Why Was Nathaniel Hidden in the Fig Tree?

Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe?

John 1:50

Have you ever felt really known? Maybe someone who doesn’t know you said something to you affirming your personality or calling?

Every one of us longs to be fully known, loved and appreciated.

Nathaniel must feel similarly when Jesus, a total stranger, identifies him as guileless which means lacking deceit. Jesus tells him he saw him hidden under the fig tree. Jesus knows Nathaniel’s nature, motives, and hidden physical location.

There are differing ideas of what Nathaniel is doing within the confines of the overhanging branches of the fig tree. Two in particular would seem to go along with Jesus’s motive to convince Nathaniel Jesus is the Messiah.

First, Nathaniel was meditating on or studying the story of Jacob’s dream about angels going up and down the ladder in Genesis 28.

Secondly, Nathaniel was seeking information from God about the coming Messiah.

Both go along with the Jacob story because Jesus is saying he, himself, is the symbolic ladder predicted whereby people will have communication with heaven even though they are on earth. The gap between holy God and sinful man will be breached and the Messiah will destroy the power of sin separating man.

Nathaniel must think something like, Either this person is a stalker, saw me go under the tree, and I should reject what he says. Or I must conclude he’s the Messiah. I vote for Messiah. I’m in. Nathaniel immediately calls Jesus the Son of God and King of Israel.

Jesus replies, (in my own words), “Then that’s why you believe? Seeing and knowing you is nothing compared to what you’re going to see and know, including the heavens opened and angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Nathaniel’s immediate response is thrilling to Jesus. Regardless of the various versions making Jesus’s words a question or a statement, we must not “hear” it as Jesus expressing doubt, frustration, or rejection. He encourages Nathaniel in his new-born faith with a vision of the future.

Jesus also knows Nathaniel’s response when Andrew told Nathaniel Jesus is from Nazareth (1:45). Nathaniel replied, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (1:46). Why would Nathaniel be so prejudiced?

One conjuncture is because the small town (maybe 2,000 people) of Nazareth had a Roman garrison, the influence of the Romans may have encouraged loose morals in the Jewish people. Regardless, many Jews had a low opinion of the lowly town of Nazareth. Even though Nathaniel presumed Jesus couldn’t have anything of value to offer him, Andrew’s enthusiasm compelled him to want to meet Jesus.

What a wonderful example for us as we respond to the new faith of new believers. They don’t know a lot and we know how much more they have to learn. Jesus encouraged and affirmed Nathaniel. He also didn’t try to immediately address Nathaniel’s prejudice against Nazareth and Jesus. Jesus knew there was plenty of time for the Holy Spirit to make changes in his heart and behavior. And for unbelievers, we can have patient grace in spite of their self-deception.

Jesus reveals his joyful nature in his response to Nathaniel’s newborn faith. He doesn’t overwhelm him with high expectations. We should do the same for others regardless of their knowledge. Jesus rejoiced over what Nathaniel did know, not what he didn’t yet know.

• How does Jesus’s joy over a new believer speak to you?

• How does Jesus’s joy affect your response to a Christian who is weak in their faith?

Amazing God, I praise you for your joy over me regardless of my lack of knowledge. Thank you for encouraging me even though my faith seems small at times.

(This devotional is an excerpt from Larry and my book “God’s Intriguing Questions: 60 New Testament Devotions Revealing Jesus’s Nature.”)