October 2, 2025 • 17 mins
The ancient scriptures didn't just predict Jesus—they revealed him. When Philip encountered Christ and immediately sought Nathanael, he framed his discovery not as personal opinion but as scriptural fulfillment: "We have found him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote." Though Nathanael's initial skepticism echoes our modern doubts, Philip's simple invitation—"Come and see"—bridges the gap between intellectual resistance and personal transformation.
What unfolds next captures the essence of authentic revelation. Jesus demonstrates supernatural knowledge about Nathanael's private moments under the fig tree, shattering his doubts and evoking a profound confession: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" This pattern of scripture pointing to Christ, followed by personal encounter, creates the foundation for genuine faith that can withstand cultural skepticism and spiritual deception.
The climax arrives when Jesus promises even greater revelation, referencing Jacob's ancient dream of a ladder connecting heaven and earth. With stunning clarity, Jesus positions himself as that very connection—the only mediator between God and humanity. This challenges our pluralistic assumptions about spiritual pathways and confronts churches that have replaced biblical proclamation with entertainment and self-help messages. Are we seeking a Jesus of convenience or the Jesus of scripture? The difference determines whether we're building on shifting sand or the solid rock that endures life's storms.
Have questions about how scripture reveals Christ in your life? Text us using the link in this episode's description. Your journey from doubt to devotion might begin with a simple "come and see" moment that transforms everything.
Please visit www.chosenbydesign.net for more information on Pastor Harry’s new book, "Chosen By Design - God’s Purpose for Your Life."
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
In the second part of our series Revealed and
Recognized, pastor Harry Behrensleads us through John, chapter
1, verses 43 to 51.
In part one, we saw Jesuspublicly revealed by John the
Baptist and personallyencountered by his disciples.
Now we see how scripture itselfreveals Jesus working hand in
hand with proclamation to pointus to the true Messiah.
(00:30):
This passage climaxes withNathanael's confession Rabbi,
you are the Son of God, you arethe King of Israel, and with
Jesus' promise that greaterrevelation is yet to come,
today's message calls us to be apeople grounded in the Word,
abiding in Scripture andanchored in Christ.
Here's Pastor Harry Behrenswith today's teaching.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Hello, welcome again to the Takeaway.
I'm your host, pastor HarryBehrens, and today we're going
to continue our series Revealedand Recognized.
In Part 1, we saw Jesusrevealed publicly by John's
testimony and encounteredpersonally by Andrew, simon,
peter and others.
Today, in Part 2, we turn toverses 43-51 in John 1, where
(01:18):
Scripture itself points us toChrist, showing that the Word
and proclamation work togetherto reveal Jesus for who he is.
Now let's pause here and makethis personal.
Just as Jesus called Philipwith a simple, life-changing
command follow me.
We need to ask are we ready tohear his voice when he calls?
That readiness only comes whenwe are grounded in scripture,
(01:42):
allowing his word to shape ourhearts and sharpen our ears.
If we are not anchored in theWord, we risk missing His
summons and being left behind,wondering where he is.
Scripture warns us that therewill be some who hear on the
final day.
Get away from me, I never knewyou, but those who abide in
Christ, who are prepared, as abride is ready for her
(02:04):
bridegroom, will hear instead.
Well done, good and faithfulservant.
So let us be a people who lovehis word, who live prepared and
who are ready to move at amoment's notice when he calls.
And with that thought in mind,john's gospel moves us forward
again.
He writes the next day, markingyet another step in this
(02:25):
unfolding revelation of Christ.
Let's look together at whathappens on this next day.
So, starting in verse 43, weread the next day, jesus decided
to go to Galilee.
He found Philip and said to himfollow me.
Now, philip was from Bethsaida,the city of Andrew and Peter.
Now, once again, john markstime.
The next day.
(02:45):
We now see the sequence of daysunfolding like a creation week,
each day building on the last,preparing the way for something
greater.
On this particular day, jesushimself takes the initiative.
He seeks out Philip and saysfollow me.
There is no persuasion, nobuild-up, just a direct call
from the Word made flesh.
(03:06):
Philip doesn't debate, delay orhesitate, he follows.
That's the power of Jesus' call.
