Hi everyone, welcome back to logical.
Bible study. Maybe look at the Gospel reading
for today's mass. And today we're going to look at
John chapter 1 verses 43 to 51. So as always, we will go through
the text and then we'll have a go at doing an exegesis of the
text. What does it really mean on the
most fundamental level? This particular text is not
particularly well known. So you might learn some new
things from today's episode. So John chapter 1 verses 43 to
51. After Jesus had decided to leave
for Galilee, he met Philip and said, follow me.
Philip came from the same town bethsaida as Andrew and Peter.
Philip found Nathanael and said to him.
We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, the one
about whom the prophets wrote he is Jesus Son of Joseph from
Nazareth. From Nazareth said, Nathaniel
can anything good come from that place?
Come and see replied Philip? When Jesus saw Nathanael coming,
he said of him. There is an Israelite who
deserves the name incapable of Deceit.
How do you know me, said Nathaniel before, Philip came to
call? You said Jesus.
I saw you under the fig tree. Nathanael answered Rabbi you are
the Son of God? You are the king of Israel.
Jesus replied, you believe that. Just because I said, I saw you
under the Fig Tree, you will see greater things than that.
And then he added, I tell you, most solemnly, you'll see her
Heaven, laid, open, and above the son of man, the angels of
God ascending and descending. So, what's the context of this
passage? We're at the end of John chapter
1. So if we have our understanding
of the timing correct that it appears that Jesus has been
baptized, he's been tempted in the wilderness and now he's
spending some time in the region of perea.
Where John is baptizing that that's where he has been.
He's been in the Paris area and we've just heard before this,
the origin story of Peter and Andrew when they first encounter
Jesus. Now, this is even before Jesus
has begun His official Ministry, he And began his ministry yet.
He's just starting to get some followers in the starting to
attract attention in the region of perea verse 43 after Jesus
had decided to leave for Galilee.
So now Jesus leaves per area, which is in the south of Israel
and now he moves up to Galilee in the north and that's where he
spends most of his time. So he goes to Galilee and there,
he meets Philip Now, Philip would become one of Jesus
disciples is not one that's particularly well-known.
We don't hear a lot about him in the synoptic gospels, but he is
mentioned a few times in the Gospel of John, that might
indicate that the author of The Gospel of John, which is the
probably the Apostle, John, maybe he was somewhat close to
Philip and that's why he knows more about the events that
Philip was involved in. That's just speculation though.
So Jesus meets Philip in Galilee.
And he said to do to, Philip follow me, that's all he says to
him. Now, it's likely that we just
have a condensed version here. Probably Jesus said, more than
that to Philip. Maybe Philip had seen Jesus
preached a few times, but then one day, Jesus laid eyes on
Phillip and he said, follow me and it's pretty similar to what
he would later do to Matthew. That's what he says to Matthew
the tax collector, follow me, interestingly, Philip is
apparently the first disciple that Jesus calls directly.
Although He's met Peter and Andrew already.
They only heard about him indirectly.
And they sort of approach Jesus, to get more information about
him. But here, Jesus locks eyes with
Philip and says, follow me, Peter Philip, immediately
recognizes that this is the Messiah and he follows him verse
44. So the author of the book of
John here says Phillip Came From the same town that bethsaida as
Andrew and Peter. So we've already met Peter and
Andrew And they've probably introduced earlier because Peter
is, of course, the most important disciple so everyone
relates to him in some way. Now this is interesting because
a lot of people have looked at this and said ìhey is a Bible
contradiction because the other gospels say that Peter lives in
Capernaum, Peter and Andrew live in Capernaum.
But here John's gospel very clearly, says, Peter and Andrew
are from a place called bethsaida.
So, which one is correct? Well, look at the language
carefully. John says, they're from
bethsaida. He doesn't say that they live in
bethsaida. So probably what's going on here
is that Peter and Andrew live in Capernaum during Jesus ministry
and possibly, they leave their just for work.
Whereas their real home town is bethsaida as John says.
So that would be the way to reconcile it.
There from bethsaida, but they live in Capernaum.
Now, just out of Interest, the bethsaida and Capernaum are
actually quite close to each other.
