With the Lord's help, I'd like
to draw your attention to that passage of scripture that we
were considering last Lord's Day, which is to be found in
the first chapter of John's Gospel, from verse 43 through to the
end of the chapter. We started last Lord's Day considering,
first of all, the context of this passage, the context of
the first chapter of John's Gospel, and we saw something, I trust,
of the beauty and the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. and John
saying to his disciples, behold the Lamb of God, and then saying
in the next day to two of his disciples, behold the Lamb of
God who followed the Lord Jesus Christ, and when asked what seek
ye, they said unto him, Rabbi, which is to say, being interpreted,
Master, where dwellest thou? And they followed the Lord Jesus
Christ. Then from verse 43, We read how
that Jesus went to find Philip. If we look into the fourth chapter
of John's Gospel, where we have the account of the woman of Samaria,
he It says concerning the Lord Jesus
in verse 4 of that chapter and he must need to go to Samaria. Why was that? Because he had
an appointment, although the woman didn't know, he had an
appointment with the woman of Samaria. He must go. through
Samaria to meet with this woman at the well. And likewise here,
in verse 43 of this chapter, chapter 1, the Lord Jesus must
need to go forth into Galilee, although it doesn't actually
say that. The day following, Jesus would go forth into Galilee
and find Philip. He had an appointment with Philip. he was to meet with Philip and
Philip would be called by the Lord Jesus Christ to follow him
and he said unto him follow me And then Philip, we are told,
findeth Nathanael. And it's to do with Nathanael
that I'd like to, with the Lord's help, speak this morning. Philip findeth Nathanael in verse
46. Nathanael asks Philip, can any
good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip said unto him, Come and
see. Nathaniel had asked the question. Philip, sorry, I should
say, had said to him, We have found him of whom Moses in the
law and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth. If we turn
back to Deuteronomy chapter 18, we read how that the Lord said
to Moses that he would raise up prophets like unto himself
Deuteronomy 18 and verse 18 I will raise them up a prophet from
among their brethren like unto thee and I will put my words
in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command
him now we're told that Moses was a man who was meek and the
Lord Jesus Christ was meek. You know the hymn, Gentle Jesus,
meek and mild. Now, we mustn't confuse meekness
with weakness. The Lord Jesus Christ was not
weak, neither was Moses weak, but there was that quality in
Moses given to him by the Lord, and there was that quality in
the Lord Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity of meekness.
He was lowly and meek. and he was a prophet raised up
from among his brethren. He was born in the land of Israel
and the two Gospels, Matthew and Luke, trace his genealogy
through the various generations. He was raised up from their brethren. and he received the words of
his mouth, of God's mouth, and he spoke those words. His words were spirit, and they
still are, words of spirit and life. And then Nathanael asks
this question, can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, come and
see. So Nathanael comes, is brought by Philip to the Lord Jesus,
and the Lord Jesus seeing him says, behold, in Israelite indeed,
in whom there is no God. And we're brought straight away
to remember the occasion of Jacob wrestling with with the Lord
by the brook Javuk he wrestled with a man that night the pre-incarnate
second person of the Trinity and he prevailed Nathaniel was
an Israelite one who prevailed you remember how Jacob wrestled
and he prevailed with the one with whom he wrestled and he
was changed from being Jacob to Israel his name was changed
but not only was his name changed but also his nature Jacob was
a deceiver Jacob was a liar Jacob was a cheat and he was changed
to be a prince who had prevailed with God. He became Israel. And the Lord Jesus Christ is
saying to Nathanael, you are not a deceiver. You're someone
in whom there is no guile. You have met with God. You have
met with the Redeemer. And you are a prince who has
prevailed with God. And so Nathanael asks this question,
whence knowest thou me? and the Lord Jesus said before
that Philip called thee when thou was under the fig tree I
saw thee now the significance of that is that the fig tree
was as I said last Lord's Day the fig tree was the place where
Nathaniel would have gone to spend time in meditation, time
in prayer you see the fig tree in the east is a tree that is
full of foliage and it grows something similar to a bell tent
and so between the trunk, the main trunk and the outer leaves
there is a space that he would have gone to and he would have
spent time there in prayer and that's the significance of the
Lord Jesus saying that but when I saw thee under the fig tree
no one else could have seen him because of the thickness of the
foliage only the Son of God could have seen and known that he was
