Study inJohn’s Gospel

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Scepticism and Prejudice

Chap 1:43-51

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IntroductionHave you ever heard a member of ‘the flat earth society’ speak on radio or TV? This group are still absolutely convinced that the world is flat. They refuse to accept, the testimony of others! Scientific proof and photographic evidence is discounted. A great many people find their prejudice and scepticism baffling, others think it mildly amusing. Clearly these individuals have allowed themselves to remain blinded to the facts.

Similarly, the gospel, which has been proclaimed for 2000 years, has encountered both prejudice and scepticism. People assume the belief positions of family, friends or workmates as they shape their response to Jesus. Nathaniel was an early example of a sceptic won over to Jesus.

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Nathaniel’s PrejudiceThe first thing Philip did, when called to follow Jesus was to seek out his friend Nathaniel - to tell him that he had found God’s Messiah, the promised deliverer, the one that the Jewish nation had been waiting for. Indeed, his coming is first hinted at in Gen. 3v15 before being specifically identified in the covenant God made with Abraham. And as the O.T. revelation of his identity is unpacked the picture of his mission becomes increasingly clear. Cf. Isa. 53.But as soon as Jesus’ birthplace was mentioned, resistance was encountered cf v46 ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there’. Nazareth had a poor reputation. It was to Israel, what Easterhouse is to Glasgow, or the Bronx to New York, or Yaftabaad to Tehran.

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Nathaniel’s PrejudiceNathaniel’s response reflected the prejudice of his community. And as a result Jesus was judged even before he was met. Today, that same prejudice in its many forms, will often colour the initial response of many towards Jesus. People say they can’t believe in a Jesus, who claimed tobe God, who was supernaturally conceived, who performed miraculous works, who made extravagant claims, who rose from the dead…etc.

People very quickly make up their minds, often on the basis of popular, prejudiced belief.

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Nathaniel’s PrejudiceHow did Philip respond to Nathaniel’s scepticism? Did he try to dismantle it with a battery of arguments? No! Did he make his friend feel foolish for holding such views? No! [It is possible to win arguments and in the process to alienate the person we are trying to win!]

What then did Philip do? He said, ‘come and see!’ In other words, ‘come and make a first hand evaluation of Jesus for yourself’.

There are three important reasons for such a response.

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Nathaniel’s PrejudiceFirst, it says, ‘don’t accept or reject Jesus on my say so alone’. Many people reject Jesus without thoroughly examining the facts. There are some people who reject Jesus because of some terrible things that have been done in his name. Think of the crusades, which had more to do with lust for power and personal glory that with zeal for God.

Others can describe an upsetting and hurtful experience at the hands of a professing Christian and conclude, ‘If that’s a Christian I want nothing to do with Jesus or with Christianity’.

These are common responses, but are they compelling enough reasons to reject Jesus?

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Nathaniel’s PrejudiceRecently the U.K. treasury acknowledged that it didn’t know how many counterfeit banknotes were in circulation. How did the public respond? Did they rush out the next day and convert all of their banknotes into gold bullion? No! They continued to use banknotes despite the number of forgeries out there. But they did begin to give more careful scrutiny to the banknotes they used.

To reject Jesus because there are fake or flawed Christians in the world is to do him a great injustice. Philip’s response to Nathaniel was ‘come and see’ for yourself, inspect Jesus and respond to him on the basis of your personal investigation.

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Nathaniel’s PrejudiceSecondly, this personal evaluation of Jesus is important because ‘the issue is too great just to take someone else’s word for it’. Some things affect our lives more than others. When it comes to who was responsible for the construction of the great sphinx in Egypt, I can afford to be an agnostic. In the great debate over who shot President John Kennedy, I can also afford to be an agnostic.

But I daren’t be an agnostic with regard to Jesus. Why? Because my response to him has a profound effect upon the whole of my life and my eternal destiny.

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Nathaniel’s PrejudiceThirdly, ‘Jesus can only be effectively evaluated through personal encounter’. A Christian of a former age, aware of her inability to satisfactorily explain her faith said, ‘Its better felt than telt [told]’. She was not saying that her faith was a wishy-washy subjective feeling but that each person had to prove the reality of Jesus to their own satisfaction. If I held up an apple pie and claimed it was the tastiest apple pie ever made, how could you verify that claim? By listening repeatedly to a recording of those words or by placing the pie under a microscope? No!