They're about five miles away. They're both around the Sea of
Galilee. But they belong to different
different jurisdictions. So bethsaida is on the east of
the Jordan River. So it's in the territory of
Herod Philip, whereas Capernaum is on the west side of the
Jordan River. So it's in the territory of
Herod Antipas. So Peter and Andrew their
Fisherman's. So they would need their fish to
be processed. That will be, either are dried
or salted before. It could be before, it could be
sold outside the immediate area and basically they needed to get
it, get their fish through a fish fact.
The main Fish Factory in the Sea of Galilee area, was it?
Magdala magdala is in the same territory as Capernaum.
So basically, if they want to do good business with their fish,
they're going to need to go in your capernum.
So it makes sense that they would move to live in Capernaum
as fishermen and there's more than that, as well.
So fishermen coming from bethsaida, they have to bring
their catch across the border and when they do that, they
would have to pay the tax. And therefore there's actually a
customs house a component. And that's the one that Matthew
or Levi the tax collector, works out there was a very significant
border at Capernaum and a fisherman across that border
with their fish that would have to pay a tax.
So for all these reasons, Peter and Andrew lived in Capernaum,
when they were fishermen, in order to avoid the tax and in
order to avoid the other difficulties with having to go
across the border all the time. So hopefully you find that
Illuminating verse 45. Philip found Nathanael.
So now we get introduced to Nathaniel, and Nathaniel is
probably the same Apostle as Bartholomew.
He's got two different names, which was quite common in that
culture, actually. So, apparently they're the same
person, he might well be the least known, Apostle
Bartholomew. So, apparently, Philip and
Bartholomew and Bartholomew or Nathaniel a friends, because as
soon as Philip realizes, he's found the Messiah, he goes
straight to Nathaniel. And this is what he says to
Nathaniel. We have found the one Moses
wrote about in the law, the one about whom the prophets wrote so
Phillip reclaims. The Messiah has arrived the one,
the whole Old Testament has been prophesying about.
So here we have explicit confirmation that the Jews in
Jesus time believed that the whole Old Testament even as
early as Moses made predictions about the coming Messiah,
sometimes you'll hear Scholars. May be critical Scholars will
say that. The Jews in Jesus time.
Didn't know that most of the Old Testament pointed towards the
Messiah. Maybe the Christians just sort
of read that into it later in history or maybe it was a second
temple development will hear. Philip explicitly says even
Moses has been talking about this man.
So apparently it was a widespread belief that the
entire Old Testament is pointing towards one figure who is to
come and he says to Nathaniel, he is Jesus, Son of Joseph from
Nazareth. Now, they didn't have.
Last names or surnames in that culture.
So most people would just called X son of Y.
So here we have Jesus, Son of Joseph and that's what Jesus was
known as across most of Israel. Although interestingly at
Nazareth, he is known as Jesus, Son of Mary and there's some
interesting reasons for that as well.
So he tells Nathaniel that, this Jesus guy is from Nazareth.
And then Nathaniel says, from Nazareth, can anything good come
from that place. So Nathaniel is a bit skeptical.
Why is that? Well, we can only guess really
but it seems that Nazareth was not particularly well regarded
at that time, it was sort of a Backwater Town.
It only had a population of around 300 people, so Nazareth
is a very small town and he thinks that nothing.
Nothing significant can come from Nazareth.
He probably thinks it might come from maybe Jerusalem but not
from Nazareth. And that's a theme that keeps
coming up in the gospel later, the Jewish leaders say, how can
this man be the Messiah? He's from Nazareth.
So it's this theme that keeps coming up and so this is
Phillips response. Come and see, that's exactly
what Jesus said to Peter and Andrew in the previous passage.
So it's that same language, come and see.
So Philip Rings Nathaniel to Jesus verse 47.
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, he said of him.
Now, to understand this next bit, we need to sort of read
ahead of it. We later, learn that Jesus had
seen Nathaniel earlier and when he saw Nathanael earlier, he
apparently looked deep into Nathaniel's heart.
And he knew him intimately straight away.
So, at that first site, that Jesus saw Nathanael, Jesus knew
Nathaniel, and he knew that Nathaniel was destined to become
an apostle. So there's this quite beautiful
intimacy here. So when Jesus saw Nathanael
coming this time He says, there is an Israelite who deserves the
name or some translations or say behold an Israelite indeed.
Jesus earlier have looked into Nathaniel's heart and had seen
that this man is truly worthy of being called an Israelite.