When he speaks, hearts aremoved to obey.
The power of Christ's call isultimate, powerful, purposeful
and absolute.
Consider Paul on the road toDamascus blinded, humbled,
(03:26):
transformed in a moment by therisen Lord's voice.
Though Jesus' call to Philipseems subtle in comparison, it
is no less effectual.
The same divine authority thatturned a persecutor into an
apostle is at work here indrawing Philip to follow.
And if you are a believer today, that same call has come to you
.
It has reshaped your life,turning you into a person who
(03:49):
now desires to seek and knowJesus as he truly is revealed in
the scriptures.
Philip's obedience reminds usDiscipleship begins with trust
in the one who calls, and hiscall always accomplishes its
purpose.
And it doesn't end there.
The ripple of obedience alwaysspreads outward.
Notice what happens next.
(04:11):
Philip cannot keep the news tohimself.
His response to Christ's callnaturally overflows into witness
, which leads us to the nextscene In verses 45 to 46,.
Philip found Nathanael and saidto him we have found him, of
whom Moses in the law and alsothe prophets wrote Jesus of
Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
(04:32):
Nathanael said to him Cananything good come out of
Nazareth?
Philip said to him Come and see.
Now Philip cannot keep hisdiscovery to himself.
He finds Nathanael and framesJesus' identity with Scripture.
We have found him, of whomMoses in the law and also the
(04:52):
prophets wrote.
This is key.
Philip points to the authorityof God's Word.
Jesus is not just his personaldiscovery.
He is the fulfillment of God'spromises through the Old
Testament.
Now Nathaniel, however,hesitates.
His response drips withskepticism.
Can anything good come out ofNazareth.
Nazareth was an insignificant,obscure town.
(05:15):
Now surely Messiah couldn'tcome from there?
Nathaniel's assumptions cloudhis vision, just as our cultural
assumptions often do today.
But notice Philip's response.
He doesn't argue, debate or tryto win with clever words.
He simply says come and see.
He trusts that scripture,proclamation and personal
(05:36):
encounter with Jesus will dowhat arguments cannot.
The true witness points toChrist through scripture.
Philip didn't argue or defend.
He simply invited Nathaniel tosee the one whom the Scriptures
had foretold, and this is avital truth for us today.
Jesus warned that his sheep hearhis voice and follow him, but
(05:58):
those who are not of his flockwill not follow.
That means we must know hisvoice clearly.
And how do we know it?
By being grounded in his word.
Scripture is the written voiceof God, the safeguard that keeps
us from following false Christsand false teachers who seek to
lead the sheep astray.
The call to come and see is notcasual.
(06:20):
It is effectual.
From the beginning, we were hiswaiting for the moment.
Now let me read to you some ofthe very scriptures Philip
(06:47):
alluded to In Deuteronomy 18.15,.
We read the Lord, your God,will raise up for you a prophet
like me, from among you, fromyour brothers.
It is to him you shall listenIn Isaiah 9.
(07:17):
Verses 6-7, on the throne ofDavid and over his kingdom, to
establish it and to uphold itwith justice and with
righteousness, from this timeforth forevermore.
In Micah 5, verse 2, but you, oBethlehem Epitheth, who are too
little to be among the clans ofJudah, from you shall come
(07:40):
forth for me one who is to beruler in Israel, whose coming
forth is from of old, fromancient days.
Now.
Each of these passages pointedforward to Christ, and now
Philip sees them fulfilled inJesus of Nazareth.
This is why Nathanael had to beshown and why we must be
grounded in the scripturesourselves to recognize him
(08:02):
clearly, apart from the falsevoices of the world.
And it is at this point, withscripture ringing in our ears,
that we turn to Nathanael'spersonal encounter.
John continues in verses 47 to49,.
Jesus saw Nathanael comingtoward him and said to him
behold an Israelite, indeed, inwhom there is no deceit.
(08:24):
Nathaniel said to him how doyou know me?
Jesus answered him before.
Philip called you when you wereunder the fig tree.
I saw you.
Nathaniel answered him rabbi,you are the son of God, you are
the king of Israel.
Jesus sees Nathaniel anddeclares him, him an Israel in
(08:46):
whom there is no deceit, someonehonest, genuine, searching for
truth.
