The Men God Chooses and Uses: Nathaniel

Let's pray together Lord, it's great to know That you have paid the price for our sin It's great to know lord that you Give us freedom in christ It's great to know lord that we can have assurance of eternal life with jesus christ our lord Today lord, I ask that you would open our eyes that we might be able to see wonderful things out of your law In jesus name amen Lord willing this thursday morning. There will be a phone call at four o'clock in the morning That will awaken me in my hotel room That voice on the other end will say boka tov And I will get up and I will hear the rushing waves of the mediterranean sea beating upon the The seashore in herzliya And I will open my bible.

I will begin preparation for my first day in the land of israel After breakfast, we'll get on our bus and bark upon Uh the northern journey up toward the coast passing cesarea maritima Passing mount carmel on our way to mount megiddo and there will be our first stop on this year's journey And there we will begin our journeys of the messiah At the end, we will talk about the return of the king in revelation chapter 16 revelation chapter 19 After our study of the scripture on top of mount megiddo We will make our way across the jezreel valley and embark on the village of nazareth Once we get to nazareth, we will go into that city and inside of that city There is arranged a a little village that sits sets you back some 2 000 years a village a design to help you understand what it was like during the time of christ we will Make our way through that village looking at different scenes and settings concerning what must have What that city must have looked like during the time that christ was there And then we will open our bible we will study luke chapter 1 and talk about that great announcement That mary received there in nazareth about the coming of the messiah We will leave that village embark on the mount of the precipice.

It's a mount outside of the city of nazareth It's a cliff that overlooks the jezreel valley Presumably it's the cliff. They would have taken jesus to after he preached the sermon in luke chapter 4 Taking him there to throw him off the cliff and yet he would escape to the crowd After our study of luke chapter 4 there on the mount of the precipice We will make our way 12 miles to a little village called the village of cana A village that we would know nothing about If it were not for two things One the great miracle that our lord dear did there in john chapter 2 where he turned at a wedding water into wine And yet as we embark on that little village of cana I for one will see it from a different perspective.

Unlike the previous eight years that I have gone to israel I will embark on that little village of cana from a perspective Given to me by a man by the name of nathaniel bartholomew the sixth apostle in our study of luke chapter 6 Verse number 14 and 15 which speak about the apostles themselves We have gone through that list and now we are in the middle of that list looking at nathaniel After my study of nathaniel these past couple of weeks I look at cana just a little bit differently than I looked at it before And hopefully this morning I can help you understand a little bit more about this man nathaniel And having understood him Understand our ultimate pursuit and that is jesus our messiah Nathaniel's name means gift of god He's called bartholomew most of the time We know he's from cana because john chapter 21 verse number two tells us that nathaniel was from cana of galilee And as we look at his name, we realize that his name was probably nathaniel first bartholomew second bartholomew meaning the son of ptolemy and so nathaniel gift of god was the son of a man named ptolemy or Some theologians believe that there was a hebrew sect called the ptolemians ptolemians were studies of the students of the scripture ptolemians were were a hebrew sect that were committed to the Seeking of the scripture in order to understand the coming of messiah So some believe that nathaniel bartholomew received his name bartholomew because he was a great student of the scripture Well, that could be the case.

We don't know for certain but it could be Which leads us to this the only passage of scripture in the bible that tells us anything at all about nathaniel bartholomew He is listed matthew mark luke john the axe but He is given to us in great detail in john chapter one. It's the only passage of scripture that we can look to To receive any kind of idea about this man his nature And what it is that god wanted to do in nathaniel's life So if you have your bible, I would invite you to turn with me to john Chapter one we'll begin reading at verse number 43 It says the next day he purposed to go forth into galilee.