Now, not everyone in this time was worthy of the name but Jesus
says Nathaniel is he's a true Jewish person and he adds on his
incapable of Deceit, or duplicity more.
Literally there. What it says is he is in him,
there is no guile We're not told why he's called that, but
apparently it means and that Nathaniel According To Jesus,
always tells the truth and he does not deceive people.
This might occur some 32 verse 2, which says this blessed is
the man who to whom the Lord imputes.
No guilt in whom whose spirit is no deceit.
So Jesus sees that that's Nathaniel and that impresses
Jesus. Verse 48.
Nathanael says, how do you know me?
And Jesus says before, Philip came to call you.
I saw you under the Fig Tree. So, apparently, when Jesus first
saw him Nathaniel was sitting under a fig tree and that was a
pretty common tree in Israel. Maybe he was sitting there to
get some shade from the hot Israel son.
So Jesus saw him then and looked into his heart.
Now, as soon as Jesus now, says to Nathaniel here, I saw you
earlier under the Fig Tree, Nathanael answered him, Rabbi
you are the son. Son of God.
You are the king of Israel. Now, that's a huge statement in
one breath Nathaniel. Recognizes that Jesus, he calls
him to things. He is the king of Israel which
means Messiah and Son of God. This is very early on.
Even before Jesus starts his ministry, we have you Nathaniel
recognizing Jesus is the Messiah at a minimum?
Now, this latter term, he calls him.
Son of God. This could mean one of two
different things so he could be Using it as a synonym for king
of Israel maybe it means the same thing as king of Israel
that would make sense given the context because Old Testament
kings in the Old Testament often called sons of God.
So if you look at 2nd Samuel, 7 verse 14 and then in some of the
Psalms as well, the king of Israel is often called the Son
of God. They're made Sons by Covenant
allow adoption the Kings of Israel.
So maybe that's what Nathaniel means here when he sends you are
the Son of God. Maybe he means You are the king,
the God has appointed. He could also mean it in the
theological sense that we think of his literally, the Son of
God. Now, that's something that Jesus
only gradually reveals later. So maybe Nathaniel is the first
person to recognize that Jesus is the son of God for him to
recognize that, he must be cooperating with God's grace and
that's pretty incredible. And if that's true, that means
that Nathaniel is indeed a true Jew as Jesus indicated because
he's open to the spirit of God. Now, what triggered this whole
reaction. Why did he all of a sudden go?
Well, you're the Son of God because all Jesus said was I saw
you under the Fig Tree, something about that triggers
Nathaniel what's so special about this idea of a fig tree?
Well, it seems that Nathaniel Knows His Old Testament, very
well because there's some prophecies from the Minor
Prophets, which talked about the coming Messianic, age being
related to fig trees Particularly if you look at
Zechariah Chapter 3 Verse 10 and then Micah chapter 4 verse 4,
they both use the same language, they talked about how in the
Messianic age, neighbors will invite one and under one
another, under their fig trees and later, Judaism had come to
link these passages with the coming of the royal branch.
That was a title they given for the Messiah.
In fact Zechariah uses that title for the Messiah.
So they put together these various teachings of Zechariah
and others. And determined that there's a
connection between the Messiah and fig trees.
Now, it's possible that Nathaniel also made here, a link
with the word Nazareth, which Philip mentioned earlier,
because the Hebrew word for branch is Nestor.
And apparently, Nazareth is named after the Hebrew word for
branch. So maybe all of those things
combined leads Nathaniel to realize Jesus is the Messiah.
So he says you are the Son of God, the king of Israel.
Verse 50. Jesus replied.
You believe that just because I said I saw you under the Fig
Tree, you will see greater things than that.
So Jesus basically uses you ain't seen nothing yet and that
probably means Jesus knows and if they're Niall is going to
become one of the Apostles that follows him, he then finishes by
saying this I tell you most solemnly or truly truly, I say
unto you. And now, he's going to use this
term son of man. Now that needs a bit of
unpacking. This is the last of a series of
successive titles, which have been progressively revealed for
Jesus in chapter 1. So, if you read the Gospel of
John chapter 1, there's all these different titles of Jesus
mentioned Lamb of God, obviously Jesus called John, the Baptist
calls him, that Son of God, Rabbi Messiah is used of him.
And then in today's passage, we have the one about whom Jesus,
wrote king of Israel and then Finally son of man.