Clearly you would need to taste it for yourself. And so Philip says ‘Come and see’. There is no better way to deal with the scepticism and prejudice of our age. ‘Taste and see that the Lord is good’. Psalm 34.8

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Encounter with JesusWhen Nathaniel is introduced to Jesus he is clearly taken by surprise by Jesus’ comment “Here is a true Israelite in whom there is nothing false”v47. Nathaniel was known for his transparency and the integrity of his life. But how did Jesus know that? Had someone passed on his CV to Jesus? No! Jesus knowledge base of our lives is not Dependent upon others. In order to reinforce this point Jesus said, ‘I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you’,v48.

How could Jesus possibly have access to that kind of knowledge about him?

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Encounter with JesusQuite simply, nothing is hidden from Jesus. This can be a very unsettling discovery! Jesus knows, not only what we do, when we are on our own but he also knows our innermost thoughts. And as we work through this gospel we will become increasing aware of Jesus’ knowledge of others. He sees behind the masks of pretence that men wear. He reads the motives of men’s hearts. He knows when people are holding back the whole truth from him.

He knows too, when people try to trap him with their questions. And he knew which of his followers would betray him. He knows all there is to know about each one of us!

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Encounter with JesusNow if that is an uncomfortable thought, it should also be tremendously reassuring. In what way? Despite his comprehensive knowledge of us, warts and all, Jesus still wants us to be his followers. In human relationships people often say, ‘If I had known then, what I know now about so and so, I would never have got involved with them.’

But remarkably, Jesus says, ‘I see all that you are and all that you have done. As I examine your past, I see all of the skeletons in your cupboard that you can’t bear to think about, the things that continue to haunt you and cause you distress of mind and heart. Now that knowledge does not put me off. I still want you for myself.’

Isn’t that truly amazing?

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Encounter with JesusNathaniel certainly thought so and conscious of the fact that Jesus had such intimate knowledge of him, he cried out, ‘Teacher you are the Son of God, you are the King of Israel’ v49. Nathaniel moved from scepticism to faith simply by becoming aware of the fact that Jesus knew all there was to know about him.

In exactly the same way, the Samaritan woman, whom Jesus encounters at a well in Chap. 4, revises her estimate of him, when he reveals that he knows the details of her past. Indeed, her witness to Jesus revolved around his remarkable knowledge of her past and her spiritual aspirations and appetite.‘Come see a man who told me everything I ever did.’ 4v29

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Encounter with JesusIn response to Nathaniel’s profession, Jesus makes it clear that a far greater revelation lay in store for all his disciples. Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that… I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man" v50-51

Now that is an image that would have captured his disciples’ attention. They’d immediately think back to Jacob’s dream and of the ladder, which he saw stretched between heaven and earth with God’s angels going up and coming down it. Gen.28v12ff

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Encounter with JesusThat dream had been given to a man who had been anything but transparent! Jacob received this dream when on the run for his life after he had swindled his brother Esau out of his birth-right. This terrified and lonely man must have thought he had cut himself off from God and his blessing. But then God spoke to him in a dream promising him blessing and protection. Jacob was so overwhelmed by his encounter with God, that when he woke he marked the spot and named the place, ‘Bethel’, [Gen 28v18-18] which means ‘house of God’. He had met God there!

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Encounter with JesusIt is against this background that Jesus said, ‘you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon, [God’s ladder] the Son of Man.’

Jacob had dreamed about a ladder that linked earth and heaven. Nathaniel stood face to face with the reality! In Jesus he had encountered ‘God’s Ladder Man.’ Jesus was The Unique Ladder through whom God’s blessing for mankind was to come. Nathaniel, and his fellow disciples, would witness God’s great blessing of salvation outworked in their presence, in the person of Jesus.

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Conclusion The words, ‘come and see’ have been issued to men and women down through the centuries. These words encourage us to throw off the scepticism and prejudice of popular opinion and social pressure. They call us to examine afresh both Jesus and the claims he has made. This is where John is leading us in his gospel, if we are prepared to follow him. And as Jesus reveals his identity through the scriptures then the purpose of his coming will also become clear to us.