John 1:46 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."

NIV: "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.

NASB: Nathanael said to him, 'Can anything good be from Nazareth?' Philip *said to him, 'Come and see.'

CSB: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Nathanael asked him. "Come and see," Philip answered.

NLT: Nazareth!' exclaimed Nathanael. 'Can anything good come from Nazareth?' 'Come and see for yourself,' Philip replied.

KJV: And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

NKJV: And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

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."

The first chapter of the gospel of John equates Christ with God and introduces John the Baptist. The Baptist specifically points to Jesus as the Promised One. Jesus collects the first five of His disciples. In this chapter, Jesus is given seven descriptive names, including "the Word," "the Son of God," and "the King of Israel." This chapter sets the stage for the rest of the gospel, by giving the reader a sense of who Jesus truly is, and why He has come. The rest of the gospel is an exploration of the claims made in this initial passage.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 12/3/2024 12:25:59 PM