Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” John‬ ‭1‬:‭46‬ ‭NRSV‬‬

Series: You are Invited

Devotional: 5 of 5

So far in this series, we have looked at three stories from the Gospels where Jesus extends an invitation to would-be-followers to apprentice under Him. An invitation to abide with Him in the ordinary moments of life, observe all He would do and say, and then extend His Kingdom offer to the ends of the earth.

Upon receiving Jesus' call to "follow me," each disciple responds in their own unique way. Andrew spends the day with Jesus, Philip runs to find a friend, and Matthew throws a dinner party for tax collectors and sinners.

However, upon hearing Philip's first-hand testimony about Jesus, Nathanael receives the news with an initial dose of skepticism.

John 1:45-47 tells us that" Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!"

"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" With these words, it is as if Nathanael is saying to Philip, "This picture of the coming Messiah that you are describing is not what I had imagined. I've been searching for the One whom Moses and the Prophets wrote about, and this Jesus doesn't fit neatly into that box."

Like Nathanael, you and I have a picture of Jesus that we hold deep in our hearts. Our picture may have been passed down to us from our parents. We may have picked it up from our past church experiences. Or worse yet, the image we hold of Jesus may have been formed by the entertainment we consume.

So, what can we learn from Nathanael's response to Philip?

Jesus can handle our skepticism.

We can take comfort in the truth that Jesus knows us intimately. He is willing to spend the necessary time with us to unpack our doubts and skepticism. And He is inviting us into the quiet place to transform our broken picture of who we expected Him to be.

Today, wherever you are on your journey of faith, bring your questions to Jesus. And as you share your testimony with others, allow them the same freedom to work out their skepticism in the safety of a community of apprentices.

OnThe3rdDay Devotionals

Devotionals that illustrate Biblical principles in a simple and short format that can be applied to your everyday life.

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