The next day is the day after um Andrew followed the messiah and andrew would then go find his brother simon And simon's name would be changed to peter. It was the very next day That he purposed to go forth into galilee and he found philip and jesus said to him Follow me now philip was from beseda of the city of andrew and peter philip found nathaniel And said to him we have found him of whom moses in the law and also the prophets wrote jesus of nazareth son of joseph We'll stop right there because from that we are able to deduce One aspect of nathaniel's character and that he was a seeker of the truth He was a student Of the scripture Apparently he and philip had spent time studying about the coming of the messiah For philip to go to nathaniel and say hey We have found the one of whom moses and the prophets spoke of would lead us to believe that he and philip Were students of the scripture in order to know that the old testament prophecy About the messiah was now being fulfilled in this one called jesus of nazareth son of joseph And so we can begin to deduce that nathaniel was a great student of the scripture if he was from that sect the uh Of the ptolemaeans and he being bartholomew a son of the ptolemaean Than he or a son of ptolemae then he would be one who would be committed to the study of the scripture Which leads us to this that that we as the people of god need to be great students of the scripture We need to be able to know the messiah The bible tells us in matthew chapter 24 That there's going to come a day where there will be different people who will come and say I am the christ I am the messiah and there's a great warning that during the tribulation Many people will arise with the messiah complex trying to convince the world that they themselves are the messiah And matthew 24 verses 23 and 24 tell us that it is so incredible the ability that these false prophets will have That they would be able to convince even the elect if the lord would tarry So we need to know what the bible says about the messiah Because if you don't believe that jesus is the messiah, there is no salvation The whole book of john is written that we might believe that jesus is the christ the messiah the son Of the living god if you don't believe that jesus is the messiah the son of god, then there is no salvation for you John 20 31 is very clear about that.

And so nathaniel along with philip were two men two apostles Who were great students of the scripture now, I believe that for the most part the the apostles were seekers of the scripture But it specifically tells us about philip and about nathaniel, but there is a difference between philip and nathaniel Philip was more of a skeptic than nathaniel was While philip believed that jesus was messiah We saw last time that even in john chapter 14 after two years 24 7 being with jesus He had doubts as to the identity of who the messiah was when he said to christ Show us the father and it will be enough for us and christ said to philip.

Oh philip Have I been with you so long that you do not know that if you've seen me? You've seen the father Nathaniel on the other hand Was a man who was more in tune with the scriptures and more ready to believe and to hold true that which he sees So Philip comes to nathaniel and says hey we have found the one That moses spoke about We have found the one that the prophets spoke about And then nathaniel responds after he hears philip say to him it is jesus of nazareth son of joseph Nathaniel says a phrase that all of us know by heart that we have heard quoted over and over and over again Yet we very rarely understand the significance of what he says And today i'm going to open your eyes to something that you might not have ever seen before To help you understand why nathaniel would respond with these words And nathaniel said to him can any good thing come out of nazareth Now remember nathaniel was a student of the scriptures He was searching for the coming of messiah Like philip his response when he hears That philip says that everything that moses spoke about everything that the prophets spoke about is fulfilled in jesus of nazareth son of joseph So we move from nathaniel being one who is a seeker of truth to one with a sinful attitude Now nathaniel Was from cana i've been to nazareth i've been to cana guess what?

none of them Are anything to write home about? So I don't know what nathaniel was so excited about that. He was from cana and jesus was from nazareth, but We do know this Nazareth is different than cana Both are in galilee Galilee nathaniel was from cana. Jesus was from nazareth Nazareth is is located in a very picturesque scene there At the northern tip of the jezreel valley or what is called the valley of esdrelon or commonly called the valley of megiddo It's on that northern tip the most northern tip of the jezreel valley and it's on a slope And it's about 22 miles from the mediterranean Mediterranean sea about 14 to 15 miles from the sea of galilee and that was a city of nazareth was located on a on a plane or on a Slope that would slope down into the jezreel valley on on a road called the via maris the way to the sea So now nazareth was that last village to the gentile world And nazareth was filled with people that were unrefined Uneducated people who lived close to the world And nathaniel's attitude was one that many people had well.

