Commentary on the Gospel of John

                                      Chapter One

                                                                                                                                     Verses 43-51 continued

Philip found Nathanael and by his personal witness brought him to Jesus. When Nathanael heard Philip say that Jesus came from Nazareth, Nathanael made a little joke about Nazareth. When Jesus first saw Nathanael, He described him as a person who had "no guile." The fact that Nathanael seemed to be prone to make little jokes, and the fact that Jesus described him as being scrupulously honest demonstrates that Nathanael was already a lighthearted and good person who adhered to the practice of the righteousness that God had put into him when He created him. Even so his righteousness was not enough for Nathanael to become saved by grace. Like all humans, Nathanael still had an evil and dead part of his inner nature instilled into him by the Devil.

Nathanael wanted to know how Jesus could describe his character having never met him. Jesus told Nathanael that He had seen him sitting under a fig tree before Philip ever called him. When Nathanael heard Jesus relate about His miraculous sight into the far distance, he immediately believed in Jesus and became saved by grace. Jesus told Nathanael that as he followed Jesus, Nathanael would see greater miracles than Jesus' sight into the far distance. This story demonstrates that even very good people still need to become saved by grace because of the foreign sin and evil that happens to be a part of their inner being.

The Bible (KJB) relates that most people who become saved by grace happen to be good and honest people already. Matthew 11:25-27; I Corinthians 1:26-31. However, God is perfectly able to save by His grace even the worst and most evil persons. God proved this when He saved Saul of Tarsus on the road to Damascus. Acts 9:1-6.

Jesus went further to tell Nathanael that a time will come when Nathanael will see "Heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." Jesus' prophecy referred to His final coming when He will judge the world in His Great White Throne Judgment. Revelation 20:11. As a general rule, when the Bible(KJB) speaks of Jesus coming with His saints, that means the Rapture of the Church. I Thessalonians 4:14; II Corinthians 5:1-4. When the Bible speaks of Jesus coming with His armies, that means when He comes to rescue Israel in the battle of Armageddon. Revelation 19:11-14. When the Bible speaks of Jesus coming with His angels, that means His final Great White Throne Judgment. Matthew 25:31.