Nathanael is stunned how do youknow me?
And Jesus answers withsupernatural knowledge Before
Philip called you, when you wereunder the fig tree, I saw you.
This moment transforms Nathanael.
Skepticism melts intoconfession.
Rabbi, you are the son of God,you are the king of Israel.
(09:10):
The one who doubted nowproclaims Jesus as both divine
son and promised king.
Scripture had foretold a sonwho would reign in Psalm chapter
2, 7 to 8.
A king from David's line 2Samuel 7, 12-13.
Nathanael sees Jesus as thefulfillment of those promises.
(09:30):
But this moment is about morethan prophecy fulfilled.
It is about a Savior who knowsus personally.
Nothing is hidden from Him.
He sees our hearts, our motivesand our private lives, just as
he saw Nathanael under the figtree.
And what he longs for ishonesty Genuine seekers who come
(09:52):
to him with open hearts.
Nathanael's sincerity set thestage for transformation and
when he encountered Jesus, hisdoubt gave way to bold
confession.
If we will seek Jesus with thesame honest intent, he will meet
us where we are and radicallytransform our lives.
And that transformation leadsdirectly into Jesus' next words,
(10:15):
where he promises Nathaniel andall who believe that they will
see far greater things than this.
So, moving on to verses 50 to51, jesus answered him Because I
said to you I saw you under thefig tree.
Do you believe you will seegreater things than these?
And he said to him, truly,truly, I say to you, you will
(10:37):
see heaven opened and the angelsof God ascending and descending
on the son of man.
Jesus challenges in Nathaniel'sfaith because I said I saw you,
you believe you will seegreater things.
Then he points to something fargreater, a vision rooted in
Genesis 28, 12.
This is Jacob's dream of aladder reaching heaven.
(10:58):
Jesus identifies himself asthat ladder, the true connection
between heaven and earth, theaccess point to God.
To make sense of this, we needto recall Jacob's dream in
Genesis 28, verse 12.
Jacob, fleeing in fear, lay hishead on a stone and saw a
vision.
And he dreamed and behold,there was a ladder set up on the
earth and the top of it reachedto heaven.
(11:20):
And behold, the angels of Godwere ascending and descending on
it.
In that dream, jacob saw aglimpse of God's presence
breaking into the world.
For generations, the image ofthat ladder symbolized the hope
of heaven touching earth.
Now Jesus takes that familiarstory and says in effect, I am
that ladder.
I am the connection you havelonged for.
(11:41):
I am the meeting place betweenGod and man.
This is not about literalstaircase, it's about himself.
He is the way into the presenceof God.
Everything Jacob longed for,everything Israel hoped for,
finds fulfillment in Christ.
This is not a private miracle,it is a cosmic reality.
(12:04):
Jesus is the Son of man, theone through whom heaven is open
and God is made known.
Later, in John, chapter 14,verse 6, he makes the connection
unmistakable.
He says I am the way and thetruth and the life.
No one comes to the Fatherexcept through me.
Just as Jacob dreamed of aladder reaching to heaven, jesus
(12:27):
declares himself to be the onlyway into God's presence.
He is not one path among many,he is the path.
Every hope of heaven, everylonging for peace with God finds
its fulfillment in him, andthis ties directly back to
Nathanael's confession.
Nathanael declared Rabbi, youare the Son of God, you are the
(12:51):
King of Israel, because he sawin Jesus the fulfillment of
Scripture and the one who knewhim personally.
Now Jesus pulls back thecurtain even further, revealing
that he is more than King ofIsrael.
He is the very bridge betweenheaven and earth.
Nathanael confessed what hecould see.
(13:15):
Now, here is where Scriptureand Revelation converge.
The written word testifies, theproclaimed word invites and the
living word fulfills.
Jesus is the fulfillment ofevery promise and the bridge to
the Father.
Now this passage drives us to acrucial truth.
Scripture and proclamation arenot at odds.
(13:38):
They are partners.
John proclaimed, philipwitnessed, nathaniel encountered
and Scripture confirmed.
Now, today, the same patternholds true.
Faith comes from hearing, andhearing through the word of
Christ.
