A Hesitant Skeptic

Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the  fig tree, I saw you." (John 1:18)

When Nathanael first heard of Jesus, he was a bit skeptical. "Can any thing good be from Nazareth?" he asked his friend Philip (John 1:46). As far as Nathanael was concerned, Philip's declaration that he had found the long awaited Messiah was nonsense. There was no way that it could be true. 

Despite his skepticism, Nathanael followed Philip to see who this Jesus was. And when he saw Nathanael , He said, "Here is truly an Israelite, in whom there is no deceit" (verse 47). Nathanael was undoubtedly shocked at the revelation. How did Jesus know who he was? They had never met before. Then Jesus said something even stranger: "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. "How was that even possible? Amazed by this  Nathanael  devoted himself to following Jesus.

When you first heard of Jesus, did you believe? Or were you a little skeptical too? Did you, like Nathanael, question God's goodness because it came from a place you didn't expect? Are you hesitant now to accept that the Jesus you've heard of could be a Savior?

Jesus sees you and knows you, even if you aren't really convinced of him. His power and ability are not dependent on your belief in him. Even still, He welcomes the hesitant skeptic to join Him and follow Him. And when we, despite our questions, choose to follow Him, we will find that He has always known us. 

Questions to Ponder:

• Do you believe Jesus knows who you are?

• Has He met you in your skepticism?

• After a long struggle, have you devoted yourself to following Jesus?

In His Service,
Terry Phillips