What does John 1:46 mean?
Nazareth was a tiny community. It likely had no more than five hundred people during Jesus' earthly ministry. Nazareth was located north of Jerusalem, southwest of the Sea of Galilee, well beyond Samaria. Being so small, and not adjacent to major cities, it was the last place one would expect anything interesting to happen.Calling someone a "Nazarene" in that culture would have been like a modern American referring to them as a "bumpkin," or even a "hillbilly." Nathanael's question is more than a little sarcastic. He assumes Nazareth couldn't produce much of worth, let alone the long-awaited Promised One (Daniel 9:25). Philip's response is not to argue, but simply to invite. He knows already that talking about Jesus is nothing like meeting Him in person.
Philip's invitation echoes the one Jesus gave to Andrew and John (John 1:39). Too many people want God to come to them—usually with a miracle or overt message (Matthew 16:4; 1 Corinthians 1:22–23)—but knowing Him is as simple as deciding to draw closer to Him (James 4:8; John 6:37).
John 1:43–51 shows Jesus recruiting Philip and Nathanael. Philip seems eager to follow Jesus. Nathanael is skeptical, especially because Jesus is from a low-reputation remote town like Nazareth. When Jesus demonstrates His supernatural wisdom, Nathanael proclaims Him as the "Son of God" and "the King of Israel." Jesus responds by predicting even more spectacular signs. He also refers to Himself using the term "Son of Man," an important figure in Jewish prophecy.
The first chapter of John introduces Jesus as "the Word," from the Greek logos. This chapter clearly describes Jesus as God. After this prologue, the chapter describes Jesus recruiting the first of His disciples, as well as a conversation between John the Baptist and the Pharisees. There are seven names or titles for Christ in this chapter, including "the Son of God," "the Word," and "the King of Israel."