Romans 10, 17.
But here's the danger Too manychurches have abandoned this
(13:58):
model.
They replace proclamation withentertainment, scripture with
motivational talks, christ withself-help.
They build crowds but notdisciples.
They offer prosperity withouttransformation.
They attract people tothemselves rather than pointing
to Jesus.
Here's the piercing questionAre you seeking a Jesus of
(14:21):
convenience or the Jesus ofscripture?
Are you looking for a churchthat entertains or a church that
preaches Christ crucified?
The only foundation that willstand is the Word of God
proclaimed.
Faithfully, abide in the Word.
Anchor yourself in aBible-centered church that
(14:41):
points to Christ, not itself.
Build your life not on shiftingsand, but on the rock of God's
Word.
Seek Jesus as he is revealed inScripture the Lamb, the Messiah,
the Son of God, the King ofIsrael, the Son of man.
Remember Nathanael.
He came with honest questions,but because he encountered the
living Christ through witness ofScripture, his life was
(15:03):
transformed.
Scripture and encounter alwayswork together and when they do,
they lead to fuller revelationof Jesus.
Only when you are grounded inhim will you endure.
Only then will you see greaterthings, only then will you know
true life.
Nathaniel moved from doubt toconfession because scripture
(15:25):
pointed to him, to Christ, andJesus revealed himself
personally.
That is the pattern for us aswell Scripture reveals,
proclamation invites, encountertransforms and confession
follows.
Let's pray, father God, thankyou so much for today's word.
We thank you for the scripturesthat you have given us that
(15:50):
reveal Jesus to us.
That we can know the truth,separated from the lies of this
world.
That when Jesus calls, we canhear and know that it is him and
not some antichrist, not somefalse teacher.
I pray that you would open theears and the eyes of our
listeners today, that we'd begrounded in the scriptures,
knowing you, trusting you andhearing you.
(16:12):
That we could be obedient toyou, god, that we could live by
faith and not by sight.
So I pray that you continue toreveal the scriptures to us that
we could be grounded in yourtruth always and forever in
Jesus' name.
Amen.
Truth always and forever InJesus' name, amen.
(16:32):
Now, in our next episode, we'llstep into John, chapter 2, where
Jesus performs his firstmiracle at the wedding in Cana.
We'll see how this sign revealshis glory and calls us to
believe in him as theall-sufficient bridegroom.
And, as always, I want to thankyou for joining me today.
I pray this episode has helpedyou take a step closer in your
relationship with Jesus and thatyou now have a deeper
understanding of just how muchGod loves you and wants you to
(16:53):
know him.
And before we go, I want toencourage you to send us any
questions or comments you mayhave using the text us link in
the episode description.
Your input helps us shapefuture episodes that speak
directly to your needs and helpyou grow in your faith God bless
and we'll see you next time onthe Takeaway.
In the second part of our series Revealed and
Recognized, pastor Harry Behrensleads us through John, chapter
1, verses 43 to 51.
In part one, we saw Jesuspublicly revealed by John the
Baptist and personallyencountered by his disciples.
Now we see how scripture itselfreveals Jesus working hand in
hand with proclamation to pointus to the true Messiah.
(00:30):
This passage climaxes withNathanael's confession Rabbi,
you are the Son of God, you arethe King of Israel, and with
Jesus' promise that greaterrevelation is yet to come,
today's message calls us to be apeople grounded in the Word,
abiding in Scripture andanchored in Christ.
Here's Pastor Harry Behrenswith today's teaching.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Hello, welcome again to the Takeaway.
I'm your host, pastor HarryBehrens, and today we're going
to continue our series Revealedand Recognized.
In Part 1, we saw Jesusrevealed publicly by John's
testimony and encounteredpersonally by Andrew, simon,
peter and others.
Today, in Part 2, we turn toverses 43-51 in John 1, where
(01:18):
Scripture itself points us toChrist, showing that the Word
and proclamation work togetherto reveal Jesus for who he is.
Now let's pause here and makethis personal.
Just as Jesus called Philipwith a simple, life-changing
command follow me.
We need to ask are we ready tohear his voice when he calls?
