Okay, John chapter 1. Let's read our text one more
time, 48 to 51. Actually, let's read 47. 47 to 51. Jesus saw Nathanael
coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in
whom is no guile. Nathanael said unto him, Whence
knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto
him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the
fig tree, I saw thee. And Nathanael answered and said
unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King
of Israel. Jesus answered and said unto
him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree,
believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things
than these. And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, Hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of
God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." Isn't that
wonderful? Our Lord just spoke to Nathanael
before Nathanael said a word. He saw him coming and Nathanael
didn't say a word. And the Lord said, Behold, an
Israelite indeed, in whom is no God. In Nathanael's response
in verse 48, Nathanael said unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Whence knowest thou me? How do
you know who I am? How do you know who I am? Clearly, Nathanael doesn't know
who he is, right? In verse 45 it says, Philip findeth
Nathanael, and said unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses
in the Law and the Prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the
son of Joseph. Now I'm sure Nathanael had read
all about him. I'm sure he had, in the books
of Moses. I'm sure Nathanael had heard
of him, right? And Philip said, we found the
one that Moses was writing about. You know all that stuff we've
heard and all that stuff we've read? Come and see him. And when
Philip brings him to the Lord and the Lord says, in Israelite
indeed and whom is no guile, he goes, how do you know me?
How do you know who I am? Nathanael is confronted by Him,
and the Lord immediately tells Nathanael, I'm omniscient. That means I know everything.
I know everything. He said, how do you know me?
I know everything about you, Nathanael. I know everything
about you. Nathanael says, whence knowest thou me? How do you know
me? Who are you? Who do you think
you are that you know me? How do I know you? Known unto God are all His ways
from the beginning, right? Nathanael, don't you know I've
known everything about you since the foundation of the world? Look at Ecclesiastes 12. Go over
to Ecclesiastes 12 after Proverbs. Known unto God are all His ways
from the beginning. Ecclesiastes 12, and this is after death, when
somebody dies, okay? Look at verse 7. Then shall the
dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit, or the soul,
shall return unto God who gave it. God is the one who originally
gave it. Nathanael, I'm the one who put
the soul inside your body. Isn't that something? Nathanael,
I paired that soul with that body. I put those two together. I formed thee in the belly."
When your mother was pregnant with you, I'm the one. You know
how you go and you get those ultrasounds and they say, well,
look at this, look at this. I'm the one who formed you in the
belly. I was doing that. Before I formed
you in the belly, I knew you. Now go to Psalm 139. I know everything from the beginning.
I'm the one who put your soul inside you. I'm the one who formed
you in the belly. Now look at Psalm 139 verse one. Oh Lord, thou hast searched me
and known me. Thou knowest my down sitting
and my uprising. Thou understandest my thought
afar off. You know what I'm going to think.
Not only do you know what I think, you know what I'm going to think
before I ever even think it. Thou compassed my path and my
lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is
not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and
before, and laid thine hand upon me, I love verse six. Such knowledge is too wonderful
for me. When I think about everything
that you know about me and you've done for me and it is high, I
cannot attain unto it. Whither shall I go from thy spirit
or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up
into heaven, thou art there. If I make my bed in hell, behold,
thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost part of the sea, even there shall
thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me." There's
a man, we have an article by him in the bulletin today, Maurice
Montgomery. He's just a sweet, sweet, blessed
preacher of the gospel in Madisonville, Kentucky. And I believe it was him. He
went into the service. He was going overseas. I don't
know where he was going, but it was far away. And his dad,
who was a believer, put him on a bus. You know, he was probably,
I don't know, how old, 18? Put him on a bus and told him,
son, as you go out, remember, God goes everywhere. God goes
everywhere. You're not one bit safer here
in Madisonville, Kentucky than you are on the front lines. God
goes everywhere. Verse 10 says, Even there shall
thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. Verse 11,
If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night
shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not
from thee, but the night shineth as the day. The darkness and
the light are both alike to thee. It doesn't matter. For thou hast
possessed my reins, and hast covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are thy works, and
that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from
thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the
lowest part of the earth. That's the womb. Now look at
verse 16. Thine eyes did see my substance,
yet being unperfect, or immature, unformed. And in thy book all
my members were written, Everything about me. Everything that was
going to happen to me. Everything I was going to look
like when I came forth. All my members were written,
which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of
them. The Scripture says, the very hairs of your head are numbered. Numbered. Nathaniel said, how
do you know me? Look at verse 17. How precious also are thy thoughts
unto me? Oh God, how great is the sum
of them? Can you handle the thought of
this? Can you bear the thought of the
fact that the Lord takes, the Lord doesn't operate in time,
but the Lord takes time just to think about you. How precious also are thy thoughts
unto me. Today, when I was studying it,
and then as soon as I got home, I ate lunch, and I started studying
this again, and I entered into that, and I thought, Lord, please
help me re-say that, and I can. I'm not doing it right now. But
when I entered into this, I wish you could have been in my brain
right then. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me. Can
you imagine that God thinks about you. He's been thinking about us since
before the foundation of the world, and that has no beginning. Can you imagine that? He's been
thinking about His people specifically, all their parts, all their members,
all their hair, since before the foundation of the world.