there and so we went on to speak about the secret place last Lord's
Day we spoke from Psalm 91 he that dwelleth in the secret place
of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty
and we saw that the secret place is a place of shade shade from
the heat of the day shade from the temptations that the child
of God experiences and then it's a place of safety where no one
can see him it is a place of safety seen only and known only
unto God and our Lord Jesus Christ is that place of safety to change
the figure we speak about the rock
being the place of safety rock of ages cleft for me let me hide
myself in thee let the water and the blood from thy riven
side which flowed be of sin the double cure cleanse me from its
guilt and power and it's a place of freedom and liberty for whom
the sun sets free is free indeed. And so with the Lord's help this
morning I'd like to go on and consider something of the reply
that Nathanael gave to the Lord Jesus, and there we find that
in verse 49. Nathanael answered and said unto
him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of
Israel. Nathaniel was obviously amazed
at the answer that he'd received from the Lord Jesus Christ and
those words were applied to him and so he makes this rejoinder
Rabbi thou art the Son of God thou art the King of Israel The
three titles then given to the Lord Jesus Christ in this place.
First of all, Rabbi, and we've seen that the word Rabbi means
master. In verse 38, then Jesus turned
and saw them following and said unto him, what seek ye? they
said unto him, Rabbi, which is to say, being interpreted, Master,
where dwellest thou? so Nathanael is saying that the
Lord Jesus Christ is a Master or He is the Master we'll come
on to that in a few moments time so that's the first title that
Nathanael gives to the Lord Jesus, Rabbi then the second title is
the Son of God Thou art the Son of God and then the third title
is Thou art the King of Israel each title is true the Lord Jesus
you remember is there in Matthew when he spoke to his disciples
he asked the question Whom say Amen that I am? and Peter answers
Thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God Here in this place,
the title is given by the Apostle Peter to the Lord Jesus is that
he is the Christ, that he is the anointed of God. We mentioned
that the Lord Jesus was a prophet like unto Moses a few moments
ago. Well, the Lord Jesus had three offices. He is the anointed
of God, he is anointed prophet, he is anointed priest, and he
is anointed king. I just refer you in passing to
Isaac Watts' hymn concerning the titles and the names of the
Lord Jesus Christ. He says, join all the glorious
names of wisdom, love and power that evermortals knew. All are to me to speak his word,
to me to set my Saviour forth. And Peter says, the heart of
Christ, the anointed of God. And then he says, the heart of
the Son, is quite certain, Peter is quite certain, having been
given this revelation that the Lord Jesus speaks about. He says,
Thou art the Son, the Son of God, the Son of the living God. He says he's the Son of God and
then he's the living God. Because if God is living, then
the Son of God must also be living. And again, we are reminded of
those words in Revelation, the first chapter of Revelation,
where John sees the Lord Jesus walking in the midst of his churches,
and the Lord Jesus Christ addresses John and says, Fear not, I am
the first and the last. I am he that liveth. and was
dead and behold I am alive forevermore amen and have the keys of hell
and of death the Lord Jesus Christ is alive and here in verse 49
Nathaniel gives these three titles to the
Lord Jesus Christ I don't think that we have time to deal with
the three titles but I'll tell this morning with the Lord's
help to just look at the first of the titles Rabbi Nathanael
answered and said unto him Rabbi notice that this word means Master
but Nathaniel is saying, because of the construction of the Greek
text that underlies our authorized version, the construction of
the Greek text implies that Nathaniel is saying, thou art, you are
the master, the master, not a master, he more or less says that I can
go to any rabbi in the country of Israel into all the synagogues
of the time and the rabbi that will speak he will not come anywhere
near what you are you are the master you are the one you are
not just a master you are not just a rabbi but you are the
chief rabbi thou art the rabbi thou art the son of God He qualifies
that statement of Rabbi by adding this phrase, this clause, the
heart, the son of God. Well, he says that because only
the Lord Jesus Christ would have known where he was previously,
that he was there in the secret place. No one else could see
him. but he was there and the Lord
Jesus Christ saw him he is the one that searches the hearts
the Lord Jesus Christ is the one that searched the heart of
Nathanael and he searched the heart of Nathanael and he found
that by grace he was an Israelite indeed and one in whom there
was no guile, there was that new nature there in his heart,
implanted by the Spirit of God. You see, our Lord Jesus Christ
is the searcher of hearts. The psalmist speaks in Psalm