That readiness only comes whenwe are grounded in scripture,
(01:42):
allowing his word to shape ourhearts and sharpen our ears.
If we are not anchored in theWord, we risk missing His
summons and being left behind,wondering where he is.
Scripture warns us that therewill be some who hear on the
final day.
Get away from me, I never knewyou, but those who abide in
Christ, who are prepared, as abride is ready for her
(02:04):
bridegroom, will hear instead.
Well done, good and faithfulservant.
So let us be a people who lovehis word, who live prepared and
who are ready to move at amoment's notice when he calls.
And with that thought in mind,john's gospel moves us forward
again.
He writes the next day, markingyet another step in this
(02:25):
unfolding revelation of Christ.
Let's look together at whathappens on this next day.
So, starting in verse 43, weread the next day, jesus decided
to go to Galilee.
He found Philip and said to himfollow me.
Now, philip was from Bethsaida,the city of Andrew and Peter.
Now, once again, john markstime.
The next day.
(02:45):
We now see the sequence of daysunfolding like a creation week,
each day building on the last,preparing the way for something
greater.
On this particular day, jesushimself takes the initiative.
He seeks out Philip and saysfollow me.
There is no persuasion, nobuild-up, just a direct call
from the Word made flesh.
(03:06):
Philip doesn't debate, delay orhesitate, he follows.
That's the power of Jesus' call.
When he speaks, hearts aremoved to obey.
The power of Christ's call isultimate, powerful, purposeful
and absolute.
Consider Paul on the road toDamascus blinded, humbled,
(03:26):
transformed in a moment by therisen Lord's voice.
Though Jesus' call to Philipseems subtle in comparison, it
is no less effectual.
The same divine authority thatturned a persecutor into an
apostle is at work here indrawing Philip to follow.
And if you are a believer today, that same call has come to you
.
It has reshaped your life,turning you into a person who
(03:49):
now desires to seek and knowJesus as he truly is revealed in
the scriptures.
Philip's obedience reminds usDiscipleship begins with trust
in the one who calls, and hiscall always accomplishes its
purpose.
And it doesn't end there.
The ripple of obedience alwaysspreads outward.
Notice what happens next.
(04:11):
Philip cannot keep the news tohimself.
His response to Christ's callnaturally overflows into witness
, which leads us to the nextscene In verses 45 to 46,.
Philip found Nathanael and saidto him we have found him, of
whom Moses in the law and alsothe prophets wrote Jesus of
Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
(04:32):
Nathanael said to him Cananything good come out of
Nazareth?
Philip said to him Come and see.
Now Philip cannot keep hisdiscovery to himself.
He finds Nathanael and framesJesus' identity with Scripture.
We have found him, of whomMoses in the law and also the
(04:52):
prophets wrote.
This is key.
Philip points to the authorityof God's Word.
Jesus is not just his personaldiscovery.
He is the fulfillment of God'spromises through the Old
Testament.
Now Nathaniel, however,hesitates.
His response drips withskepticism.
Can anything good come out ofNazareth.
Nazareth was an insignificant,obscure town.
(05:15):
Now surely Messiah couldn'tcome from there?
Nathaniel's assumptions cloudhis vision, just as our cultural
assumptions often do today.
But notice Philip's response.
He doesn't argue, debate or tryto win with clever words.
He simply says come and see.
He trusts that scripture,proclamation and personal
(05:36):
encounter with Jesus will dowhat arguments cannot.
The true witness points toChrist through scripture.
Philip didn't argue or defend.
He simply invited Nathaniel tosee the one whom the Scriptures
had foretold, and this is avital truth for us today.
Jesus warned that his sheep hearhis voice and follow him, but
(05:58):
those who are not of his flockwill not follow.
That means we must know hisvoice clearly.
And how do we know it?
By being grounded in his word.
Scripture is the written voiceof God, the safeguard that keeps
us from following false Christsand false teachers who seek to
lead the sheep astray.
The call to come and see is notcasual.
(06:20):
It is effectual.
From the beginning, we were hiswaiting for the moment.
Now let me read to you some ofthe very scriptures Philip
(06:47):
alluded to In Deuteronomy 18.15,.
