2nd Sunday after Epiphany
January 15th, 2006
Vicar Michael Monterastelli
Text: John 1:43-51
In the Name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear fellow found ones,
In our text for today, John records that Jesus found Philip. That is how salvation works. God must find us. We give Him no reason to do this wonderful work of finding us. He comes looking for us for no other reason than that: He wants to. We can’t even begin to understand why God would want to find us. But He does. This is the grace of God which is beyond all understanding.
Jesus found Philip doing what he always did. And then Jesus said: “Follow me.” And so Philip followed. The Word of the Lord is powerful stuff. He created the heavens and earth out of nothing. Even though Lazarus would be wrapped in death shrouds, Jesus’ words would raise him from his tomb. And even though Philip was nothing but a sinner, what Jesus said to him was able to make him trust and follow.
But Philip had faith. The words of the prophets had been read to him. His heart had been prepared by the Law of Moses, seeded with the promises of the prophets, and watered with John’s Baptism of repentance. By the will of God, he had diligently listened to those words, with the result that the Spirit of Christ in him yearned to see the Messiah (1 Peter 1:10-11). Philip had God-given faith in the Messiah — faith given through God’s Word. He had heard the promises. He had faith in what the promises promised. And what they promised was a Messiah who would be the Savior of the nations. It was in the Messiah that he hoped. When the man from Nazareth walked into Philip’s native land, He was a sight for strained eyes. The object of Philip’s faith, the object of your faith, the object of father Abraham’s faith, has appeared in the Man, Jesus of Nazareth. When the light of the world, Jesus of Nazareth, bid him: “Follow Me”, Philip followed. In his zealous fever, Philip wondered who else he could tell about the Man from Nazareth. He thought of Nathanael, who practically lived under a certain fig tree. In those days, instead of seminaries and universities, some men would study scripture under a fig tree. That’s where Nathanael was when Jesus saw him. So Philip went to tell Nathanael about Jesus. But he did not tell him about his faith, but about Jesus of Nazareth, the object of his faith.
Jesus had found and called Philip. And Philip found this Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah promised in Scripture. So Philip went and found Nathanael and declared the good news: Eureka! We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is the Nazara, the twig, or shoot from the stump of Jesse. Philip found the fruit born from a branch of Jesse’s roots (Isaiah 11:1).
On sinful men and women, the words of Jesus, while powerful, do not always have the effect He and we desire. Nathanael reminds of us that. Even with all his study under the fig tree, before he did anything, he questioned, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” His words drip with cynicism. Nathanael had read the Scriptures. He knew the heart of men is motivated by self-interest. This Nazarene wouldn’t be the first false prophet he’d ever heard of. False prophets still come even these days. But you know better. How’s that saying go? “Trust everyone, just don’t trust the devil inside them.” As a result, we often live guarded lives because we fear men rather than God. Living with sinful men, that’s just the way it is, but not with Jesus of Nazareth.
Sometimes, like Nathanael, we have our lives so well guarded, we actually guard it from Jesus, the source of all life. This is no way to live life, now or in eternity. Can anything good come from Nazareth? Can anything good come from such an under-privileged place? Or can anything good come from humble weakness? Like Nathanael, our hearts can also be cynical about God’s promises to act for our benefit in this world.
Except for John, there hadn’t been a real prophet of the Lord in those parts for hundreds of years. Even with all those words of Moses and the Prophets, Nathanael had not foreseen the Messiah coming from Nazareth. He knew Scripture never mentioned the town of Nazareth. A small home town like Nazareth does not seem very appropriate for the very Son of God. The Son of God should come in a more remarkable way, rather than unexpected, like a thief in the night. But just as the Magi looked for the one who had been born king of the Jews in the kingly city of Jerusalem, so also did Nathanael expect to see something more majestic than what God had planned. Can anything good come from Nazareth? But Philip persisted in his loving proclamation by bidding Nathanael, “Come and see!”
So while Philip believed and followed, Nathanael doubted but still investigated with his friend. Together they went to see this new Moses, this new prophet, this new king. But this king is like none other. Besides being born in a stable and raised in a little-known town, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews (INRI), knows Nathanael before he even begins to know Jesus. “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
For Jesus (the God who saves), seeing is knowing. He sees and knows you too. He knows all the things you wish your family and friends knew about you. He knows you like no one else does, or can. He knows your likes and dislikes. He knows what upsets you and why. He knows your loves and fears. If you dare to think about the deepest fears that haunt you or weary you — Jesus sees them and what they do to you. He knows you. Jesus knows! Without asking, He knows you inside and out. If you ever feel like no one really knows or understands you, those feelings are wrong.