From eternity to eternity. Now, how many thoughts do you
think He's had about you? How many thoughts? Do you honestly
think you could count those? Isn't that amazing? Verse 18 says, If I should count
them, Now, that's the thoughts about you. If I should count
them, they are more in number than the sand. It doesn't even
say the sand of the seashore. There's sand on inland. There's
a lot of sand. Every grain of sand. It's unbelievable
to think that there's a number in heaven as the sand of the
sea and the stars in the sky. But He's had as many thoughts
about you as there are grains of sand on this earth. That just
blows my mind. Go to verse 23. 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. Isn't that something? Nathanael
says, How do you know me? How do you know me? Verse 48
says in our text, John chapter 1, Nathanael said unto him, Whence
knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto
him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the
fig tree, I saw thee." Now, I've read some commentaries
on this, and most everybody said the Lord must have said more
things to Nathaniel than that. He must have really expounded
some things that really got Nathaniel's attention. Because he goes on
to say, Nathaniel said, Rabbi, Master, Thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel.
He must have really said some things to Nathanael. Now this,
this is something. Verse 48, the Lord said, before
that Philip called thee when thou was under the fig tree,
I saw thee. The fig tree, under the fig tree.
That's where I saw you. Turn over to Matthew 21. Matthew chapter 21 and look at verse 12. It says, And Jesus went into
the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought
in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers,
and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It
is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but
ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came
to Him in the temple, and He healed them. And when the chief
priest and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children
crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David,
they were sore displeased. And said unto him, Hearest thou
what these say? And Jesus said unto them, Yea,
have you never read, Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings
thou hast perfected praise? And he left them, and went out
of the city into Bethany, and he lodged there. Now in the morning,
as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw
a fig tree in the way, he came to it and found nothing thereon
but leaves only. And said unto it, let no fruit
grow on thence henceforward forever. And presently the fig tree withered
away. And when the disciples saw it,
they marveled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away?
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you,
If you have faith and doubt not, you shall not only do this which
is done unto the fig tree, but also if you shall say unto this
mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, it
shall be done. In all things whatsoever you
shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive." He comes
to a fig tree. He was hungry. He looked for
fruit. He didn't see any, just leaves.
He cursed the fig tree. It withered. The disciple said,
why did that fig tree wither so quickly? And he said, if you
have faith, That was his answer. If you have faith, and then he
went on to say that. Alright, now, look at Mark 11. This is
the same account in Mark. Mark 11, look at verse 12. And on the morrow, when they
were come from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing a fig tree
afar off having leaves, he came, if happily, or if his hap might
be, he might find anything thereon. And when he came to it, he found
nothing but leaves. For the time of figs was not
yet. And Jesus answered and said unto
it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples
heard it. And they come to Jerusalem. And
Jesus went into the temple and began to cast out them that sold
and bought in the temple and overthrew the tables of the money
changers and the seats of them that sold doves and would not
suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
And he taught saying unto them, is it not written, my house shall
be called of all nations, the house of prayer, but you have
made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and chief priests
heard it and sought how they might destroy him, for they feared
him, because all the people were astonished at his doctrine. And
when even was come, he went out of the city. And in the morning,
as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter, calling to remembrance,
said unto him, Master, behold the fig tree, which thou cursed
is withered away. And Jesus answering, saith unto
him, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, that
whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and
be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart,
but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come
to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto
you, what things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you
receive them, and you shall have them. And when you stand praying,
forgive, if you have ought against any, that your Father also which
is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do
not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive
your trespasses." He used this fig tree as an example and a
reason to tell them, have faith in God. And my margin right there says,
have the faith of God. Okay? Faith. Now turn with me to Genesis
3. He cursed the fig tree. Genesis chapter 3. Verse 6 says, And when the woman saw that the
tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes,
and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit
thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her,
and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were
opened. They saw their sin. And they
knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together
and made themselves aprons. Fig leaves. They covered themselves
and they tried to cover their sins with fig leaves. And the Lord said, Cursed is
the fig tree. The fig tree is man's own work. I will be like God. I'll cover
myself, I'll cover my shame with my own works. I'll sow my own righteousness.
The Lord said, The fig tree is cursed. The Lord told Nathaniel,
I've seen you in your own works. I've seen you. I've seen what
you've done. Your works are cursed, Nathaniel. Your works lead to death. But let me show you another work.