We read the Lord, your God,will raise up for you a prophet
like me, from among you, fromyour brothers.
It is to him you shall listenIn Isaiah 9.
(07:17):
Verses 6-7, on the throne ofDavid and over his kingdom, to
establish it and to uphold itwith justice and with
righteousness, from this timeforth forevermore.
In Micah 5, verse 2, but you, oBethlehem Epitheth, who are too
little to be among the clans ofJudah, from you shall come
(07:40):
forth for me one who is to beruler in Israel, whose coming
forth is from of old, fromancient days.
Now.
Each of these passages pointedforward to Christ, and now
Philip sees them fulfilled inJesus of Nazareth.
This is why Nathanael had to beshown and why we must be
grounded in the scripturesourselves to recognize him
(08:02):
clearly, apart from the falsevoices of the world.
And it is at this point, withscripture ringing in our ears,
that we turn to Nathanael'spersonal encounter.
John continues in verses 47 to49,.
Jesus saw Nathanael comingtoward him and said to him
behold an Israelite, indeed, inwhom there is no deceit.
(08:24):
Nathaniel said to him how doyou know me?
Jesus answered him before.
Philip called you when you wereunder the fig tree.
I saw you.
Nathaniel answered him rabbi,you are the son of God, you are
the king of Israel.
Jesus sees Nathaniel anddeclares him, him an Israel in
(08:46):
whom there is no deceit, someonehonest, genuine, searching for
truth.
Nathanael is stunned how do youknow me?
And Jesus answers withsupernatural knowledge Before
Philip called you, when you wereunder the fig tree, I saw you.
This moment transforms Nathanael.
Skepticism melts intoconfession.
Rabbi, you are the son of God,you are the king of Israel.
(09:10):
The one who doubted nowproclaims Jesus as both divine
son and promised king.
Scripture had foretold a sonwho would reign in Psalm chapter
2, 7 to 8.
A king from David's line 2Samuel 7, 12-13.
Nathanael sees Jesus as thefulfillment of those promises.
(09:30):
But this moment is about morethan prophecy fulfilled.
It is about a Savior who knowsus personally.
Nothing is hidden from Him.
He sees our hearts, our motivesand our private lives, just as
he saw Nathanael under the figtree.
And what he longs for ishonesty Genuine seekers who come
(09:52):
to him with open hearts.
Nathanael's sincerity set thestage for transformation and
when he encountered Jesus, hisdoubt gave way to bold
confession.
If we will seek Jesus with thesame honest intent, he will meet
us where we are and radicallytransform our lives.
And that transformation leadsdirectly into Jesus' next words,
(10:15):
where he promises Nathaniel andall who believe that they will
see far greater things than this.
So, moving on to verses 50 to51, jesus answered him Because I
said to you I saw you under thefig tree.
Do you believe you will seegreater things than these?
And he said to him, truly,truly, I say to you, you will
(10:37):
see heaven opened and the angelsof God ascending and descending
on the son of man.
Jesus challenges in Nathaniel'sfaith because I said I saw you,
you believe you will seegreater things.
Then he points to something fargreater, a vision rooted in
Genesis 28, 12.
This is Jacob's dream of aladder reaching heaven.
(10:58):
Jesus identifies himself asthat ladder, the true connection
between heaven and earth, theaccess point to God.
To make sense of this, we needto recall Jacob's dream in
Genesis 28, verse 12.
Jacob, fleeing in fear, lay hishead on a stone and saw a
vision.
And he dreamed and behold,there was a ladder set up on the
earth and the top of it reachedto heaven.
(11:20):
And behold, the angels of Godwere ascending and descending on
it.
In that dream, jacob saw aglimpse of God's presence
breaking into the world.
For generations, the image ofthat ladder symbolized the hope
of heaven touching earth.
Now Jesus takes that familiarstory and says in effect, I am
that ladder.
I am the connection you havelonged for.
(11:41):
I am the meeting place betweenGod and man.
This is not about literalstaircase, it's about himself.
He is the way into the presenceof God.
Everything Jacob longed for,everything Israel hoped for,
finds fulfillment in Christ.
This is not a private miracle,it is a cosmic reality.
(12:04):
Jesus is the Son of man, theone through whom heaven is open
and God is made known.