139 of his desire, search me, O God, and know my heart, try
me, and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way
in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. And Jeremiah likewise,
after he said that the hearts is deceitful, above all things,
and who can know it? And he answers that question,
I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give
every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of
his doings. Has the Lord searched our hearts?
God granted that he might indeed search our hearts and that he
might see if there is the root of the matter to be found in
us now the root of the matter is that work of grace Has there
been that work of grace in our hearts? Have we been brought
by the Spirit of God to confess that He is Lord and God? We read
earlier this morning from that 20th chapter of John's Gospel
that Thomas was not there in that upper room where the disciples
were gathered for the fear of the Jews. That same evening That
same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the
doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled for fear of the
Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst of them and said unto
them, Peace be unto you. But it says that Thomas was not
with them when Jesus came. But then he was there. He came
the following Lord's Day in the evening, and Thomas was there.
there was that gentle rebuke given to Thomas there in verse
29 Thomas, because thou hast seen me thou hast believed, blessed
are they that have not seen and yet have believed We do not see
the Lord Jesus literally face to face. There will be one day,
if we are a child of God, that we will see the Lord Jesus. One
day there will be a day when we come face to face with the
Lord Jesus Christ and that glorious day in heaven. when all God's
people are called from time into eternity on that final day when
Christ will present his own people to his father when he says I
and the children which thou hast given me we will see the Lord
Jesus but by faith we see him not with these eyes but with
the eye of faith we look upon him who was pierced remember
those words in Zechariah chapter 13 and verse 1 where it says that we will be
given the spirit of grace and of supplication and then it goes on to say they shall
look upon him who was pierced have we been brought to look
upon the Lord Jesus Christ to look upon him who was pierced
for us? what a mercy it is that we are
brought to see the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, what do we mean
by this title, Rabbi? Well, there are three things
that we can understand by this word, this title that is given
to the Lord Jesus. First of all, that he is a great
man, that the Lord Jesus Christ was a great man and then secondly
we can understand that he is a teacher for that was what the
occupation of the rabbi was to teach the word of God and then
to understand that he is a master as we've seen from verse 38 which
being interpreted is master and again we read in John's gospel
where where Mary says she turned herself
and said unto him that is to the Lord Jesus Rabboni which
is to say Master but unfortunately the translation doesn't express
it there in its fullness Rabboni is a term of affection and it
means my master it literally means my master she turned herself
and saith unto him Rabboni which is to say my master well the
Lord Jesus Christ was a great man What a great man he is, the
son of God. Turn with me if you would to
Philippians chapter 2 and you'll see something of the greatness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians chapter 2 and verse
7. We'll start at verse 5. Let this mind be in you which
was also in Christ Jesus, who being of the form of God, thought
it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men. And being found in fashion as
a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross. he was a great man he was the
second person of the Trinity he is the second person of the
Trinity but he was found in fashion as a man born under the law that
he might redeem those that are under the curse of the law and
here Paul sums up the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ he made
himself a no reputation he came from the glories of heaven the
eternal son of God found in fashion as a man he made himself with
no reputation he laid his glory by he wrapped him in our clay
and marked by human eye the latent Godhead lay our God contracted
to a span incomprehensibly made man he laid all that glory by
for we see on the Mount of Transfiguration a glimpse of that glory We see
that the curtain, as it were, was drawn back and something
of the glory was revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ. But he
made himself of no reputation. And then Paul goes on to say
he took upon him the form of a servant. He became a servant,
and we see that servitude expressed in the 13th chapter of John's
Gospel, where the Lord Jesus Christ took a towel and wrapped
it round him, and a basin of water. And he who made the worlds,
he who made all things, took a basin of water and washed the
feet of his disciples. he made himself a servant and