Well, what good thing can really come out of nazareth? It's an unrefined city. It's a wild city. It's an uneducated city There can't be much that comes from nazareth but but what he says reveals to us his attitude that even though he was a seeker of the truth he had an attitude that Tended to be sinful because there was great prejudice against those from nazareth So I began to think about this phrase What good thing can come out of nazareth and I began to realize that what net what what nathaniel said?

Was so profound that in his sinful attitude. He was able to portray to us The significance of the coming of the messiah in his own words. He is a fulfillment Of prophecy Turn with me to matthew chapter 2 Matthew chapter 2 we have the great story of the coming of the magi to to to worship the the messiah The king of kings and lord of lords and they would bow before him and then we read about uh herod's desire to kill all the male children And so an angel of the lord would appear to joseph in a dream And tell him that he needed to flee the land of israel.

He needed to go south to egypt Why? Well, there had to be a fulfillment of hosea chapter 11 verse number one, which is recorded in matthew chapter 2 verse number 15 and It says that these words that was spoken by the lord through the prophet might be fulfilled saying out of egypt Did I call my son?

so the messiah had to go to egypt and the way that god would provide a way for Joseph and mary and jesus to get to egypt was through herod's desire To kill the male children two years and under and even in that it was a fulfillment of prophecy According to verse number 17 Than that which was spoken through jeremiah The prophet was fulfilled saying a voice was heard in ramah Weeping in great mourning rachel weeping for her children and she refused to be comforted because they were no more The prophecy about the death of the children of israel because of herod's desire to kill all the male children two years and under So through the the fleeing to egypt there were at least two Prophecies that were fulfilled about the coming of the messiah Well an angel of the lord appears to joseph in a dream and says well now you got to go back to the land of israel So the text says in verse 20 arise and take the child And his mother and go into the land of israel for those who sought the child's life are dead herod's dead now Verse 21 and he arose and took the child and his mother and came to the land of israel But when he heard that archelius was reigning over judea in a place of his father herod He was afraid to go there and being warned by god in a dream He departed for the regions of galilee and came and resided in a city called nazareth Listen very carefully That what was spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled He shall be called a nazarene Now think about that He went to nazareth in order to fulfill prophecy That he shall be called a nazarene So you ask yourself As every smart student of the scripture does Where in the old testament does it say?

That the messiah shall be called a nazarene answer No place No place in the old testament Does it say the phrase recorded in matthew 2 verse number 23 You say well, well, then how can that be? Then then then matthew must have made a mistake. How is it that the word of god can be inspired if matthew says That he went to nazareth so that Prophecy would be fulfilled that he should be called a nazarene We have a discrepancy we have a problem with the new testament Because no place in the old testament doesn't say that phrase.

So how do you reconcile that? Well, you're going to be so glad you came to church today Because those poor lost souls who didn't come are not going to know what you find out today I'm going to give you three answers to how it is That phrase is a fulfillment of scripture and how it ties into what nathaniel says What good thing can come out of nazareth? This is rich. This is invigorating This is what gets guys like me really excited about the study of the scripture Okay, and hopefully it'll get you excited too.

If not, well god had for have mercy upon your poor lost cold-hearted carnal soul Okay, here we go. Here we go. All right, listen It doesn't say anywhere in the old testament he shall be called a nazarene nowhere But yet matthew says that's what the prophets said Does that mean the prophets didn't say it No That means the prophets did say it But it wasn't recorded in the old testament You say oh, come on pastor, how do we know the prophet said it? Well, let me share with you another verse It's a verse that jude speaks of in jude 14 that says this it says And enoch also the seventh from adam prophesied of these saying behold the lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints Now if you go back to the old testament and you read all about enoch guess what?

