In this series we have seen how Jesus transformed a group of very down to earth characters who had plenty of faults, into extraordinary leaders who changed the world.
You may think of yourself as a very ordinary person, but there is far more potential in your life than you realise.
Today we are going to unlock the keys to truly seeking and finding God, through the example of another of the disciples – Nathanael. Nathanael was Philip’s close friend and is actually listed as Bartholomew in all four lists of the Twelve. Bartholomew is a Hebrew surname meaning “son of Tolmai”, so he is Nathanael, son of Tolmai, or Nathanael Bar-Tolmai.
There is very little written about Nathanael in the Bible. The gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, as well as the book of Acts, each mention him only once: when they list all 12 disciples. However, it is in John 1:45-51, where we read about the call he received from Jesus.
1. We must learn to be sincere people (John 1:47)
2. We must be people who conquer our pride (John 1:46; John 7:52; Galatians 3:28; 1 Peter 5:5)
3. We must be people who seriously seek for the Messiah (John 1:45; Matthew 7:11; John 1:50-51; Jeremiah 29:13; John 5:39)
Apply
1. We must learn to be sincere people. Although this is only a short window into Nathanael’s life, it shows us a lot about his character. Philip and Nathanael were close friends. Immediately after himself being called by Christ, Philip brought Nathanael to Jesus. The most important part of Nathanael’s character is revealed to us in John 1:47: “When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” What a compliment! Before Nathanael had said a word to Jesus, Jesus shows us the type of man Nathanael was: pure hearted from the very beginning. Now of course he had his faults, as we all do, but his love for God and his desire to see the Messiah was genuine. How easy is it these days for us have our hearts tainted? To allow the busyness of life and distractions to take away this characteristic to seek God with all our hearts? We need to learn to be sincere people. Being sincere is all about being genuine, with nothing hidden, no masks on. For the most part, the Israelites of Jesus’ day lived life under an appearance of religion and spirituality, but were hypocritical in their faith and worship of God. In contrast, Nathanael was authentic. Today we also live in a world that is highly cynical. Are we living authentic lives or are we living with masks, with one attitude and heart on a Sunday, but a completely different persona as soon as we step foot into the office or school? Nathanael’s example shows us the condition our hearts need to be in to be used by God. We need to let go of hypocrisy and embrace reality. Like the Pharisees of Nathanael’s time, have you allowed tradition, or religious routine to take over? How much do you need to get rid of unreality, of deceit in your life? God has really spoken to me through this preach about my own need to examine and guard my heart. All pride, deceit, stubbornness, bitterness, and dishonesty must go and be replaced with the all-consuming love of the Father. We need to come to a new level of reality about what are hearts are really coveting. Do we have sincere hearts like Nathanael?
2. We must be people who conquer our pride. Nathanael’s initial reaction to Philip’s invitation to meet Jesus revealed that his stumbling block to meeting Jesus was his own prejudice, his pride (John 1:46). His reaction was not a rational, or biblically based objection; it was based on simple emotion and bigotry. Nazareth was not a particularly wealthy, or well-connected town – and Nathanael was probably just echoing the Galilean people’s general contempt for the area. But here we see again how God takes pleasure in using the common, the ordinary and the lowly things of the world to bring great change, just like the 12 ordinary men we are looking at in this series! Pride is ugly. Pride cuts a lot of people off from the truth. In fact much of the nation of Israel rejected their Messiah because of pride (John 7:52). They were prejudiced against Jesus and looked down on Him because of where He came from and His uneducated background. Ultimately their pride against Jesus shut them off from the gospel. Now we might say we are Christians today, and that we believe Jesus was the Messiah, however, there are still so many sources of pride in our world and in the church that continue to close our hearts and prevent us receiving the gospel. Do we feel superior in any way because of our economic status, or social background; our ethnicity or even our generation (Galatians 3:28)? In our world today there is so much division along so many different lines. People look down on others based on what school or university you went to, what job you have. The Bible says that God resists the proud (1 Peter 5:5). Dealing with our pride is a big thing that God requires us to do before we can be used by Him. Any feeling of superiority in us has to go. The gospel is radical in this regard, Nathanael had to lose his pride and sense of superiority if Jesus was truly to be revealed to him. Whether your pride is rooted in social standing, or economic success, or even intellectual ability – today is the day to repent and open your heart to all peoples, just as the Bible instructs us.
3. We must be people who seriously seek for the Messiah. How Philip announced finding Jesus to Nathanael shows us that the truth of the scripture and Old Testament prophecies were of deep importance to Nathanael (John 1:45). Before Jesus had began working on Nathanael as a disciple there was already that spirit within him seeking for the truth, studying the scriptures for the promised Messiah who was missing from his life. Maybe today you find yourself in a similar circumstance, seeing the world around you and wondering where to find truth in a world that photoshops every picture, and news is increasingly tainted by opinion? Like Nathanael, if we too want to know God, we have to be sincere and we have to search. People are quick to ask where God is in the world today, but are we really seeking Him (Matthew 7:11)? We need to be real about how much effort we put into searching for God. Are we really asking and knocking, eg in prayers and in our devotion to studying God’s word? Are you fully seeking God in every area? In your devotional, in your Life Group, in serving on a Sunday, in your family, your business, are you giving your absolute best? Nathanael was never one of the half-committed followers of Jesus, he came to a full understanding and total commitment from day one of meeting Jesus. From that day on, he moved into a new dimension and a new destiny (John 1:50-51). That’s all we know about Nathanael from scripture. Early church records suggest he ministered in Persia and spread the gospel as far as India, and by all accounts he was eventually martyred for his faith. God is there to be known and found by those who seek Him with all their heart (Jeremiah 29:13). Search for yourself. It doesn’t matter whether you are younger, or older, or even if you think you’re an atheist. Don’t just believe the propaganda against Jesus and against the church, find out for yourself. Get a Bible, read the Bible, go through the gospels, and read for yourself who Jesus was and what He stands for. The scriptures testify of Jesus (John 5:39). CS Lewis, Nicky Gumbel and many others came to the place where they had to find out for themselves. They needed to see whether Jesus really was the son of God. Just like these men, Nathanael found the Lord and he discovered a greater future with the Lord. So today, do not hold back, be real before God as to the state of your heart, how authentic your faith really is. Renounce every proud attitude and allow Him to transform your life and launch you into the extraordinary calling He has for you. If you seek him with all your heart, he will be found.
