John 1:45-51

John 1:45-51

Philip found Nathanael and told him,

“We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,

and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”

But Nathanael said to him,

“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,

“Here is a true child of Israel.

There is no duplicity in him.”

Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”

Jesus answered and said to him,

“Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”

Nathanael answered him,

“Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

Jesus answered and said to him,

“Do you believe

because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?

You will see greater things than this.”

And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you,

you will see heaven opened and the angels of God

ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you called Saint Bartholomew from skepticism to faith, from encountering Christ to proclaiming him, and from discipleship to martyrdom. Open our hearts to the truth of your Son. Help us not to be satisfied with hearing about Jesus from others, but to come and see, to encounter him personally, and to recognize him as the Son of God and King of Israel. May the example of Saint Bartholomew inspire us to follow Christ wherever he leads us.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Come and See: The Apostle we celebrate today is named Nathanael in the Gospel of John. His name means “God has given.” His father’s name was Tolmai, which means “plowman,” and therefore Nathanael was also known as Bartholomew, meaning “son of Tolmai.” He was from Cana in Galilee (John 21:2) and was a close friend of the Apostle Philip. Since he was from Cana, he may even have witnessed the first sign Jesus performed there – the changing of water into wine (John 2:1-11). When Philip finds Nathanael, he tells him that he has found the one about whom Moses wrote in the Law and about whom the prophets wrote: Jesus of Nazareth. Nathanael responds skeptically: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46). His objection is understandable. Scripture had foretold that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem, the city of David (see Micah 5:2; John 7:42), whereas Nazareth was an obscure village in Galilee. Philip does not try to win an argument with Nathanael. Instead, he gives him a simple invitation: “Come and see!” (John 1:46). Nathanael’s response teaches us something important about faith. We need the testimony of others, because the Christian faith comes to us through the witness of the Apostles and the Church. Yet our faith cannot remain merely someone else’s testimony. We must personally encounter Christ. As Pope Benedict XVI observed, “Our knowledge of Jesus needs above all a first-hand experience” (October 4, 2006). The invitation of Philip remains the invitation of the Church to every person: Come and see. Come to Christ. Come into his presence. Come to know him not merely as someone about whom others speak, but as the living Lord who calls us personally.

2. A True Israelite: When Nathanael approaches Jesus, something remarkable happens. Before Nathanael has introduced himself, Jesus declares: “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him” (John 1:47). Nathanael is astonished: “How do you know me?” Jesus answers, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree” (John 1:48). Jesus’ words evoke the story of Jacob. Jacob, whose name is associated with grasping and supplanting, spent much of his early life deceiving others. Yet God transformed Jacob and gave him the name Israel. Now Jesus encounters Nathanael and calls him a true Israelite, one without duplicity. Nathanael represents the Israelite whose heart has been purified and made ready to recognize the Messiah.

Philip had told Nathanael that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. The Old Testament had promised a Savior who would crush the head of the serpent, a royal descendant of Judah, a prophet like Moses, a redeemer, a son of David, the mysterious Son of Man, and the suffering Servant of the Lord. Nathanael begins to see that all these promises converge in Jesus.

His skepticism disappears in an instant. He responds: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel” (John 1:49). Nathanael’s confession is greater than he yet realizes. The kings of Israel descended from David were called sons of God in a special covenantal sense (see 2 Samuel 7:14; Psalm 2:7). But Jesus is the Son of God in a unique and eternal way. Nathanael recognizes Jesus as the promised King, but Jesus will lead him toward an even deeper revelation of his identity. Jesus therefore tells him: “You will see greater things than this” (John 1:50). He then speaks of heaven being opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man (John 1:51). The image recalls Jacob’s dream at Bethel, when Jacob saw a ladder joining heaven and earth (Genesis 28:10-17). Jesus is declaring that he himself is the fulfillment of Jacob’s vision. He is the true meeting place between heaven and earth. Through him, heaven is opened to humanity.

3. From Encounter to Mission: The last time Nathanael appears in the Gospel of John, he is fishing with several of the Apostles on the Sea of Tiberias after the Resurrection (John 21:2). The man who once questioned whether anything good could come from Nazareth has become a disciple who follows the risen Christ. According to ancient Christian tradition, Nathanael Bartholomew carried the Gospel far beyond the land of Israel, preaching in places such as India, Ethiopia, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Lycaonia, and Armenia. Eusebius reports that a Hebrew copy of the Gospel of Matthew was associated with his mission in India. Later traditions hold that Bartholomew was martyred in Armenia after converting King Polymius and his household. He is traditionally said to have been flayed alive and then beheaded under the orders of Astyages, the king’s brother. In light of these traditions, the Church has always remembered Bartholomew as a missionary and martyr. His life reveals the full movement of Christian discipleship. He began by asking whether anything good could come from Nazareth. He came and saw. He encountered Jesus. He confessed Jesus as the Son of God and King of Israel. And finally, he gave his life proclaiming the Gospel. The invitation Philip gave Nathanael is also given to us: “Come and see.” We come to Christ so that we may see who he truly is. And once we have encountered him, we are sent to help others see him as well.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you invited Nathanael to come and see, and through that encounter you transformed his skepticism into faith and his faith into courageous witness. Help me to encounter you personally and not to be satisfied with merely knowing about you. Remove whatever duplicity, doubt, or resistance keeps me from following you wholeheartedly. Open heaven before me so that I may recognize you as the true Son of God and King of Israel. Give me the courage of Saint Bartholomew to proclaim you faithfully and to follow you wherever you lead.

Living the Word of God: Come and see: What can I do today to seek a deeper, more personal encounter with Jesus rather than relying only on what I have heard from others? There is no duplicity in him: Is there any area of my life in which I am living with divided motives, hiding something from God, or presenting myself differently to others than I truly am? You will see greater things than this: Where is Christ inviting me to trust him more deeply and to follow him beyond my present expectations or comfort?