So all of these titles have apparently been building to son
of man and that's Jesus. Preferred term for himself, the
background for son of man is Daniel chapter 7 so Jesus
doesn't invent this term. Son of man, if you look at
Daniel 7:13-14, it actually talks about this figure in
heaven who subscribed as one, like a son of man who appears on
the clouds, and he receives God's Everlasting, Universal
kingship. So it's A royal title for the
Messiah and then some later Jewish writings that didn't make
it into the Bible. So 1 Enoch.
And for Ezra, they both talked about the son of man as this
pre-existing Heavenly being who is going to come and exercise
Judgment at the end of time. So there's some quite
interesting things that the Jews believed about the son of man.
And now Jesus comes along and says, I'm the son of man,
interesting. So here's what he says in the L2
Nathaniel you will see Heaven later.
Open and above the son of man, the angels of God ascending and
descending. What it actually says here is
the Angels descending and ascending upon the son of man.
So there's a connection here between the angels and the son
of man. It's an interesting phrase,
isn't it? So firstly, we have to say here,
that Jesus is alluding to Jacobs dream in Genesis 28, verses 11
to 15. So you might know, Jacob's dream
where he has the vision of the ladder.
Jacob sees this great ladder, that Angels move up and down.
On Between Heaven and Earth. And it seems that Jesus has
taken this image that the Jacob sees in the Old Testament, the
vision and he puts himself, the son of man into the vision.
He says, you'll see Angels ascending and descending to
heaven on the son of man. So the son of man is now in the
vision. What does that mean?
Why does Jesus say the son of man is involved in the Angels
ascending and descending from Heaven?
You could mean, a few different things, maybe Jesus.
Here means the son of man is The place where Heaven touches
Earth. Maybe he means the Southern Man
is the gateway to heaven in his salvation says maybe he means
the son of man is God's dwelling place and that would certainly
fit with something. John the Apostle said earlier in
verse 14 remember he said God tabernacled among his men.
He dwelt amongst men in Jesus so maybe that's what's meant maybe
Jesus means the son of man will be the mediator through whom
Angels exercise their Ministry. All of these might be Ended by
when Jesus paints this picture of the Angels ascending and
descending on the son of man. Now, the word here, when he
says, you will see Heaven laid open, it's actually a plural
you. So this is intended for all
disciples in the context of Nathaniel seeing this.
What when would Nathaniel see these things happening?
You'll see have unload open, will this promise of Jesus to
Nathaniel could be interpreted one of two different ways.
It could be an exaggeration or hyperbole.
Maybe Jesus means something like this, you will see amazing
Heavenly things in the next few years and you'll see me become
I'm the chosen one who brings Heaven to Earth, maybe he means
it, symbolically maybe he's literally telling the Faneuil
that he's actually going to see that Vision because apparently
at the Ascension, something like that happened.
There was Angels ascending and descending just before the
Ascension. So either of those could be in
view here. That is the end of today's
passage and it's the end of John chapter 1.
So, the very next thing that happens is the famous wedding of
Cana at the start of John Chapter 2.
And that is only three days later after this episode, that
is red on the second Sunday of in ordinary time in year.
See so it's red once in the liturgical year and then some
countries also have it on January 6th or 7th depending on
how the dating of the The Epiphany works.
But certainly it's on the second Sunday in ordinary time in year.
See Let's now turn to the catechism.
What is the catechism have to say about this passage paragraph
878 makes an interesting application here about what the
role of priests is in the New Covenant and how each priest is
called individually. It says it belongs to the
sacramental nature of ecclesial Ministry, that it have a
personal character. Although Christ's ministers act
in communion with one another. They also always act in a
personal way. Each one is called personally,
You follow me in order to be a personal witness within the
common mission, to be a personal responsibility before him, who
gives the mission acting in his person.
And for other persons. I baptize you in the name of the
father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, I absolve you.
So there, the catechism makes a really interesting point.
It says that each of Christ's ministers priests and Bishops in
order for them to do their role effectively and in order for
them to do things in the name of Jesus, they need To be called by
Jesus. Personally, just as Philip was
In this passage, otherwise, their Ministry is not going to
be effective. So, that's a really interesting
link to this text. That's the end of today's
podcast. Hopefully you learn something
new and will continue to move through the gospels in the
coming days.