The old testament never says That enoch said that So, how do we know that enoch said what jude said he said We know it because jude records it And jude wrote under the inspiration of the scripture So, how do we know? That the prophets of old said That he will be called the nazarene. We know that because matthew who's inspired by god Told us the prophets said it even though it's not recorded in the old testament just like Jude said that enoch said that the messiah will come with ten thousands of his saints Although it's not recorded in the old testament We know that enoch said it because jude tells us he did and jude wrote under the inspiration of the scripture Matthew tells us that the prophet said he shall be called the nazarene Even though it's not recorded in the old testament We know that they said it because matthew was inspired by the spirit of god.

That's answer number one answer number two answer number two We know that isaiah chapter 4 isaiah chapter 11 jeremiah 23 verses 5 and 6 Zachariah chapter 3 verse number 8 zachariah chapter 6 verse number 12 All tell us that messiah has a specific name.

That name is the branch All right. Remember during christmas time we studied the the the advent jesse tree Isaiah 11 1 says that there will be a branch or shoot that will stem from the root of jesse in hebrew. It's called netzer Well, if you go to nazareth today, we know that nazareth is the village of the branch You get the name nazareth from the word netzer jesus the branch jesus The the fulfillment of old testament prophecy about the coming of the branch Lived in the village of the people of the branch and so you have from that aspect a fulfillment of prophecy because the text says in matthew 2 verse number 23 That what was spoken through the prophets?

Not one prophet isaiah But you have the prophet isaiah the prophet jeremiah the prophet Zachariah all telling us that the messiah has a specific name That name is the branch in hebrew the netzer and netzer is where we get the name nazareth And so what you have is a fulfillment of prophecy with jesus of nazareth That's number two Number three, which is probably the closest to what we understand Matthew 2 23 saying that the prophets said he should be called the nazarene Is very important because it aligns itself with what nathaniel said in john chapter one That what good thing?

Could come out of nazareth We know that the term Nazarene is a name or term of derision It's a term Used by the ancients to describe people of low class How do we know that? Well, we have acts chapter 24 verse number 5 Which says for we have found the man paul a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition among all the jews Throughout the world and a ringleader of the sect of the nazarenes It's a term of derision It's a term that describes those who are despised It's a term used to describe Those people who are of a lower class who are not worthy to be associated with anybody else Meaning that we know for certain that the bible prophesied in psalm 22 Psalm 69 isaiah 49 Isaiah 53 and daniel 9 verse number 26 that the messiah will be despised And rejected We know that And this term Nazarene is a term of derision that speaks of how people themselves are despised by calling them nazarenes So the conclusion is this Jesus wasn't born in nazareth.

He was born in bethlehem. So in reality, he should be called jesus of bethlehem But that's not what he's called He's called jesus of nazareth Why because the prophecies about the coming of the messiah were prophecies. Isaiah 53 verse number three He should be despised and rejected of men so in the prophet's Foretelling of the coming of the time foretelling of the coming of messiah They would tell us that he would be called a nazarene.

In other words, he would be called one who is absolutely despised because he comes from a place that's despised And so god would lead his son to be raised in nazareth to fulfill the prophecy of matthew 2 verse number 23 Does that make sense some of you're saying wow pastor, I am just I just had breakfast This is just too much for me to digest Get the tape get the cd and he had the opportunity to digest it. This is so important because nathaniel says What the prophet said? What good thing Could come out of nazareth Now he was a student of the scripture You'd think you know about the prophecies about about the branch You'd think he'd know what might not have been written down But all the prophets knew and spoke about that.

He'd be be called jesus of nazareth But even Nathaniel the man whose name means gift of god in his sinful attitude was thinking in his own mind You've got to be kidding me philip This can't be That our messiah would come from the most despicable place in galilee But you see that's exactly what the prophet said that he would be despised and rejected Listen if he was called jesus of bethlehem The derision upon christ would not be nearly as severe as being called jesus of nazareth And the lord knew that And that's why he was raised in nazareth Because he would be despised And rejected and all throughout his ministry Jesus was despised and rejected and they would keep calling him the nazarene when judas and the in the temple guard and police Those 600 soldiers and 200 foot men plus the pharisees and sadducees would come and and get christ that night in the garden of gethsemane We came for jesus the nazarene The despised one See that And here was nathaniel Philip I'm having a hard time here I'm from kena I'm a little bit more refined than those people from nazareth You're telling me that our messiah is from that despised place next to the gentile world You've got to be kidding me.

