John 1:43-51

Set-Up

Jesus decides to head to Galilee - the working-class district. He finds Philip and gives him a simple command: “Follow me.” Philip doesn't hesitate and runs to find his friend Nathanael.

Philip tells him that this Jesus is one they’ve been waiting for, but Nathanael is a total cynic. 

He drops the most famous insult in the New Testament:

“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

This is pure geo-snobbery: Nazareth was a nowhere town, the kind of place elites made fun of. 

Nathanael is saying: The Messiah? From the sticks? No way.

Philip gives him the only answer that matters:

“Come and see.”

Jesus isn’t offended by the insult; in fact, He loves the attitude:

“Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!”

Jesus prefers an honest skeptic to a fake believer.

Nathanael is stunned. 

“Where did you get to know me?”

Jesus shocks him to his core:

“I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

I have no idea what Nathanael was doing under that tree - praying, crying, or just thinking - but it was a private moment. 

Jesus is saying: I see you, even when you were invisible. 

Jesus then references Jacob’s dream of a ladder to Heaven - naming Himself the Ladder.

The religious system said you had to climb up to God through rules, sacrifices, and the Temple. Jesus says: The flow moves both ways, and I am the bridge. 

The Takeaways

God Comes from the Margins.

Can anything good come out of Nazareth? The answer is always Yes. God loves to show up in the places society despises.

Skepticism is Welcome.

Jesus didn't reject Nathanael for his doubt or his sarcasm. He praised him for his lack of deceit. Be honest with God.

"Come and See."

You can't argue someone into the Kingdom. You have to invite them to experience it.

You Are Seen.

Jesus sees you under the fig tree—in your private pain, your hidden hope, and your solitude. You are known.

Jesus is the Bridge.

Forget the stairway to heaven. Jesus is the open connection where the divine meets the human.

The Good News:

Is that prejudice is a liar. The best things often come from the places we write off.

The Good News is that you don't have to fake anything to get Jesus's attention. He loves a "no deceit" attitude. He sees you exactly as you are- skepticism, ego, and all - and still invites you to His inner circle. 

And that inner circle? It’s the realization that heaven is not a gated community. It’s open, active, and happening right here on Earth through the person of Jesus.

(Artwork: Come and See, Lauren Wright Pittman)