Let me show you a work that's already finished. Let me show
you a work that leads to life. Let me show you a work that's
a free gift to you. Turn with me to 1 Kings chapter
4. It's after Samuel. 1 Kings chapter
4. 1 Kings 4 verse 22, And Solomon's
provision, Solomon, King Solomon, the son of David, and he represents
Christ. And Solomon's provision for one
day was thirty measures of fine flour and threescore measures
of meal, ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and
in hundred sheep, besides harts, and roebucks, and fallow deer,
and fatted fowl. For He had dominion over all
the region, on this side the river, from Typsa even to Aza,
over all the kings on this side of the river, and He had peace
on all sides round about Him. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely,
every man under his vine." Every man dwelt under Solomon's vine. It was Solomon's meal, Solomon's
flour, Solomon's oxen, Solomon's sheep, Solomon's deer, Solomon's
pastors, and every man... Judah and Israel dwelt safely,
every man under his vine, and under His fig tree. From Dan
even to Beersheba. All the days of Solomon. His
work. Every man dwells safe. Every man is at peace if he's
under His work. Come and see the work of Jesus
Christ. Now let's look back at our text.
John 1 verse 49. Nathanael answered and said unto
him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of
Israel." When I see the words, Son of
God, this is what caused me to really think about this. There
was a woman who did not like the gospel in Rocky Mountain. couldn't stand the gospel to
the point that she made the statement, I hate your God. And then she
started feeling bad about it, it wasn't the Christian thing
to do. So she apologized and said, at least we can both believe
that Jesus is the Son of God. And that really puzzled me, because
I believe that. really made me think, where do
we differ? Because I know we don't believe
the same. Now, when I see the words, Son
of God, this helps me understand what that means. And I know I've
said this before and I'll say it again, but I think horizontally
instead of vertically. Religion thinks God the Father,
God the Son, and God the Spirit. They believe Jesus is the son
of God. But that's just it. They actually
believe he's less than God. He's less than God. God is a
trinity. These three are equal. These
three are one. Father, son and spirit, he's
the son of God the Trinity. Does that make sense? That's
where we differ. What Nathanael was saying here
is, Master, thou art God. You're God. I see it. I see your work. I see what you've
done. Thou art the King of Israel. Now, you'll be glad you turned
to this. I'm going to quit making you
turn. But go to Matthew 27, okay? Thou art the King of Israel.
I see your work. Master, Thou art God. Now look at this. Matthew 27
verse 42 says, He saved others Himself He cannot save, if He
be the King of Israel. You see that? They were mocking
Him, saying, you come on down from there. He can't do it, He's
not God. He saved others and Himself He
cannot save, if He be the King of Israel. That's exactly right. That's exactly right. He saved
others, Himself He cannot save. That's the only way they're going
to be saved. If He be the King of Israel. Master, Thou art God. You're the King of Israel. I
see the work now. I see it. Alright, our text, verse 50 says,
Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee,
I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? Thou shalt see
greater things than these. And he saith unto him, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Hereafter you shall see heaven opened,
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of
Man." At this time, at that moment in time, they didn't have the
New Testament. They didn't have the New Testament
yet. It wasn't written yet. All they had was the Law. Alright,
now this is, I love this. All they had was the Law. And
the Law was telling about somebody. It was trying to picture somebody.
We see it in the New Testament. It's the fulfillment of the Old
Testament. And now the New Testament says somebody's coming again
and we're in the same boat they're in. We're trying to look with
spiritual eyes and faith and things like that, but one day
we're going to see, we're going to know. Okay? Now, they didn't have the Old
Testament yet. All they had was the Law. And
Nathanael has just met the Christ, the point of the book, the subject
of both the Old Testament and the New Testament. And over the
next three years, Nathanael is most believed to also be called
Bartholomew. Over the next three years, he's
about to witness the New Testament being written. Physically. These men are seeing this and
then they run and start writing. Did you see what he did? He's about to watch it play out. He said, you're about to see
heaven open. Heaven has come down. You're about to see heaven open,
Nathanael. And the angels of God ascending and descending
upon the Son of Man. Nathanael, behold, you're an
Israelite indeed. You're a son of Jacob. You're
the seed of Jacob. And I'm about to show you what
I showed your father, Jacob. Okay? Go to Genesis 28. You got
to. Genesis 28. Verse 10 says, And Jacob went out from Beersheba,
and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain
place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set. And he took of the stones of
that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in
that place to sleep. And he dreamed and behold, a
ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God
ascending and descending on it." Alright, now go to verse 16.
And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord
is in this place. And I knew it not. And he was
afraid and said, How dreadful is this place! This is none other
but the house of God, And this is the gate of heaven. I see a ladder that's touching
the earth and the top of it leans into heaven. Surely the Lord is in this place. This, Christ, is the gate of
heaven. That ladder is the Son of Man. God, manifest in the flesh. Christ Jesus, the only mediator
between God and man, the door, the way. And He says to us here
today, now, those who He's revealed the truth to, because I've caused
you to believe, for the rest of your days here on this earth,
you're going to see heaven opened. The more you go, the more you
read, the more we learn, we're going to see heaven opened. Heaven's
going to open up. And the angels of God, and that
word means ministers, preachers, ascending and descending on the
Son of Man. Everywhere they go, everywhere
they teach will be on the Son of Man. That's it. All the way up, all the way down
is Christ. It's all about Christ. Isn't
that wonderful? John 1 is a wonderful chapter,
isn't it? Well, start John 2 next week. Pray the Lord will bless
it. Let's stand together.