What's the philip say say? come Come and see That's the great phrase we use to invite people to church come and see Because when you open the word of the lord you see the lord of the word You say come and see What was shown to me so that you too might believe in nathaniel Listen, he had a submissive spirit. I'm gonna show you that in a minute, but He was a seeker of the truth He had a sinful attitude which really was a portrayal of the prophecy the fulfillment of prophecy about the coming of messiah But he also had a sincere heart A sincere heart listen to what the text says back to john chapter one Philip says to him come and see Jesus saw nathaniel coming to him and said to him behold an israelite indeed in whom is no guile So here comes nathaniel.

He's walking side by side with philip and jesus says behold stand amazed There is an israelite Who's not a phony?

See most jews are are phony people they were then they they are today they're hypocrites They live a life of spiritual fraud Why well they're descendants of abraham isaac and jacob They they had the lineage that that sets them apart from the rest of the world So they see themselves differently than truly god sees them That's why they hated jesus so much because he revealed to them their sinful hearts In spite of the fact that they were descendants of abraham. He they hated him because of that We are of our father abraham.

Jesus says no. No, you're of your father the devil. That's who you are And that's just not the best way to to to win people to christ. You know i'm saying and he's christ You're you're you're of satan. That's who you are and they say no. No, we're we're a father abraham. We we we are from the right from the right loins We're children of abraham. We're we're children of the living god. That's who we are and jesus is no No, you're children of satan, that's who you are because they were phonies they were hypocrites they were deceptive in their life They would live lives that outwardly looked so good But christ said inwardly you're you're like whited sepulchers You're like you're like dead men's bones on the inside you you you reek with filthy death Because You don't know me and jesus says in the background.

This is a true. This is a genuine as an israelite This is a true jew Behold stand amazed that what I have before me and what you see is a man who is a genuine true believer in the coming of the messiah a man whose heart wants to seek after truth a man whose heart is Committed to genuine faith a man whose heart really is seeking me as messiah What a what an incredible commendation By our lord to nathaniel Now do you think the lord knew nathaniel said what good thing can come out of nazareth? Oh, yeah, you bet Lord knows everything he's on mission.

We'll show you that in a second And so here comes nathaniel And the lord responds to him By saying you are a true jew Can you be an untrue jew Sure you can Romans 2 28 says for he is not a jew who is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh But he is a jew who is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart Romans 9 says for they are not all israel who are israel So you could be a jew but not a true jew You can be a gentile And be a true jew See that Because there's been the circumcision of the heart there's been the the the ripping away of of of the flesh that that that exposes the true condition of the heart that's been redeemed by the blood of the lamb And this was this was nathaniel.

He was a jew by birth But he was a jew Be a true jew because in his heart he was like simeon and anna way back in luke chapter 2 Who were looking for the consolation of israel who were looking for the redemption of jerusalem? They longed in their heart for the true messiah and jesus knows this man's heart He knows exactly what he's thinking in his mind He knows everything about him and you know what? I love that because that means that jesus knows everything that you're thinking right this very moment He knows those of you who are on that side of the auditorium texting those who are on that side of the auditorium Even though I might not he knows he knows He knows everything He knows exactly what you're thinking right now because he is the omniscient god In fact, the bible says in psalm 147 verse number five.

His understanding is infinite First samuel 2 3 hannah said that the lord is a god of knowledge In luke 12 verse number 7.

It says that the number Of the hair on your head is absolutely accurate to the mind of god not because he counted them Don't think for one moment that god knows how much hair you have on your head because he counted it That would mean there was a period of time. He didn't know so he had to count it in order to know No Jesus doesn't have to count to know He knows That's omniscience There's nothing he doesn't know He doesn't have to be learned Or doesn't have to learn or be instructed by someone in order to learn He doesn't have to be counseled by someone in order to learn.

