You've Got to be Kidding

Dear Friend:

Happy New Year! I just got back from a restful vacation with family. Have you ever had a friend who introduced you to someone and the one you were being introduced to is pretty famous? They can be famous because they are a politician, movie star or various other reasons. You find out they are from a very small town you never even heard of and your response is “you’ve got to be kidding.”

When I was reading John 1:35-51, Jesus passed by John and two of His disciples and John exclaims “look, the Lamb of God!” They knew it was true so much so that Andrew, brother of Simon, went out and got his brother and told Simon, come we have found the Messiah, that is, the Christ. They went to see Jesus. Jesus looked up at Simon and said you will be called Cephas, which when translated is Peter, the rock.

The very next day Jesus was moving on and finding Philip said to him, “Follow me.” Philip found Nathanael and told him, “we have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote-Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael questions Philip, “Nazareth? “ You’ve got to be kidding.” But Philip said, “Come, see for yourself.” When Jesus saw him coming he said, “There’s a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body.” Then Jesus assures Nathanael that he saw him under a fig tree in the past. Nathanael knew what Jesus said is true. Enough so that he exclaims “Rabbi! You are the Son of God, the King of Israel!” That fast, that quick was Nathanael’s response.

Are you a Nathanael? Do you know that the Father in Heaven sits and knows everywhere you go? How do you respond to that knowledge? Do you exclaim as quickly as Nathanael did? You are the Son of God! Jesus then responds to Nathanael’s reaction with “you believe, because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that. You shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” WOW! We know the rest of the story because we have it in writing. Wow! Do you have a Nathanael response to Jesus? Are you as disturbed as Jesus is regarding the “lost”, those who do not know Jesus? Anyone that wants to talk about Jesus today is crazy; it is not a very popular topic. Why? Life and death is all around us and we don’t want to talk about the one who gives life and restores us to Him upon our death? That is something to think about today. We are all called to share our faith. Jesus never pressured the Apostles into following Him. He just simply met them and they knew in their hearts who they were standing before.

Let’s pray: Father in heaven thank you for the Bible. Thank you how I can see one encounter with you can change my life forever. Lord I want to know you more this New Year. Help me to hunger for your word. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Responding like Nathanael,

Elaine