(The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Phillip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Phillip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Phillip 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.” And Nathaniel said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Phillip said to him, “Come and see.” ~John 1:43-46)
The NASB translation says (The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Phillip ~John 1:43 NASB). So through this scripture, God is telling us that Jesus wanted to go to Galilee; that Jesus went on purpose to Galilee. Why did Jesus want to go to Galilee? To find Phillip, He went to Galilee on purpose with a plan to find Phillip. Verse 44 tells us that Phillip (was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter); this makes me think that Andrew and Peter knew Phillip and that possibly they told the Lord about Phillip, but I don’t know this for sure, what I do know is that Jesus went to Galilee on purpose and He found Phillip and told him to follow Him and Phillip did; Phillip followed Jesus and was saved, he was converted he believed and God found him guiltless. Now what do you do when you are converted, when you are a new creature born again, when God has saved you? You go and tell someone about it and that is exactly what Phillip did, he hurried to find Nathanael and told him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law, and also the prophets, wrote”. What I find interesting here, and also when Andrew came to his brother Simon, both men said that they found the Messiah; neither found Jesus, He found them. I didn’t find Jesus, He found me and I have never been the same. He has completely transformed me, He has turned my life upside down, that is what happens when you meet God, He changes you, and no one can meet God and not be changed. I don’t know why Jesus sought me out, but He did, I don’t know why Jesus said, “Follow me”, but He did, I have done nothing deserving of His grace yet He has poured His grace out upon me; in fact all that I had done was sin from the time of my youth and what I deserved was His condemnation and death, but yet He found me, Amazing.
Now Phillip told Nathanael that he and some others know who the Messiah is, (Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph). He is from the nearby town of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Now Nathanael obviously doesn’t believe Phillip’s witness, because he said “can anything good come out of Nazareth?” This is of note, just because someone shoots you down the first time you give witness to them about Jesus don’t be discouraged, they may yet believe and be converted. Nathanael didn’t believe Phillip’s witness but as we will see next week when he meets Jesus he too believes and is converted and it is because of the witness of Phillip that Nathanael comes and meets the Lord. When Nathanael said “Can anything good come out of Nazareth”, Phillip didn’t give up he said, “Come and see.” If you are a believer, if Jesus Christ has saved you, I encourage you to take after Phillip and be a witness for Jesus today. And when you are rejected don’t give up, keep being a witness to everyone all the time, someone may reject your witness today, but that witness may lead to them meeting Jesus Christ, and when they meet Jesus they will forever be changed.
God Bless You All,
Mike Peek