Later, in John, chapter 14,verse 6, he makes the connection
unmistakable.
He says I am the way and thetruth and the life.
No one comes to the Fatherexcept through me.
Just as Jacob dreamed of aladder reaching to heaven, jesus
(12:27):
declares himself to be the onlyway into God's presence.
He is not one path among many,he is the path.
Every hope of heaven, everylonging for peace with God finds
its fulfillment in him, andthis ties directly back to
Nathanael's confession.
Nathanael declared Rabbi, youare the Son of God, you are the
(12:51):
King of Israel, because he sawin Jesus the fulfillment of
Scripture and the one who knewhim personally.
Now Jesus pulls back thecurtain even further, revealing
that he is more than King ofIsrael.
He is the very bridge betweenheaven and earth.
Nathanael confessed what hecould see.
(13:15):
Now, here is where Scriptureand Revelation converge.
The written word testifies, theproclaimed word invites and the
living word fulfills.
Jesus is the fulfillment ofevery promise and the bridge to
the Father.
Now this passage drives us to acrucial truth.
Scripture and proclamation arenot at odds.
(13:38):
They are partners.
John proclaimed, philipwitnessed, nathaniel encountered
and Scripture confirmed.
Now, today, the same patternholds true.
Faith comes from hearing, andhearing through the word of
Christ.
Romans 10, 17.
But here's the danger Too manychurches have abandoned this
(13:58):
model.
They replace proclamation withentertainment, scripture with
motivational talks, christ withself-help.
They build crowds but notdisciples.
They offer prosperity withouttransformation.
They attract people tothemselves rather than pointing
to Jesus.
Here's the piercing questionAre you seeking a Jesus of
(14:21):
convenience or the Jesus ofscripture?
Are you looking for a churchthat entertains or a church that
preaches Christ crucified?
The only foundation that willstand is the Word of God
proclaimed.
Faithfully, abide in the Word.
Anchor yourself in aBible-centered church that
(14:41):
points to Christ, not itself.
Build your life not on shiftingsand, but on the rock of God's
Word.
Seek Jesus as he is revealed inScripture the Lamb, the Messiah,
the Son of God, the King ofIsrael, the Son of man.
Remember Nathanael.
He came with honest questions,but because he encountered the
living Christ through witness ofScripture, his life was
(15:03):
transformed.
Scripture and encounter alwayswork together and when they do,
they lead to fuller revelationof Jesus.
Only when you are grounded inhim will you endure.
Only then will you see greaterthings, only then will you know
true life.
Nathaniel moved from doubt toconfession because scripture
(15:25):
pointed to him, to Christ, andJesus revealed himself
personally.
That is the pattern for us aswell Scripture reveals,
proclamation invites, encountertransforms and confession
follows.
Let's pray, father God, thankyou so much for today's word.
We thank you for the scripturesthat you have given us that
(15:50):
reveal Jesus to us.
That we can know the truth,separated from the lies of this
world.
That when Jesus calls, we canhear and know that it is him and
not some antichrist, not somefalse teacher.
I pray that you would open theears and the eyes of our
listeners today, that we'd begrounded in the scriptures,
knowing you, trusting you andhearing you.
(16:12):
That we could be obedient toyou, god, that we could live by
faith and not by sight.
So I pray that you continue toreveal the scriptures to us that
we could be grounded in yourtruth always and forever in
Jesus' name.
Amen.
Truth always and forever InJesus' name, amen.
(16:32):
Now, in our next episode, we'llstep into John, chapter 2, where
Jesus performs his firstmiracle at the wedding in Cana.
We'll see how this sign revealshis glory and calls us to
believe in him as theall-sufficient bridegroom.
And, as always, I want to thankyou for joining me today.
I pray this episode has helpedyou take a step closer in your
relationship with Jesus and thatyou now have a deeper
understanding of just how muchGod loves you and wants you to
(16:53):
know him.
And before we go, I want toencourage you to send us any
questions or comments you mayhave using the text us link in
the episode description.
Your input helps us shapefuture episodes that speak
directly to your needs and helpyou grow in your faith God bless
and we'll see you next time onthe Takeaway.
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