then he was made in the likeness of men like us in all things
yet without sin born under the law to redeem those that were
under the curse of the law Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 16 it says
for verily he took not on him the nature of angels but he took
on him the seed of Abraham wherefore in all things it behoved him
to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and
faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation
for the sins of his people he was in the likeness of man he
humbled himself and he became obedient unto death what a mercy
it is that the Lord Jesus Christ became obedient the Lord Jesus
Christ is the second Adam if we look at the first Adam we
find that he was not obedient he was commanded to tend the
garden he was commanded to look after the creation but he was
commanded not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil and he disobeyed he was not obedient but the second Adam
oh he was obedient he was obedient in his life he was obedient in
the obeying of the law he was obedient in his death he came
down to this sinful world to die for sinful rebels he was
obedient unto death even the death of the cross so he prayed
that that cup might pass from him but he said nevertheless
not what I will but what thou wilt." He was a great man. but he was a man like you and
I yet without sin and yet he is the eternal man because he
is the eternal son of God God and man together in one person
a unique person not just an ordinary person but a unique person the
son of God and then in the second place Rabbi means teacher he
is the teacher at the end of the Sermon on the
Mount we are told that the people were astonished at the Lord Jesus
and it came to pass when he had ended these sayings the people
were astonished at his doctrine for he taught them as one having
authority and not as the scribes he is the teacher have we been
taught by him? have we been taught to look away
from self? or self likes to exalt itself self likes to uplift itself
and say that it can do great things and do wonders in the
eyes of God we can do nothing we can do absolutely nothing
He is the one that teaches us by His Spirit that we are sinners
and that we have broken the law and that we are totally and utterly
and wholly dependent upon Him have we been taught by Him? and
we've been taught that the Lord Jesus Christ is the teacher it
is that teaches the truth of the gospel to the
disciples when they came to him and asked for the explanation
of the parables he said to you it is given to know the mysteries
of the kingdom of God to everyone of the election of grace it is
given to them to know these things to be brought to understand the
truth of the gospel to be brought to walk in the narrow way the Sanhedrin sent the temple
guard to to apprehend the Lord Jesus and
they returned without him saying never man spake like this man
you see he has an authority there is an authority in the words
of the Lord Jesus Christ he speaks and listening to his voice new
life the dead receive the mournful broken hearts rejoice the humble
poor believe oh there is an authority in the words of the Lord Jesus
Christ. The Lord Jesus stands by the
tomb of Lazarus and shouts, Lazarus, come forth, and he which was
dead came forth. He stands at the bed of the little
maid and says, tell her to queue by. Little maid, I say unto you,
arise. And he speaks with the same authority
today. What a mercy it is that he speaks
with that authority. On the cross of Calvary, he said,
it is finished. And that voice of authority was
such that the veil of the temple was rent in twain. And he speaks with a voice of
authority today to everyone given to him in covenant bond. There
is a period, writes Kent, known to God, when all his sheep, redeemed
by blood, shall leave the hateful ways of sin, turn to the fold,
and enter in. The appointed time rose on a
pace not to propose, but call by grace to change the heart,
renew the will, and turn the feet to Zion's hill." Do you
know anything about that call? Do you know anything about that
voice speaking in your heart? Do you know anything about that
work of grace of being turned? turn from your sinful past turn
from sinful self and brought to the Lord Jesus Christ he is
the teacher and then he is the master rabbi which is to say
being interpreted master where dwellest thou? he is the master. One came to the Lord Jesus Christ,
and it's recorded there, for us in the third chapter of John's
Gospel, and the Lord Jesus says to him, when Nicodemus cannot
understand what the Lord Jesus Christ is speaking about when
he speaks about the second birth, and he asked that question, art
thou a master in Israel and knowest not these things? Nicodemus,
a rabbi, a pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, he didn't understand
those things. The natural man, says Paul, receiveth
not the things of the spirits, but the Lord Jesus Christ is
the master. He is the master. Well, what
kind of master is the Lord Jesus? Very quickly, He's a single master. Isaiah verse 26 and verse 13
says, O Lord our God, other lords beside Thee have had dominion
over us, but by Thee only will we make mention of Thy name.
