Following after Jesus #34

 Jesus had begun to call disciples to follow after Him. After the first round of His draft, John tells us:

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son."

Jesus intentionally went to find and call Philip.  Philip then went and found Nathanael, and told Him about meeting Jesus.  Nathanael was skeptical because of Jesus being from Nazareth, but he was not so skeptical that he did not come and see. There is nothing wrong with a certain amount of skepticism about what we are told, but there is a problem if we prejudge before we "come and see."  Nathanael does not stay a skeptic very long. Why? What was it that turned him 180 degrees in a split second?  It was because when he met Jesus, he realized right away that Jesus knew all about him, including what he had been meditating on when under that tree. That is a resounding theme we will find as we follow after Jesus. The woman at the well in Samaria proclaimed: "He knew all about me." Repeatedly the gospel writers note that Jesus "knew what was in the heart of man." Because of that, and often despite that, Jesus wants us to come and follow Him. Jesus knows all about you-your past, your present thoughts, and your intentions for your future. He also offers forgiveness for your past, direction for your present, and a far more significant future, if you will follow Him.