Tag: Discipleship

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Understanding Nathanael: Jesus and the Fig Tree Connection (John 1:47)

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional1 Comment

(47) Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith to him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! (48) Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. (49) Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. (John 1:47-49)

Explain

There are two interesting phrases in this text that may be true, but in some ways are conjecture.  I know what the text says happens here and I affirm it and believe it.  Yet these conjectures make sense to me based on Old Testament texts.

First, I want to note what Jesus called Nathan, “an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!”

The first person named Israel was originally named Jacob, which means supplanted or deceiver.  Guile is deceit. Jesus says that Nathanael is a genuine person.  Now we know that Jesus does not think that Nathanael is perfect, and this expression does not go that far to say that he is.  What is Jesus trying to do?  He is connecting to Nathanael where he was.

Nathanael is perplexed at the expression.  How do you know me?  Jesus’s answer is interesting.  

Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. 

The second phrase about being “under a fig tree” is interesting.

In Jewish tradition, particularly in rabbinic literature including the Talmud, sitting “under a fig tree” (or “under one’s vine and fig tree”) has special significance.

The phrase appears in the Old Testament where it describes a state of peace, security, and prosperity – essentially the ideal life where each person can sit peacefully under their own vine and fig tree without fear.

In rabbinic tradition, this image took on an additional meaning: studying Torah. The fig tree became associated with Torah study because:

  1. Just as a fig tree yields fruit continuously over a long season (rather than all at once), Torah study is ongoing and yields insights over time
  2. The shade of the fig tree provided an ideal, peaceful place for contemplation and learning

So when you encounter references to someone sitting “under a fig tree” in Jewish texts, it often carries this double meaning – both literal rest/prosperity and the devoted study of Torah.

But the phrase wasn’t just general.  It had a very specific messianic connotation. 

The key passage is Micah 4:1-4, which is explicitly messianic in nature. 

Micah 4:1-4

1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

This passage describes the end of days when:

  • The mountain of the Lord’s house will be established
  • Nations will stream to it to learn God’s ways
  • God will judge between nations and they’ll beat swords into plowshares
  • 4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.” (Micah 4:4)

This imagery of sitting under one’s vine and fig tree became a standard prophetic symbol for the messianic age – a time of universal peace, security, and the reign of God’s justice.

The similar passage in Zechariah 3:10 reinforces this: 

10 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree. (Zechariah 3:10)

Again in a context about the coming messianic era.  So in Jewish messianic expectation, the fig tree imagery represented:

  • The cessation of war and threat
  • Economic security and prosperity for all
  • The peaceful study of Torah
  • The fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel

This makes the New Testament reference to Nathanael “under the fig tree” even more intriguing if this is in Jesus’ thinking when he made this statement to Nathanael.  It could suggest not just that he was studying Torah, but that he was perhaps contemplating or longing for the messianic age.

Jacob (later named Israel, whose name meant deceiver, or one with guile)  had a vision of a ladder going to and from heaven.  Perhaps Nathanael had visions of a coming Messiah while he was literally  “under the fig tree”, and when Philip brought him with the claim that he had found the Messiah, Christ used that experience to connect to Nathan to his own real Messianic reality.

Whatever the case, it worked.  Look at Nathanael’s response.

49) Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

Nathanael went form cynical to believing pretty quickly.  Jesus met him where he was, and proved Himself to Nathanael.  How cool is that?

Apply

My pastor friend,  Bob Butler, has influenced my thinking on this passage.  He made a statement that stuck with me about Jesus.

Every person that Jesus ever met had offended him.

Jesus never stopped being God.  He was, is, and ever will be God.  Jesus was born with no sin nature, and never sinned himself.Every sin that has ever been committed was a sin first and foremost against God.  This means that Jesus lived among sinners.  This means that Nathanael had offended Jesus.

Yet this is not where Jesus started with him.  Jesus was called “a friend of sinners.”  I am so grateful for that. He came to seek and to save that which was lost.

Jesus starts with Nathanael where he was to bring him where he needed to be.

We ought to be like Jesus in that way.  We should not start with people where we would argue.  We don’t start with people where there will be offense.  We certainly have to get there, to call out sin.  Yet loving people and connecting with people where they are is the pattern that Jesus displays for us here.

People respond to love.  Don’t ever forget that.

Respond

  1. Who can you connect to in a loving way today?  What would it take to connect with them?  
  2. Are you grateful for how Jesus came for you?  Take a few moments to describe what Christ has done for you.
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The Role of Relationships in Disciple-Making (John 1:44-46)

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

(44) Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. (45) Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. (46) And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. (John 1:44-46)

Explain

v.44 – Geography and relationships

Jesus had already impacted Andrew and Peter. Now he was calling Philip as a disciple. This new way of getting disciples was interesting to Philip. The Messiah had arrived and he was doing things differently. No doubt Philip knew Andrew and Peter which explains the next verse.

v.45 – Sharing their discovery

Philip is already imitating Jesus in that he “findeth Nathanael”. Notice the pronoun “we”: “We have found him”. Who? The messiah was written of in the books of Moses and the prophets. This would have been an expression of all of the scriptures then written. Moses wrote the first five books, and the prophets wrote the rest.