In the past, Israel is saying, we've had other gods, we've worshipped
other gods, we've served Baalim, but by Thee only a single master
by thee only shall we make mention of thy name he is a glorious
master to Peter and chapter 1 and verses 17 and
18, for he received from God the Father glory and honor when
there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, this
is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and this voice which
came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy
mount. He is a single master, he is
a betrayed master, He is a glorified master and as I said he is a
betrayed master. Judas betrayed him. Peter betrayed
him because he denied all knowledge of him. have we ever been in that position
where we have denied and betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ God granted
we are never brought to that position that we might be found
faithful to him in all our things and then is a caring master casting
all your care upon him for he careth for you do you have a
burden? do you have those things that
weigh you down Bunyan writes about Pilgrim with that great
burden upon his back and he goes by the way of the Wicket Gate
to Calvary's Cross and the burden falls from off his back into
the abyss what a mercy it is that when we are burdened by
sin when we are burdened by our sinful state by our fallen nature
that by the Spirit's gracious enabling we are brought to Christ
and the burden that we carry rolls off our backs into the
abyss what a mercy it is and that when we as a child of God
carry burdens that we can take our burden to the Lord in prayer
well can we say with Mary Rabboni I mentioned earlier that the
word Rabboni literally means my master a term of endearment
a term of affection Nathaniel comes to the Lord Jesus and he
says Rabbi thou art the Son of God thou art the King of Israel,
he falls as it were at the feet of the Lord Jesus and calls him
Rabbi. Master, Mary looks at the Lord
Jesus and says Rabboni, my master. I've read a good few commentaries
on this passage of scripture and commentators say well perhaps
Mary only saw this person in the peripheral vision of her
eyes perhaps she couldn't see clearly through the tears in
her eyes utter nonsense it was not given to her to see
the Lord Jesus until she heard that voice and then the veil
was taken away and she saw The Lord Jesus. And the inference
from verse 17, touch me not, for I am not yet ascended, is
that she wanted to grab hold, as it were, upon the Lord Jesus
and not let him go. But others had to see and hear
and know the Lord Jesus, so the Lord Jesus said, touch me not.
for I am not yet ascended to my father but go to my brethren
and say unto them I ascend to my father and to your father
and to my God and your God and then the provisions of the last
discourse of the Lord Jesus recorded in John 14 to 16 would be fulfilled. When the Lord Jesus ascended
into heaven, the Spirit would be sent by both the Father and
the Son upon his disciples. And so the Spirit of God, who
brings us to see the truth, is with the church with his people
today as we come to a close can we say as we look at the Lord
Jesus by faith Rabboni my master Rabbi Nathaniel answered and
said unto him Rabbi thou art the Son of God thou art the King
of Israel God grant that we might each be brought to that place
where we confess not only that the Lord Jesus Christ is Rabboni,
Rabbi, but that he is also our Lord and that he is God, for
his name's sake. Amen.