” This imagery comes from Jacob’s vision in Genesis 28 (cf Gen 35:13) of a ‘ladder’ (staircase) that reached into the heavens. On the ladder, the angels of God were ascending and descending. The Lord stood above Jacob and proclaimed to him that he would give to Jacob and his offspring the promises he had made to Abraham.

Jacob’s vision was a divine confirmation that Jacob—and not Esau—was the seed of Abraham through whom God’s promises would be fulfilled and a reaffirmation that he would indeed fulfill those promises.

Likewise, this vision affirms that Jesus is the one through whom God’s covenant promises are fulfilled. Jacob’s vision confirmed to him (and his descendants) that the Lord’s promises to Abraham would be fulfilled through him. Now, this vision confirms to Jesus’ followers that the Lord’s promises to Abraham and Jacob would be fulfilled in Jesus. The angels ascending and descending on Jesus show that he supersedes—he surpasses and replaces—Jacob ( Israel ). Jesus is the new and true “ Israel .” Therefore, it is not one’s connection to Jacob that determines whether one will inherit the promises, but one’s connection to Jesus, for all of God’s promises are “yes and amen” in him.

Jesus is the New Bethel, the link between heaven and earth. When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he said, “Surely the Lord is in this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

Jacob’s conclusion that the place where heaven and earth were reunited (where the separation caused by the Fall was undone) was the place where the angels of the Lord ascended and descended on this ladder.

Now, however, the angels of God do not ascend and descend on a ladder in Bethel, but on Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Man. Jesus will say in John 3:13, “No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.”

Jesus is the link between heaven and earth. Jesus is the place where man and God are reunited. The presence of the Lord is surely in Jesus. Jesus is the new Temple , the house of God, the gate of heaven.

Jesus is the supreme revelation of God. God now reveals himself, not at Bethel as he had twice to Jacob, but in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Bethel we learn, like the other holy places such as the Temple and Jacob’s well, is now obsolete (cf 2:19-22; 4:20-24). The shadow is gone; the substance has arrived.

The Son of Man

Instead of saying that they would see the angels ascending and descending on the “King of Israel,” Jesus uses for himself the title “Son of Man.”

“Son of man” is used in the New Testament to refer only to Jesus, and it is almost always found on Jesus’ lips. It can be used as a figure-of-speech for a human, which makes it an ideal title.

“Son of man” refers to the apocalyptic figure that appears in Daniel 7:13-14:

I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

By choosing this title, Jesus is making a dramatic statement.

Jesus is the “Son of Man” to whom the Ancient of Days gives universal authority, everlasting dominion, and a kingdom that shall not be destroyed. By using this language, Jesus is taking his disciples’ understanding of the Messiah to a whole new level. The Messiah will be someone far beyond the level of a “political liberator.” He is the universal King who will reign forever.

The Son of Man is uniquely qualified to bear witness about heavenly realities because of his heavenly origin and destination.

John 3:10-13 Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.

Because Jesus—the Son of Man—has descended from heaven, he can speak authoritatively about heavenly realities.

The Son of Man must be crucified. (cf John 13:31-32; 5:25-29)

John 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

Central to the Son of Man’s mission is his crucifixion. He is sent (the first time) to be crucified beneath God’s wrath, dying in the place of sinners, to redeem his kingdom.

Hear this, you who do not believe! Jesus said that he must be crucified, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. The way in which you can have eternal life is not through your ethnicity and not through your good works, but through your belief that the Son of Man was lifted up to die and raised from the dead to save you from the wrath of God.

The Son of Man is returning to resurrect and judge all. (cf Mt 26:64)

John 5:25-29 Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

The Son of Man, in his first arrival, was crucified and resurrected to save sinners.

The Son of Man, in his second coming, will come with divine authority to judge all men and reward them accordingly. Those who have done good will receive a “resurrection of life.” They will live and reign with him forever in the New Heavens and New Earth. Those who have done evil will receive a “resurrection of judgment.” He will tread them in the winepress of the fury of his wrath. He will cast them out of his kingdom forever into hell.

So what exactly is this vision?

Jesus has made quite a claim about himself. So, what exactly is this vision that the disciples will see to confirm who he is? I don’t think Jesus means for them to believe they will fall asleep and have a dream like Jacob’s. Rather, I think that Jesus means that they will see something (or some things) that will be just as amazing and convincing and undeniable as Jacob’s vision was to him. When they see what they will see, they will not be able to deny that Jesus is the Son of God, the King of Israel, the Son of Man!

What the disciples will see is Jesus’ revelation of himself and the Father in escalating signs and teachings that culminate in his crucifixion and resurrection.2:11), Jesus will do his first miracle, and manifest “his glory.” His miraculous signs and teaching reveal and confirm who he is. Jesus’ statement comes as the climax of chapter one. After several others have testified about him, he testifies about himself. This statement sets-up and anticipates the Gospel to follow. In the next chapter (

Ultimately, Jesus will say in John 8:28-29, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he…” Jesus’ crucifixion will be the greatest manifestation of his glory. The resurrection and ascension to follow will be an undeniable, “heavens opened” revelation of who Jesus is.

So, what say you?

Back to my question from the beginning of the sermon—“What is your attitude toward Jesus?”

If you believe in Jesus—then he is the Son of Man who is returning as your Rescuer and Champion. He knows your heart, your afflictions, your suffering. He was “lifted up” to die to forgive you of your sins. He will raise you from the dead to a resurrection of life. He will use his power to heal your every hurt. He, from his own fullness, will repay everything that this world and the curse have taken away. You will live with Him forever.

But, if you are not a follower of Jesus—then he is the Son of Man who is returning as your Judge. And, the heel of this judge’s size 10,000 boot is aimed squarely at your head to crush it like a cigarette-butt on the pavement. When you see him, you will wet your pants and cry out for the mountains to fall on you and hide you. You will be anything but bored and unimpressed. You will be filled with regret and terror. He will resurrect you to judgment and cast you into eternal torment.

My friend—if you are skeptical of Jesus, listen to his own words, see what is revealed in this Gospel and believe in him.

My friend—if you are unimpressed with Jesus, how can you be? How can you be bored with the Son of Man? You must repent. You need to be changed. You need to come to trust in the one that was lifted up to die.

Brothers and sisters—we who believe in Jesus should be amazed at this man Jesus. He came down from heaven to be a man from Nazareth —despised, rejected, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, lifted up to die on our behalf. But, he is also the Son of Man, our Glorious King who comes again to bring all his ransomed people home. How can we not cry, “Hallelujah, what a Savior!”