He even knows the things you wish no one knew — the secrets you’d like to forget — the thoughts you’d like to hide. After hearing loving correction, how often have you heard some version of the warning: “don’t talk to me like you know me, you don’t know me, how dare you tell me anything!” Oh, Jesus knows! If we say He doesn’t, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). And cleansed you are on earth and in heaven by the very words of Jesus. That is God’s will for your life.
Just as the Lord saw Nathanael under the fig tree before he was called by Philip, so also, the Lord sees you in your home, in the classroom, in this house of worship. Under whatever tree you spend your time, he sees and knows you. In fact, like Jeremiah, the Lord knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb (Jer. 1:5).
Jesus, God in the flesh, knew Nathanael. And Nathanael believed and confessed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” But Jesus promised he would see greater things than this work of knowing. Greater things? Yes, greater things. Just as Jacob was shown the angels of God first ascending and then descending on a ladder stretching all the way from earth to heaven, so will Nathanael see the angels of God first ascending and then descending on the Son of Man. By following Jesus, Nathanael also saw water turned into wine, the sick made well, the lame walk, and the dead rise. But the greatest thing he saw probably appeared like the worst thing ever. He saw the object of his faith (Jesus of Nazareth) forlorn and forsaken of all goodness.
The cynicism behind the question “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” could be multiplied to infinity in this question “Can anything good come from a torn and beaten man on a cross?” The one who said ‘follow Me’ would Himself be led, willingly, to Calvary like a Lamb to the slaughter. “Can anything good come from the bloody death of Him about whom Moses and the Prophets wrote?”
Yes, Nathanael witnessed the Son of God Himself, not only submit and die, but also rise from the grave. He saw the Son of God become like us in every way. By taking our sin on Himself, He became just like us – subject to death. On a not-too-distant Friday night, the Son of God would conquer death by dieing. And even though Jesus died, He did not stay dead. What could be greater than seeing the creator of the world willingly suffer the death you deserve, and then rise again? Oh but you, O Christian, you will see great things along with Nathanael. You and Nathanael will see the risen Son of Man return in all His glory on the Last Day. You will hear the trumpet blast. You will see the dead rise. You will see the one Holy Christian and Apostolic Church prevail against the gates of hell. Like Stephen, you will see the Son of Man, not sitting, but standing at the right hand of God to welcome you into his eternal kingdom. “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and [like Jacob and Nathanael, you will see] the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
In +Jesus’ Name, Amen.
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Vicar Michael Monterastelli
Text: John 1:43-51
In the Name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear fellow found ones,
In our text for today, John records that Jesus found Philip. That is how salvation works. God must find us. We give Him no reason to do this wonderful work of finding us. He comes looking for us for no other reason than that: He wants to. We can’t even begin to understand why God would want to find us. But He does. This is the grace of God which is beyond all understanding.
Jesus found Philip doing what he always did. And then Jesus said: “Follow me.” And so Philip followed. The Word of the Lord is powerful stuff. He created the heavens and earth out of nothing. Even though Lazarus would be wrapped in death shrouds, Jesus’ words would raise him from his tomb. And even though Philip was nothing but a sinner, what Jesus said to him was able to make him trust and follow.
But Philip had faith. The words of the prophets had been read to him. His heart had been prepared by the Law of Moses, seeded with the promises of the prophets, and watered with John’s Baptism of repentance. By the will of God, he had diligently listened to those words, with the result that the Spirit of Christ in him yearned to see the Messiah (1 Peter 1:10-11). Philip had God-given faith in the Messiah — faith given through God’s Word. He had heard the promises. He had faith in what the promises promised. And what they promised was a Messiah who would be the Savior of the nations. It was in the Messiah that he hoped. When the man from Nazareth walked into Philip’s native land, He was a sight for strained eyes. The object of Philip’s faith, the object of your faith, the object of father Abraham’s faith, has appeared in the Man, Jesus of Nazareth. When the light of the world, Jesus of Nazareth, bid him: “Follow Me”, Philip followed. In his zealous fever, Philip wondered who else he could tell about the Man from Nazareth. He thought of Nathanael, who practically lived under a certain fig tree. In those days, instead of seminaries and universities, some men would study scripture under a fig tree. That’s where Nathanael was when Jesus saw him. So Philip went to tell Nathanael about Jesus. But he did not tell him about his faith, but about Jesus of Nazareth, the object of his faith.
Jesus had found and called Philip. And Philip found this Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah promised in Scripture. So Philip went and found Nathanael and declared the good news: Eureka! We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is the Nazara, the twig, or shoot from the stump of Jesse. Philip found the fruit born from a branch of Jesse’s roots (Isaiah 11:1).