He just knows he knows your heart And even though I don't know your heart he does he knows whether or not you are a hypocrite He knows that He knows that you might be here today putting on a spiritual facade for all to see Look at that one.

They sing so beautifully in the choir. Look at the bible that brand new bible They carry to church. Look how they dress when they cut they look so like a child of the king And the inside you might be like dead man's bones We don't know But jesus knows You can't fool him here comes nathaniel Huh What good thing can come out of nazareth philip? You got to be kidding me Come and see nathaniel. Come and see Okay, i'll come see And here's jesus behold stand amazed Look with great astonishment there before me is an israelite a jew who truly is a jew Who truly genuinely is a jew in the heart of hearts?

This man's soul is committed to me this man Had a sincere heart in spite of a sinful attitude He was a seeker of the truth But listen To how he has a submissive spirit Listen to what he says Daniel said to him how Do you know me? How do you know what's in my heart maybe you're here today thinking How does jesus know what's in my heart? How does he know that? How does he really truly know the condition of my heart and nathaniel? That's his question. How do you know? How do you know That I am a seeker of the true messiah.

How do you know that? My heart is committed to following the truth of the old testament How do you know what's really going on in my heart and jesus says to him these words before philip called you When you were under the fig tree I saw you What does that mean?

You know in israel, they they would grow fig trees next to homes homes usually only had One or two rooms in them at the most So they would grow fig trees next to the home to provide shade because they grow about 15 feet in in height And their branches span about 25 feet and so they would grow plant them next to their homes They would grow and provide shade for the home, but they would also provide as historians. Tell us a place of refuge a place of respite a place to be able to go and to meditate to contemplate and to read because Inside the house there could be noise inside the house.

There could be other things happening So you'd go out sit under the fig tree and there you would sit and spend time alone Contemplating thinking praying because you were away from all the noise and the hustle and bustle inside the house And jesus in essence says to nathaniel nathaniel Before philip ever called you Before philip ever came to you and said guess what we found I saw you studying I saw you contemplating the old testament I saw you reading because you truly are a seeker of the truth. I saw you nathaniel In a place where no one else could see you I saw you And what's nathaniel's response?

He says Rabbi verse 49 teacher You are the son of god You are the king of israel Boy nathaniel understood the old testament He understood psalm 2 psalm 45 Which spoke about the messiah being the son? Of the living god He understood zephaniah 3 He understood Zechariah the book of micah chapter 5 verse number 2 that the messiah would be called the ruler and the king of israel Nathaniel says You are deity And now I know your destiny I know you're the son of god You are the messiah And I know you are destined to be the king Of my people israel What a statement What a statement Remember the word son huyas in in the greek is a word that never denotes origin It always denotes equality and position You are equal to god.

You are the son of god. We know that And because you are god in flesh listen you are king of israel Why did john write his gospel so that we would believe that jesus is god in the flesh How does john's gospel begin in the beginning was the word and the word was with god and the word was god John 1 14 says and the word became flesh and dwelt among us And nathaniel's testimony is that god is among us You are god in the flesh. You are king of israel. I know teacher that that's who you are This is his submissive spirit to the authority of god in his life where he identifies Jesus christ as the king of israel as the son of the living god What a statement What a powerful statement Now listen to this This is rich Listen to this Jesus answered and said to him because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree You believe It's not a question it's a statement In our text new american standard.

