NIV Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition - Flipbook - Page 23
page 1799
1:49
gver 38; Mt 23:7
hver 34; Mt 4:3
iMt 2:2; 27:42;
Jn 12:13
1:51
3:16
28:12
lMt 8:20
jMt
kGe
2:1
mJn 4:46; 21:2
nMt 12:46
•
J ohn
2:3
49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, g you are the Son of God; h you are the king of
Israel.” i
50 Jesus said, “You believe a because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see
greater things than that.” 51He then added, “Very truly I tell you, b you b will see ‘heaven
open, j and the angels of God ascending and descending k on’ c the Son of Man.” l
Jesus Turns Water into Wine (22 )
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. m Jesus’ mother n was there,
2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine
was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
2
a
50 Or Do you believe . . . ? b 51 The Greek is plural. c 51 Gen. 28:12
CERTAIN PEOPLE are refreshingly direct,
and they help others around them think clearly.
Such was the friend Philip tracked down after
he began to follow Jesus—a devout Jew from
Cana named Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew). Their exchange regarding the identity of
Jesus gives a helpful glimpse at the practical and cautious faith of the men Jesus called as his
disciples. They believed but not easily.
Philip knew he had news for Nathanael. They shared a common interest in anticipating the longawaited Messiah of Israel. But Nathanael didn’t immediately accept Philip’s glowing endorsement
of Jesus as the one they were expecting. In Nathanael’s view, Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth made
any claim about him suspect. Undaunted, Philip invited Nathanael to “come and see” (John 1:46).
Ultimately, our experience with Jesus may catch others’ attention, but genuine faith will only
rise in them as they discover Jesus themselves. Our task is to make the introduction. Jesus has
his own ways of connecting with those he came to save.
When the doubtful Nathanael approached Jesus, he was greeted with a compliment. Jesus
recognized his integrity, and Nathanael felt known. Not only did Nathanael acknowledge and
respond to Jesus as the one he had been waiting for, but he also realized that Jesus had actually
been waiting to meet him. Countless men and women have been drawn to Jesus when they
finally discovered that he was already seeking them—that he already knew them. Perhaps this
has also been true for you.
Nathanael (Jesus’ Disciple)
Strengths and
accomplishments:
• Skeptical but honest in making decisions
• One of God’s people anticipating the Messiah
Weaknesses
and mistakes:
• Shared the misunderstandings of the other disciples about Jesus
Notable fact:
• One of Jesus’ original 12 disciples
Lessons from
his life:
• Honest questions come from a heart and mind that sincerely want to know the truth.
• God knows us intimately long before we meet him.
Vital statistics:
• Where: Cana
• Contemporaries: Jesus, John the Baptist, Philip and the other disciples
Key verse:
“When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, ‘Here truly is an Israelite
in whom there is no deceit.’” (John 1:47)
Nathanael’s story is told in the Gospels, especially in John 1:43-51; 21:1-2. He is listed among the disciples as Bartholomew in
Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13.
through. A dishonest person will feel uncomfortable. You can’t pretend
to be something you’re not. God knows the real you and wants you to
follow him.
1:51 This is a reference to Jacob’s dream recorded in Genesis 28:12.
As the unique God-man, Jesus would be the ladder between heaven
and earth. Jesus was not saying that they would see the ladder with
their eyes, like some of them would see the Transfiguration; he was
saying that they would have spiritual insight into Jesus’ true nature and
purpose for coming. The disciples understood this prediction better
after Jesus’ resurrection.
2:1-3 Weddings in Jesus’ day were weeklong festivals. Banquets would
be prepared for many guests, and a week would be spent celebrating the
new life of the married couple. Often the whole town would be invited,
and everybody would c ome—it was considered an insult to refuse an
invitation to a wedding. To accommodate many people, careful planning
was needed. To run out of wine was more than embarrassing; it broke
the strong, unwritten laws of hospitality. Jesus was about to respond
to a heartfelt need.
2:1-2 Jesus was on a mission to save the world, the greatest mission
in the history of humankind. Yet he took time to attend a wedding and
take part in its festivities. We may feel a certain duty or obligation not
to take time out from our “important” work for social occasions. But
maybe these social occasions are part of our mission. Jesus valued these
wedding festivities because they involved people, and Jesus came to be
with people. Our mission can often be accomplished in joyous times of
celebration with others. Bring balance to your life by bringing Jesus into
times of celebration with others as well as times of work.