Where did Moses write about the Messiah? Insert Deuteronomy 18:15-19.

Where did the prophets write about the Messiah? Psalm 22. Isaiah 53. Many more places speak of this Messiah who would come.

v.46 – A cynical response

Nathanael’s response reveals his doubt that anything of this worldwide, historic, prophetic importance could come from Nazareth. Instead of arguing, Philip simply replies, “Come and see.”

Apply

Relationships are key in evangelism and discipleship. All of these people – John the Baptist, Andrew, Peter, John, Philip, Nathanael, and even Jesus himself are interacting not only on the basis of the person of Christ, but on the relationships they had with each other.

Jesus Christ sells himself. What do I mean? Yes we proclaim Christ, and of course we “prepare to give an answer to every man that asketh…”. Yes we want to grow in our boldness and our ability to articulate. But in the sum of it all, Jesus Christ Himself can be experienced through the power of the Word of God, and through the convicting, regenerating, sealing, indwelling, and illuminating work of the Holy Spirit. Philip’s answer to Nathanael before he had much training at all was enough. “Come and see.” Jesus did the rest.

Respond

  1. What relationships do you have in your life that are ripe for evangelism and “discipleship”?
  2. How are you experiencing Christ daily?
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Understanding Jesus’ Invitation to Follow Him (John 1:43)

On By Ben JenningsIn DevotionalLeave a comment

(43) The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.  (John 1:43)

Explain

Jesus wanted to go from where he was to Galilee. Some say that he wanted to go to the wedding in Cana. He didn’t go on his own. He went and found Philip. Interestingly as he went to Galilee he “findeth Philip”.

Notice the term that he used with Philip. “Follow me”.-  ακολουθει, from the root ἀκολουθέω (akoloutheō) which means what is translated, “follow me”. Strongs concordence says that this term is closely related to keleuthos (a road); Most literally it would be like saying “come down this road with me”. Or, Follow me down the road I’m going. But like so many words that take on a culture and a context, this word was regularly used by a rabbi to a disciple as acceptance into the rabbi and disciple relationship. It would be akin to an acceptance letter into college today. “I’ll let you follow me, because you are worthy of being my disciple”. This was they typical way it was used by most rabbis.

Jesus here is different. As he was going, he finds Philip and calls him to be his disciple. This was more like an acceptance letter than it was a momentary invitation. He was calling Philip to go where he went, hear what he said, learn what he knows, and become like him. He was calling him to become his apprentice.

Apply

While most rabbis were calling the qualified, Jesus’ mode was to train those he called to follow him. He qualified the called. What an incredible privilege it is to be called to discipleship. What an incredible responsibility it is to follow Jesus in making disciples.

Respond

  1. Would you call yourself a disciple of Jesus Christ?
  2. Who is in your life that needs to be discipleship? 

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Pharisee or Disciple? Fish! Luke- Week 9- Day 5

On By Ben JenningsIn Devotional1 Comment

(30)  But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?  (31)  And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.  (32)  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luke 5:27-32

Explanation:

By observing 4 responses found in this passage we can know what it means to follow Jesus in discipleship.

Response #4- Fish (continued)

The scribes and the pharisees were people who were very pious.  They studied the scriptures intensely.  They knew the scriptures.  They memorized whole books of the Bible.  They were zealous for Judaism and for the Old Testament at a level.  But they also missed the whole point.

The scribes and pharisees loved Bible study.  They loved the temple.  They loved gathering with people in the synagogues.  They loved expositional preaching.  They even loved people who looked godly like they did.

The scribes and pharisees believed that they had it all together.  They thought that they were good with God because of their own righteousness.

These people asked Jesus, “Why are you hanging out with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus, why are you calling someone that is a publican into discipleship.  What kind of rabbi are you?  Our disciples are the best of the best.  It seems like your disciples are the worst of the worst.  And look at the outcome- now you are even hanging out with the worst of the worst.

Notice Jesus response:

 (31)  And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.  (32)  I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luke 5:31-32

Let me ask you a question:  Were the publicans sinners, but not the pharisees?

Of course not. 

The Bible says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Jesus was not saying that the pharisees didn’t need forgiveness.  Jesus was saying that the ones that He could save were the ones that recognized their need for a Savior.

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  (10)  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.  (11)  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.  (12)  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.  (13)  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  (14)  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Luke 18:9-14

Jesus reserved his harshest criticism for people who refused to understand their own sinfulness.

To Jesus, these men were asking, “Why are you eating with the mission field?”  The answer, “The mission field is who needs to be reached.”

Application:

When we spend our time trying to be righteous without growing to be fishers of men, we are being more like the pharisees than the disciples of Jesus Christ.  This does not mean that we are for sin.  We hate the sin that causes people to be separated from God.  We hate our own sin and pursue Jesus.

But in the meantime we do not hate the sinner.  We do not hate our own mission field.

The point of discipleship is to glorify God by observing everything Jesus taught so that we can be sent on His mission.

Response:

Who do you need to fish for today?