I think the niv has it as a statement That's the most accurate translation You believe because you understand my omniscience You believe now listen to this You shall see greater things than these Nathaniel you believe I want to let you know something You ain't seen nothing yet You aren't even close to seeing what i'm going to reveal to you Now listen what he says He said to him truly truly I say to you I mean I mean remember jesus never used the phrase truly truly after a statement He always used it before the statement In the bible man always uses it at the end of a statement never before statement very important Because what christ is saying is true I mean, I mean truly truly I say to you listen this You shall see the heavens opened and the angels of god ascending and descending on the son of man What is that What is that Listen to this See that's just chapter 28 It says this Jacob came to a certain place spent the night there because the sun had set He took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head and laid down in that place He had a dream And behold a ladder Was set on the earth at its top reaching to heaven and behold the angels of god Were ascending and descending On it Remember the jacob's dream At the place called bethel the house of god we studied this many many years ago He had a dream The hebrew syntax is very clear.

It's a ladder. It's not really a ladder. It's more like a staircase The staircase descended out of heaven. It came down to man The staircase did not ascend from earth to heaven The hebrew syntax says that the ladder or the staircase descended from the heavens down to the earth And on that staircase were angels ascending and descending this was the dream of jacob It says in verse 13 and behold the lord stood above it and said I am the lord the god of your father Abraham and the god of isaac the land on which you lie I will give it to you and your descendants your descendants shall also be like the dust of the earth And you shall spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south And in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed and behold I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land and I will not leave you Until I have done what I have promised you Then jacob awoke from his sleep and said surely the lord is in this place And I did not know it and he was afraid and said how awesome is this place This is none other than the house of god and this is the way to heaven God gave jacob the understanding as to what is the way to heaven Jesus in john chapter 1 says nathaniel.

I will let you know something you believe Because of the statement I said that I saw you under the fig tree before philip called you You believe you do well. I'm gonna let you know philip. There are going to be greater things that you will see in fact You will see the son of man the son of man daniel chapter Seven is a phrase Used of the coming of the messiah It's the phrase that christ used of himself some 80 times to describe the fact that he was the messiah Because the bible says in daniel chapter 7 that one like a son of man was coming on great clouds of glory And jesus would say over and over again in the book of matthew that the son of man will come With great clouds of glory saying that he was the fulfillment of daniel chapter 7 that he was the messiah He is here Now he is coming again in all of his glory because the clouds are described as the chariot of god He will come in great clouds of glory and jesus says to nathaniel in john chapter 1 you haven't seen anything Yet nathaniel you wait because you will see the angels ascending and descending on the son of man and all of a sudden Nathaniel knowing the old testament would know that what jacob saw was the messiah in genesis chapter 28 And the angels ascending and ascending talking about depicting for us the exact Ministry the angels would have in the life of the messiah and every jewish rabbi will tell you That the staircase in genesis chapter 28 is the way to heaven, but they never tell you what that way is Because they don't know But we know because jesus the messiah said I am the way The truth in the life There's one mediator between man jacob and god on the top of the staircase and that mediator is jesus christ himself And jesus says to nathaniel in nathaniel chapter in john chapter 1 nathaniel Let me tell you something you will see on me and in me the only way to heaven I am that way there is no other way nathaniel You have seen that way, you know that way and you will see greater things than this John 14 21 says that if you love me and my words abide in you and you invite in my words I will Disclose myself to you If you are committed to me and my words abide in you christ says I will manifest my glory to you I will show you who I am You will actually see the living god with the spiritual eye and nathaniel listen never Asks another question in scripture Never speaks again in scripture that we know of because there's no place found for him to speak All we know is that nathaniel unlike philip always believed that jesus was god In the flesh This man saw the greatness fulfilled before his eyes this man nathaniel Was a committed man What a great passage of scripture To speak to us through nathaniel to show us the identity of our messiah And the greatness of his glory.

Let's pray Father we thank you for today In the words of the scriptures That speaks so clearly to us about your identity Whole gospel of john was written So that we would believe that jesus is the christ the son of god and that believing in him we might have life through his name Lord there's only one way to heaven And that's through jesus christ one mediator between god and man And the only way to heaven is to believe in the finished work of christ on calvary To believe that you died for our sins rose again the third day That we might live with you forever Father I pray that We would be like nathaniel We would believe what we have heard And accept in the spirit of submission the truth of the living god We pray in jesus name amen