5/29

John 1:48,50-51

⁴⁸"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."

⁵⁰Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." ⁵¹He then added, "I tell you the truth, youshall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

The Apostle John gives us a description of the other apostles' first encounters with Jesus. He describes how Philip invited Nathanael to "come and see". Philip was already using Jesus' words. Nathanael had a hard time believing the Messiah could come from Nazareth.

Jesus told Nathaniel that he was an Israelite in whom nothing false could be found. When Nathanael asked Jesus how He knew that, Jesus told him that He had seen him under the fig tree before Philip came to Him. It seems that this was a sign to Nathanael, because he immediately declared Jesus as the Son of God. The Holy Spirit must have revealed something to Jesus of a spiritual encounter under that fig tree. We would call it a word of knowledge, but since Jesus is one with the Spirit, it would mean even more. He said, "I saw you".

We sometimes wonder if God does see us in the secret place when we pour out our hearts to Him. Perhaps Nathanael was asking God to give him a sign that his prayers were heard. We'll have to wait until heaven to find out. What we can know of a certainty is that Jesus sees us there and can let us know that He does.

Jesus then told Nathanael that seeing Him there was nothing compared to what Nathanael would see in the future. He was going to see the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. That is a reference to Jacob's ladder. Jesus was saying that He is the ladder. The angels, messengers of God, go and come through Him. He is the connection between heaven and earth. The revelation of God and His work in the world come through Jesus.

Consider: The answers you are searching for come via Jesus.