Are You Found?

N.T.#693 "Are You Found?"

Dec. 12, 2025 

John 1-Part 11 

LET IT GLOW 

Since I have gotten older, I seem to loose things more often, thinking I put them where I can find them. So I turn to Jesus, because He is all knowing. Yep. Jesus helps me find things, for which I am grateful. I wonder if He smiles when I ask for help. I tend to tell Him it is me again, looking for something.

So far, Andrew and Simon Peter, along with James and John became Jesus' disciples. (Matt. 4:18-22) Then Jesus wanted to go to Bethsaida, which was along the Sea of Galilee. It was the home of the two fishermen Jesus had called to follow Him. It was about a 3 day walk from Jerusalem for them. (Peter lived at Capernaum, the next village, but he and Andrew may have grown up in Bethsaida.) 

At Bethsaida, Jesus invited Philip to follow Him, become a disciple. Meeting Jesus had an effect on Philip, since he immediately went out and found his friend Nathanael, sitting under a fig tree. Philip told him about meeting the Messiah, the One which Moses and the prophets wrote about. What an effect Jesus had on Philip. It didn't take long for him to be a witness of Jesus. (verses 43-45)

Are we sharing Jesus with our friends and family during this time of year?

LET IT GROW

How did Nathanael react to Philip's message? 

Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, come and see. (verse 46)

What happened next?

• Jesus described Nate as an Israelite in whom is no guile when seeing him. (verse 47)
• Also, Jesus told Nate that Philip found him under a fig tree. 
• Nathanael asked Jesus how He knew him. 
• Jesus answered, "Before Philip called thee when under the fig tree, I saw thee." (verse 48)
• Jesus reveals the penetrating eye of deity. (Falwell)
• Nathanael proclaims Jesus to be the Son of God, King of Israel. (verse 49)
• Because Nate believed, he would see greater things than these. (Jesus told him.) (verse 50)
• They would see as Jacob's ladder, the angels ascending and descending upon Christ. He is the Ladder between God and man since Jesus is the Son of God and the Son of man. (verses 49 and 51)

Not only did Jesus know Nathanael's character, where he was found by Philip, but also what Nate had been thinking. Nate had been thinking about Jacob's ladder while under the fig tree. Jacob had dreamed about such a ladder with angels going up and down on it from earth to heaven.

Jesus is our bridge between heaven and earth. He is the way to heaven. No one comes to Father God except through Jesus. (John 14:6)

Nathanael overcame his skepticism; have you?

John gives us 5 times found (to locate by searching) is used here:

• Andrew found Simon, claiming to have found the Messiah.(verse 41)
• Jesus found Philip. (verse 43)
• Philip found Nathanael, claiming to have found the Messiah. (verse 45)

Dear one, have you found Jesus as your Savior?

LET IT GO

Draw us by faith to You, Jesus.

Help those doubters to let go of any doubt and believe in You, the Son of God.