Unveiling Nathanael: Insights on Jesus as Son of God

On By StevePIn God

Who is Jesus? Part 31 – The Son of God, the King of Israel

Nathanael’s story—A poem within a poem

I have called this look at the Gospel according to John, “Who is Jesus?” for a reason. One of the main purposes of the Gospel is to reveal who Jesus is.

A man is sleeping inder a fig tree in hot sunny weather.

In the quote below, John 1:46-51 from the English Standard Version Anglicized, I have added letters in brackets, bold and italicised text and indents to show the poetic form, which is a chiasmus. Chiasm, meaning crossing over, is a form used in nearly all Psalms and is a repetition of similar ideas in the reverse sequence. I believe that when you know the form of the writing, it is easier to get to the writer’s intentions.

  • [A]46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”
    •  [B]48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
      •  [C]49 Nathanael answered him, 
      • [X] “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 
      • [C’]50 Jesus answered him, 
    • [B’] “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree’, do you believe?
  • [A’] You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

John 1:46-51 ESV UK

I’m starting from the middle out.

Son of God, King of Israel

“Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

It’s the middle of a song, a section that doesn’t repeat, and in John’s Gospel, which focuses on who Jesus is, there’s a statement about Him. Sometimes Jesus makes these statements about Himself, but here they are made by Nathanael. This is at the end of the prologue, leading into the main part of the Gospel. The message we take from the prologue into the rest of John’s Gospel is: Jesus is the Son of God! Jesus is the King of Israel!

It’s been progressive so far. The three songs of the prologue go like this:

  • At the beginning of the Gospel, Jesus is revealed as the Word of God, responsible for all creation, and as the light that illuminates all humanity.
  • Then we have John the Baptist, whose message was that we need to repent to prepare ourselves for the Messiah. He points out Jesus as the Lamb of God who removes the world’s sin.
  • The third song reveals Jesus as Messiah, then moves on to: Jesus is the Son of God! Jesus is the King of Israel!

The fig tree

But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree,
    and no one shall make them afraid,
    for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.

Micah 4:4

Was Nathanael really sitting under a fig tree? He might have been in his own garden or in a hidden grove. Jewish texts mention that rabbis often rose early to study in the shade of fig trees. Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” This implies Jesus witnessed Nathanael engaged in prayer or meditation in a spot only God could know. It’s no surprise that Nathanael’s demeanour shifts at this point, leading him to call Jesus Rabbi.

Prophetic passages, like the one from Micah, mention the fig tree as a symbol of the Messianic age, when God’s kingdom will arrive on earth. Here, Jesus is establishing himself as the Messiah, which Nathanael acknowledges by saying, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

The fig tree in the Bible represents the nation of Israel. When the nation thrives, it’s like a healthy tree; when it struggles, it resembles a barren or unfruitful tree. This imagery carries meanings beyond just a message to Nathanael.

Nathanael’s transformation

Nathanael means “given by God.” It comes from the Hebrew word natan, meaning given, and el, which refers to God. Although it is a Hebrew name, Nathanael does not appear in the Old Testament; the closest is Nathan, the prophet of King David. He is not mentioned in the other Gospels either, but is linked to Bartholomew, who is listed as an apostle after Philip. Many believe Nathanael and Bartholomew are different names for the same person, with one being a nickname.

In the last post, I was critical of Nathanael; this time, I’ve been kinder. Who is the real Nathanael? His harsh words about Nazareth don’t stop Philip from bringing him to Jesus.

Nathanael seems unlikely to call Jesus “the Son of God” and “the King of Israel,” especially given his disdain for small towns like Nazareth. However, when Jesus first sees Nathanael, he surprises everyone by declaring him, “an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”

Throughout Nathanael’s encounter with Jesus, Israel is mentioned several times.

  • Nathanael is described as an honest Israelite.
  • The fig tree symbolises the kingdom of Israel.
  • Nathan calls Jesus the King of Israel.

Additionally, Nathanael is represented by Jacob, who represents deceit in the [A] part of the poem, while the [A’] part references Jacob’s ladder with “angels of God ascending and descending.” Jacob’s vision of the ladder marked the beginning of his transformation from a trickster who deceived his brother Esau to a changed person after wrestling with the Angel of the Lord, earning the name Israel.

Jacob slowly becomes Israel, while Nathanael quickly changes from a cynic to a sincere person.

John breaks the fourth wall

The fourth wall refers to the front of a theatre stage or the screen of a cinema or television, serving as a barrier between the actors and the audience. Before beginning the main story of Jesus, John finishes the prologue to his Gospel with a break in this barrier. Instead of showing Jesus through philosophical concepts like The Word or the Light that brings life, or through the perspectives of others, like John the Baptist, Andrew, Peter, Philip and now Nathanael, Paul turns round to speak directly to us.

The last part of the poem/song, from the end of verse 50 and all of verse 51, is the only part not to mention Israel, other than a nod to Jacob’s ladder.

The language changes here from a single conversation between Jesus and Nathanael to a message for everyone. “You will see” is used in a plural form, meaning it applies to all readers, including you and me. John is addressing us!

You will see a greater thing. We will see a greater thing. The greater thing is that heaven and earth are connected. Heaven and Earth were seen as being separate. The only place where these two kingdoms overlapped was the Jerusalem temple, and there, the presence of God was kept separate from the people. God is too scary to be approached.

But God, in Jesus Christ, has approached us. The presence of God was here in human form, and now, because the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Church at Pentecost, God’s presence is here on Earth still. The Kingdom of the Earth and the Kingdom of God have merged.

You will see heaven opened. We will see heaven opened. In this poetic style, John uses the story of Jacob, who slowly transformed from a con man to a man of God, to illustrate Nathanael’s rapid change. God does both types. Now, John connects with us: we, too, can be transformed by God into the best version of ourselves.

Jesus, Son of God, King of Israel, can do this. If you’ll let him. How about it?

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