On sinful men and women, the words of Jesus, while powerful, do not always have the effect He and we desire. Nathanael reminds of us that. Even with all his study under the fig tree, before he did anything, he questioned, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” His words drip with cynicism. Nathanael had read the Scriptures. He knew the heart of men is motivated by self-interest. This Nazarene wouldn’t be the first false prophet he’d ever heard of. False prophets still come even these days. But you know better. How’s that saying go? “Trust everyone, just don’t trust the devil inside them.” As a result, we often live guarded lives because we fear men rather than God. Living with sinful men, that’s just the way it is, but not with Jesus of Nazareth.
Sometimes, like Nathanael, we have our lives so well guarded, we actually guard it from Jesus, the source of all life. This is no way to live life, now or in eternity. Can anything good come from Nazareth? Can anything good come from such an under-privileged place? Or can anything good come from humble weakness? Like Nathanael, our hearts can also be cynical about God’s promises to act for our benefit in this world.
Except for John, there hadn’t been a real prophet of the Lord in those parts for hundreds of years. Even with all those words of Moses and the Prophets, Nathanael had not foreseen the Messiah coming from Nazareth. He knew Scripture never mentioned the town of Nazareth. A small home town like Nazareth does not seem very appropriate for the very Son of God. The Son of God should come in a more remarkable way, rather than unexpected, like a thief in the night. But just as the Magi looked for the one who had been born king of the Jews in the kingly city of Jerusalem, so also did Nathanael expect to see something more majestic than what God had planned. Can anything good come from Nazareth? But Philip persisted in his loving proclamation by bidding Nathanael, “Come and see!”
So while Philip believed and followed, Nathanael doubted but still investigated with his friend. Together they went to see this new Moses, this new prophet, this new king. But this king is like none other. Besides being born in a stable and raised in a little-known town, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews (INRI), knows Nathanael before he even begins to know Jesus. “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
For Jesus (the God who saves), seeing is knowing. He sees and knows you too. He knows all the things you wish your family and friends knew about you. He knows you like no one else does, or can. He knows your likes and dislikes. He knows what upsets you and why. He knows your loves and fears. If you dare to think about the deepest fears that haunt you or weary you — Jesus sees them and what they do to you. He knows you. Jesus knows! Without asking, He knows you inside and out. If you ever feel like no one really knows or understands you, those feelings are wrong.
He even knows the things you wish no one knew — the secrets you’d like to forget — the thoughts you’d like to hide. After hearing loving correction, how often have you heard some version of the warning: “don’t talk to me like you know me, you don’t know me, how dare you tell me anything!” Oh, Jesus knows! If we say He doesn’t, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). And cleansed you are on earth and in heaven by the very words of Jesus. That is God’s will for your life.
Just as the Lord saw Nathanael under the fig tree before he was called by Philip, so also, the Lord sees you in your home, in the classroom, in this house of worship. Under whatever tree you spend your time, he sees and knows you. In fact, like Jeremiah, the Lord knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb (Jer. 1:5).
Jesus, God in the flesh, knew Nathanael. And Nathanael believed and confessed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” But Jesus promised he would see greater things than this work of knowing. Greater things? Yes, greater things. Just as Jacob was shown the angels of God first ascending and then descending on a ladder stretching all the way from earth to heaven, so will Nathanael see the angels of God first ascending and then descending on the Son of Man. By following Jesus, Nathanael also saw water turned into wine, the sick made well, the lame walk, and the dead rise. But the greatest thing he saw probably appeared like the worst thing ever. He saw the object of his faith (Jesus of Nazareth) forlorn and forsaken of all goodness.
The cynicism behind the question “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” could be multiplied to infinity in this question “Can anything good come from a torn and beaten man on a cross?” The one who said ‘follow Me’ would Himself be led, willingly, to Calvary like a Lamb to the slaughter. “Can anything good come from the bloody death of Him about whom Moses and the Prophets wrote?”
Yes, Nathanael witnessed the Son of God Himself, not only submit and die, but also rise from the grave. He saw the Son of God become like us in every way. By taking our sin on Himself, He became just like us – subject to death. On a not-too-distant Friday night, the Son of God would conquer death by dieing. And even though Jesus died, He did not stay dead. What could be greater than seeing the creator of the world willingly suffer the death you deserve, and then rise again? Oh but you, O Christian, you will see great things along with Nathanael. You and Nathanael will see the risen Son of Man return in all His glory on the Last Day. You will hear the trumpet blast. You will see the dead rise. You will see the one Holy Christian and Apostolic Church prevail against the gates of hell. Like Stephen, you will see the Son of Man, not sitting, but standing at the right hand of God to welcome you into his eternal kingdom. “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and [like Jacob and Nathanael, you will see] the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
In +Jesus’ Name, Amen.
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
posted by Luther Memorial Chapel at
1/16/2006
